God Of Earth

The Elementals: God of Earth Marteeka Karland All rights reserved. Copyright ©2006 Marteeka Karland No part of this ...

Author: Karland Marteeka

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The Elementals: God of Earth Marteeka Karland All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2006 Marteeka Karland

No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical

means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior

written permission from Changeling Press LLC.

ISBN (10) 1-59596-374-X

ISBN (13) 978-1-59596-374-1

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Changeling Press LLC

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Editor: Katriena Knights

Cover Artist: Bryan Keller

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 Goddess of All Things, Eurynome, be merciful. Earth grieves, and the land refuses to heal itself from the destruction two decades earlier caused by fire’s outburst. Air has cleared out the ash from the upper troposphere, but to no avail. Devastation will be total unless the land can flourish once more. But earth is resilient. There is nothing that cannot be accomplished with two things. Time and pressure.

Chapter 1 The cave troll was huge! In every sense of the word. There was no way Tiana could possibly get his cock inside her. Pity. Still, the pleasure she got from him was wonderful. Tiana sat facing the troll, her legs draped on either side of his, his cock trapped between their bodies. With the differences in their sizes, and the fact that cave trolls were famous for their oversized anatomy, his cock reached almost to her breasts and was as thick as her leg. She arched her back and he took her entire breast into his mouth. His hand at her back spanned her waist. She’d never felt so tiny. Except once. Every time she thought she was over him, something would happen to remind her. Talon. God of Earth. And the biggest asshole ever to walk it! Immediately, she squashed the painful memory. Instead, she concentrated on her pleasure. The cave troll released one breast, only to latch on to the other with almost painful intensity. All the while, he thrust his hips at her, his cock rubbing her belly with every stroke. Tiana tried to wrap her legs around his hips, but they were so wide all she managed to do was squeeze him. To a passerby, she probably looked like a doll humping a giant. She angled her lower body so that her clit rubbed against his cock with every surge of his hips. Faster and faster he moved, his groans growing louder. Her clit was

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on fire! The friction was wonderfully erotic, and her lower body tingled with the need for release. She wrapped her hands around his cock, hugging it to her, trying to bring it into fuller contact with her aching clit. The troll slid the hand at her back down the crack of her ass until he reached her dripping cunt. Rimming one finger around her opening, he dipped his finger inside her. Being as large as he was, his finger filled her very nicely and was the trigger she needed to push her over the edge. With a shrill scream, Tiana exploded with her orgasm. She rode out wave after wave of spasms radiating from the troll’s finger wedged inside her pussy. It wasn’t long before the troll followed her. Warm, dark green sperm shot from the tip of his cock and bathed Tiana from the neck down in the sticky fluid. She sighed. Damn. Same as always. Her orgasm never satisfied her. She felt… empty. Sex with no emotional entanglement left her cold. The harder she tried to find fulfillment, the more restless she became. Such was the life of a wood nymph. Nature called to her. The trees sang to her. For the first time in her life, she felt part of something. And all of it was dying. Even here, the place they called Eden, she wept for the loss whenever she was alone. It was one of the reasons she sought out her own pleasure. If she dwelt on the sadness, she would surely perish as well. Why was this happening? Trolls being more interested in sex than a lasting relationship, he merely patted her on the head and sent her away from him. Which was fine with her. She was sticky.

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Looking back at the troll, she found him already curled into a ball, snoring loudly. She giggled. Trolls were excellent lovers, but they could never stay awake after sex. Scampering off into the wood, she ran until she came to her favorite hot spring. A bath would be relaxing and would wash away the scent of someone she never should have been with in the first place. There was only one person she should ever give her body to. Only one she would ever want -- had wanted since the second she’d laid eyes on him. In that moment, her only desire had been to wrap her body around his and share many moments of ecstasy, but he had dashed her hopes quickly enough. She would never seek him out. And she would never give her heart to him without a fight. He’d hurt her too badly. Sinking beneath the surface of the warm water in the Pool of Eden, Tiana tried very hard to block the memory of her last one-on-one conversation with Talon. Despite her best efforts, the memory came crashing down on her. “Some scientist you turned out to be.” Talon’s anger and annoyance were obvious by his gestures and tone of voice. “Even the dumb animals in the region of Yellowstone had sense enough to get away. Allison told you to leave, but still you stayed. If it hadn’t been for Angelina hearing your cries of fear, you would have been caught in the pyroclastic flow of that volcano along with everyone else!” “I was trying to help some campers stranded in the park.” Tiana hated how defensive she sounded. Talon always seemed to put her in that position. “What was I supposed to do? Let them die?” “They died anyway,” he hissed, angrier than anyone she’d ever seen. “And in the process, you put the Goddess of Air in danger because you refused to do what you were told to do!” “Talon! She’s a goddess! She can’t die.” Talon advanced on her. His sheer size made Tiana step back, again on the defensive. “You know nothing about what it means to be an Elemental! We do not age,

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we heal from wounds fatal to humans, and we do not get diseases, but we are not immortal. Make no mistake, had you and Angelina been caught in that hell, you both would have died. It would simply have taken Angelina a lot longer.” Tiana’s gut had clenched at the thought of the beautiful, fragile-looking air goddess suffering such a horrible death. She still felt ashamed every time the memory grabbed her, which was often. She had watched from the air as that family was buried in six hundred degree ash and gas. Four lives gone in the space of a heartbeat and her own changed forever. Why had Angelina chosen to rescue her? Why not one of the two teenagers, or either of the adults? Angelina had merely smiled sadly and said nothing. She still doubted that Angelina had been in any real danger, as Talon alluded to, but she might have prevented the goddess from rescuing someone else. That thought, more than any other, haunted her every day. She stayed beneath the water until she thought her lungs would explode. Always she pushed herself farther. Always she thought she might decide not to come up for air and accept the fate that should have been hers at Yellowstone. In this place of new beginnings, Tiana simply could not bring her existence to an end. Always selfpreservation won, and she rose sputtering and gasping above the surface of the water. For a moment, she stood there, breathing deeply. Then she ducked under again and tilted her head back as she came up, the horror passing. She smoothed her hair back from her face and rubbed the water from her eyes. Swimming to the edge of the pool, she turned and rested her head against the side and let her lower body float, relaxing. That was her existence since she had been given a choice between life and death. A brief moment of emotion, then… nothing. Memories would flood her mind from the past every day, and she would grieve as if they had just happened. But they always passed quickly. Probably why they returned. Unable to feel strong emotion for any length of time, she could not heal from past hurts. She seemed incapable of feeling remorse or joy or sadness or happiness for more than a few brief moments. She existed

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for the moment. It was almost a living hell. The only thing that seemed to stay with her was Talon. Strange she should find solace in the one person she would never turn to for comfort. It had been twenty years since she’d last seen him, and she had no desire to seek him out. She lived life on her own terms now.

Chapter 2 Tiana thought she was alone. He could sense that much through the link they both now shared with earth. He also felt the emptiness within her, and shame flooded him again. It was because of him. His hurtful words had driven her from him, and she had based her choices on the desire to never be hurt again. But she hurt continually. She gave herself over and over again to whatever intelligent earth-creature caught her fancy. It never satisfied her. He could tell by the way she always returned to this pool. This was her special spot, the place she loved above all others. Here she would always try again to experience sexual rapture on her own. As if she thought she could succeed where everything else had failed. Talon had followed her for the better part of twenty years now -- always watchful, always waiting for the right moment. She needed time to heal. He needed time to think and plan. Earth was all about time and pressure. Compress coal long enough, hard enough, and you get a diamond. He was close now. He could sense her thoughts turning to him more and more in recent months. Soon she would have to seek him out, if for no other reason than because she knew in her heart that he held the key to her satisfaction. He chose to live as his earth self -- a large mountain lion -- while he waited for her. She chose to live in the Garden of Eden, this beautiful, forgotten land of mythical creatures. Here, he was mistaken for just another werecat. But Tiana was far too complacent about her safety. She should have noticed him on more than one occasion. Instead, she always seemed to overlook him. He wondered if she had a death wish or was merely unobservant. Deciding it was time -- whether Tiana realized it or not -Talon approached the pool, still in his cat form.

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The little nymph didn’t move. She remained there with her eyes closed and legs spread. Her lithe limbs floated just underneath the surface of the warm water. He could clearly see her fingers as they manipulated her clit, could see her dip them -- first one, then two -- inside her cunt and sigh as she did so. Her hips rocked rhythmically, and she strained for release. Finally, her hips locked as they thrust forward. She gasped and squeezed her legs together around the hand still manipulating her clit. After several seconds, she sighed and relaxed. “Damn.” She sounded disappointed. Tiana laid her head back and closed her eyes again. Talon almost missed it, but he saw a single tear appear from the corner of her eye and trickle silently to her ear. She was as miserable as he was. She just didn’t know the reason. Hiding his identity from her connection to earth was difficult, but he managed. Talon entered the Pool of Eden, its warmth washing over him soothing muscles tense with need. He took his time, not trying to sneak up on her or catch her by surprise, but giving her plenty of time to acknowledge his presence. She spotted him when he was halfway across the pool. Not moving, she neither accepted nor rejected him. Her indifference made him angry. Just because this was Eden didn’t mean there weren’t dangerous creatures about. She should have shown at least some form of self-preservation. She shouldn’t have allowed a strange creature to approach her. “This is my pool. No one bothers me here.” Talon said nothing and didn’t shift to his human form. She needed to know only he held the key to her soul, but if she knew who he was, she’d resist. Reaching her, he nudged her knee, indicating he wanted her out of the pool. When she didn’t comply, he sent her a mental image of her sitting on the grassy surface with her feet and lower legs still in the water. She raised an eyebrow but complied, sitting on the steps that entered the pool and crossing her legs at the ankles. For some reason the gesture angered Talon beyond

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imagination. Lunging toward her, he used his head to shove her legs apart and growled deep and low. Tiana didn’t flinch. She was relaxed and calm in a way she shouldn’t be with a huge mountain lion staring up at her from between her legs. Again, she raised a delicately arched eyebrow as if to say, “Well? What are you waiting for?” Talon thought about shifting before taking this any farther, but he knew in his heart she’d bolt. He was deceiving her, but at this point, he didn’t really care. She’d had twenty years to come to terms with her new life and the connection they were supposed to share, and she steadfastly refused to accept it. He was through waiting on her. He needed her help if earth was ever going to heal. He needed her just as much as she needed him. Dipping his head, Talon took a long swipe through her cunt. Tiana gasped and pulled his head closer to her. Surprise danced through his link to her, and he knew he’d touched something inside her that hadn’t been touched in many, many years. Again, he lapped her slit. This time her intimate moisture gushed at him. Her taste was a heady mixture of earth, musk, and woman and he roared his appreciation at the same time she screamed her own. Talon knew he could easily take her now, but he held back. This had to be the most explosive experience she’d ever had if he was to have a chance of drawing her to him. Carefully, as he didn’t want to shift completely, Talon lowered his head once more and transformed his mouth into that of a man. She couldn’t see what he was doing, and he could more easily draw out her sexual pleasure if his lips and tongue were more pliable. Tiana was in a high state of bliss. She might not have understood what the cat was doing with his mouth, but her body definitely appreciated it. His tongue danced and swirled around her clit in maddening strokes and licks. Sometimes the moist appendage would be rough -- like one would expect from a cat -- other times it was softer and glided around her wet, hot flesh more easily as a man’s might.

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She wasn’t afraid. She knew the enormous earth-brown creature was a wereanimal before it ever touched her; otherwise she would have warded it off with the song of the trees. Something about this huge cat was different, though. The creature had a human form, therefore she expected to see intelligence gleaming in his eyes, but with this one, there was more. Something vaguely familiar. She probably should have tried to puzzle it out, but the sensations she was experiencing made rational thought impossible. All she could think about was the bitching orgasm she was going to have. As she looked down her body, the sight of the cat’s head between her legs feasting was the most erotic thing she had ever seen. Were-creatures by nature didn’t mate with humans in their animal form, and not at all with animals that couldn’t shape shift. But this one seemed to insist he take her in his animal form. Strange. The great cat’s tongue continued to titillate and tease and stroke and slurp. With slow methodical precision, he brought her to the brink of ecstasy only to let her fall back into a quivering mass. He kept it up for what felt like hours. Her throat was raw from screaming in both rapture and frustration. When she thought she could take no more, the cat moved from between her quivering thighs and out of the water. Giving a mighty shake, scattering water droplets everywhere, he looked at her as if calculating his next move. Without thought, Tiana lay on her right side and looked at the cat. He paused before taking his place behind her. To Tiana, it almost seemed as if the creature were claiming his rightful place at her side. Stretched out, the cat was even longer than she was. He was undoubtedly the largest cat she’d ever seen, and knowing what she was about to do with him sent a sexual thrill through her stronger than any she’d ever experienced, even before her death. He placed a great forepaw at her waist and gave her shoulder a rough lick. Tiana raised her leg to allow him access to her now dripping cunt. She felt the cat’s cock

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probing her, seeking entrance, and arched her back to allow him access. With one smooth stroke, he was inside her. Tiana screamed her satisfaction. Nothing had ever felt so wonderful, so right. She was filled. She was whole. As the were-creature began to move, ever so slightly, Tiana moved with him, encouraging him to move faster. She knew something was happening inside her. Her heart wept with joy and relief. This cat, this man, was somehow the key to her eternal happiness. She didn’t know how she knew it, but there it was. And it scared her beyond belief. As if sensing her pulling away from him, the cat nipped her sharply on the shoulder until she looked back at him. Beautiful ebony eyes stared back at her. Intelligent eyes. Loving eyes. She couldn’t look away. He’d captured her. Tiana could tell from the gleam in his eyes that he knew the power he had over her. He grunted. Before Tiana’s eyes, the creature began to shift. Very slowly, the cat transformed into his human form. Fur was replaced with hair-dusted skin, paws and claws became hands and fingers. The cock firmly imbedded within her swelled to its human size, stretching her erotically. As the features became more and more clear, the face looking back at her was the face that had haunted her for more years than she cared to count. At first, she tried to convince herself she was angry. He knew she’d never let him have her willingly. But she knew deep in her heart he was the only man for her -- had known for a very long time. Her body longed for him; her soul yearned to belong to him and to own his soul in return. It was something she could never let happen. He might be good for her body, but he would never capture her heart. That road would only lead to more pain. If he wanted her body, she’d give it willingly. It was what she was. She was a wood nymph, seeking pleasure where she could find it, and giving her heart to no one but herself.

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He surged into her over and over, each thrust more powerful than the last. His heavy balls slapped her repeatedly, adding even more stimulation to an already overcharged sexual encounter. Tiana knew she couldn’t last much longer. Soon, he would push her over the edge into madness. Reaching behind her, she grasped one cheek of his ass, pulling him to her, urging him on. With a growl, Talon lifted her, urging her to her knees. He pushed her down until her face rested on the ground. He gripped her hips then, thrusting inside her repeatedly, each stroke gaining in intensity. Tiana couldn’t read him very well, but through their connection with the earth, she could sense his beast self needing to assert dominance. Knowing she could never let him get the best of her in that area, she did the only thing she could think of to put them on equal footing and still gain them the most sexual satisfaction. Reaching between her legs, Tiana found her clit and strummed it a second or two before easing back and framing his cock sliding in and out of her pussy with two fingers, making sure they were coated well with her own sensual moisture. He grunted his appreciation and lunged his hips strongly at her, pausing to push as deeply as he could inside her cunt. When he did, Tiana made her move. Dropping her shoulder to the ground, she stretched as far as she could, reaching farther underneath herself until she found his balls. Cupping them and squeezing them gently, she used them as a guide to her true goal. When he ground his hips a couple of times, she stretched one last little bit and walked her fingers back to his asshole. Carefully, gently because the only lubrication she had was their combined sweat and her own natural lube, she inserted one finger to the first joint. Talon stilled. She could feel the muscles in his legs tensing as shock flooded him. Slipping her finger out, then pushing it back in a little further this time, she moved it around gently, massaging him inside. He gasped, his cock growing impossibly larger as it pulsed against her walls. A moment later, he shouted and gripped her hips with bruising force as he emptied himself inside her.

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Waiting only a couple of seconds, Talon moved away from her enough to lower his face between her legs. Tiana screamed at the unexpected contact. Arching her back and raising her ass high in the air, she spread her legs wider. He swiped her from clit to pussy in one long, slow lick and paused at her cunt to circle the hole. Over and over, Talon’s tongue alternated from clit to pussy, never pausing long in one place, never letting her climax. “Damn you, Talon!” Her scream echoed around them, emphasizing how isolated they were. He didn’t say anything, only moved his head and flipped her over to her back and dove in again. Fastening his lips around her clit, he sucked and flicked it with his tongue. Tiana exploded. The lower half of her body, centering on her clit, spasmed and tingled. Her toes tingled! Her legs locked from the muscle contraction, and she saw little spots as she pushed through the orgasm, drawing it out as much as she could. It lasted forever! And it made her feel more complete than ever before.

Chapter 3 Talon noticed Tiana had looked him in the eye every time they faced each other during their frenzied mating. Before he had put her on her hands and knees, Talon had watched the emotions flicker across her lovely, pixie-like face -- surprise, anger, lust, acceptance… And resolve. She would fight him. Not the physical attraction -- he had no doubt they would partake of each other on several occasions before it was all over -- but she would never give him her heart willingly. And he couldn’t say he blamed her. He had said harsh things to her. What she didn’t know was that his anger had been born of fear. He thought he’d lost her. In trying to help Pyros and Allison defuse the volcano at Yellowstone, he had been unable to help the person who mattered most to him. But what bothered him most of all was he hadn’t even realized how much she meant to him until it was too late. Her appearance had changed, but only minimally. Her skin was like creamy mocha instead of milky white, and her cheeks had a hint of a brownish blush rather than a light pink. Her light brown, almond shaped eyes were still almost too big for her face but were now framed by long, silky, green lashes. The gentle breeze ruffled her cropped green hair where she’d had long lustrous black locks before. The only change in the structure of her original features was the delicate pointed ears of the wood nymph she now sported, revealed by hair that looked like it had been lopped off with a dull knife. She should have looked strange. To Talon, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Just the feeling of having her in his arms, where she belonged, was

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exhilarating. Breaking the spell influencing her would be a difficult task, but one he would gladly undertake. Wood nymphs lived for their own pleasure, uncaring of the feelings of others. Only women who had been hurt very badly could remain such a creature very long. Sooner or later, they fell in love and broke the self-imposed spell, allowing them the capacity to care once again. Tiana, however, had remained a wood nymph for two decades. Far longer than any other wood nymph. He had to convince her he was worth a second chance.

*** Tiana sat in the top of her favorite oak tree swinging her legs. The night sky was blanketed with a myriad of sparkling, twinkling stars, and the music of owls, wolves, and other night creatures surrounded her and provided the soothing atmosphere she loved. She tried to convince herself she felt no different after fucking Talon than she did after sex with the cave troll. But she did feel different. She was completely satisfied. The only thing that would have made this experience complete would be lying in his arms right now. Shrugging it off, Tiana stood and dove into the tree’s branches below her. She swung like a seasoned gymnast from limb to limb, always finding the narrow openings between the branches, never so much as brushing a leaf on her way down. Such was her communion with this tree. Her life had truly begun the day she’d died. A whole new world she had been deaf and blind to had been opened in a way she could have never imagined. It wasn’t only the trees that reached out to her, but all things of the earth. Animals, flora, the earth itself deep beneath the surface -- all of it called to her, sang to her. She understood everything. Except the reason why the earth refused to flourish. That puzzled the hell out of her. The climate seemed to have reset itself several years back, but it took very hard work to get anything to grow. As a result, a worldwide

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famine had killed millions of people. If things kept going that way, no one would survive. In fact, even this little piece of paradise took a lot of work for anything to live, and she simply was afraid to leave. The one time she had, she’d almost lost this place. Her home. It had taken months and months of communing with the earth before it flourished. And yet earth held something back from her. She could tell. Oh, it was nothing tremendous, nothing obvious to anyone but her. But the flowers weren’t as plentiful or as colorful as they once had been. The trees weren’t as green in the spring and summer or as brilliant in the fall. The evergreens weren’t as cheerful in the winter, and that season seemed to come earlier and hold on longer every year. This place had been her only refuge for twenty years. She had used every instinct, every power she had over the earth to keep Eden alive and beautiful. As a result, every creature tied to the earth with a psychic bond had migrated here: unicorns, were-creatures, trolls, and every mythical creature imaginable. And she was sure it was dying. With a final mighty swing, Tiana twisted her body into the air, tucked her knees into her chest and tumbled to the ground, rising smoothly to her feet. She giggled. It had been a long time since she’d felt like flying. She seemed to have a renewed energy where there was mostly weariness before. Before… Tiana sat down hard in a nest of clover and moss beneath the large tree. Before. She looked around her. Really looked. Searching deep within herself, she listened to the earth and all the creatures affected by it. It was so faint she almost missed it, but it was there. Life! All around her, she could feel the song of earth swelling ever so slightly. Something had changed. And she was afraid she knew what that something was.

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Talon! Damn the man to hell and back! Why did it have to be him? Why did he have to be the answer? OK, so he was God of Earth. That made him the answer, but why did she have to be part of this equation? For the first time in twenty years, she felt the glimmer of hope that everything would be all right. But at what cost to her? If she was right, she either accepted Talon as her mate, or the earth would die. There was something about their sexual energy that allowed the earth to heal. She knew -- felt -- this was only a temporary fix. Earth was a constant thing. Fire flamed, water flowed, air was transparent, but earth was a solid, physical presence not easily quenched or diverted. Any energy controlling it had to be just as solid and determined. Tiana raised her chin a notch in defiance. If this had to be done, she’d do it on her terms. She might mate with Talon, but she would not give him her heart. Ever.

*** Talon listened to the earth carefully. Everything -- absolutely everything -depended on Tiana’s acceptance of him. Their combined energy was the only thing able to save earth from consumption. It was like a healing balm: two creatures of earth -- one the very god who influenced earth in ways no other being could -- engaging themselves in a love so pure and wholesome it could replenish a world dying from despair. After all, earth was only reflecting Talon’s own emotion. He had been lost without Tiana. It puzzled him how he could miss her so terribly after knowing her for a very short period of time. He had felt like he was withering away without her presence to sustain him. It wasn’t so much that earth mirrored him, but that his life force replenished itself by taking earth’s. It wasn’t something he had control over, and he didn’t know why he suddenly needed the extra energy after so many years needing nothing. Of course, he had never needed a woman before either. There were times, especially as he watched her fuck another man, when he felt like his heart would

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explode from the pain. He wanted to lash out, but he knew that would only cause more problems later. Instead, he watched. He waited. Now, the time had come. But would she surrender or fight? How much more of a drain would her resistance cause earth? Yes, her brief surrender had caused a noticeable improvement, but like an ember in the wind, it would burn out quickly, and the desolation would continue. Tiana had done a remarkable job of holding on to her little corner of paradise, but it could not continue. The fact that she had even this much control over his element erased any doubt he might have had that she was his true mate. If they combined their strength and energy, they could very well stop the devastation before it went too far. If not, earth was doomed. If that happened, Talon was doomed as well. Oh, he could ask Eurynome to return him the home he’d had before undertaking such a great task as becoming God of Earth, but there was nothing to go back to. Anything and everyone he had ever known was dead and he was simply too old to start over. Earth was all he lived for. Until Tiana. Always silently, he watched her. Now, she lounged beneath her favorite tree, the mightiest oak in the forest, looking rather nonchalant. He, however, could feel her turmoil. She knew together they could save earth. She also knew if they remained apart, everything she had worked so hard to preserve would be no more. Even now, she was trying to convince herself she would go to him for the good of the land. He’d take it. It was a sight better than nothing at all, and he might even convince her he was worth giving a second chance. “I know you’re there, Talon. I’ve always known when you were near and avoided you.” She turned in his direction. “Come on out so we can get this over with.” So much for a harmonious union. “I’d hoped we could start over, Tiana.”

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“Hope can be a horrible thing, Talon. It builds you up, sustains you, then stabs your heart and leaves you to bleed.” She spat her angry words with all the hurt and heartache she’d repressed over the years. “Take some advice from me, Talon, God of Earth; don’t get your hopes up.” “Tiana.” Talon felt like his heart would break. He’d never, in all the eons he had spent in this life, hurt someone the way he’d hurt Tiana. She was everything good and wholesome within his own element and he’d damaged her. Quite possibly beyond repair. No wonder earth couldn’t heal itself. Tiana was part of him now -- had been a part of him since he’d first met her -- and she refused to come back to him. He was going to have to go to her. “Must we fight? We both work toward the same goal. We are stronger together than we are apart. Why not work together?” Perhaps reason would work. If he appealed to her desire to save the earth, he might have a chance. “I have no problem with that.” Tiana waved her hand dismissively. “In fact, I agree.” She smiled sweetly. Too sweetly. “But we’ll do it my way.” Talon smelled a trick, or at least that something wasn’t exactly what it seemed. Nevertheless, he knew he didn’t have much choice. He’d just have to be on his guard. “OK. I accept that.” Tiana still rested at the foot of her oak. Casually, she reached out to let a butterfly light on one delicate finger. Delicate. This woman was anything but delicate. She was slender and small, but firm, defined muscles rippled all over her body. As she brought the butterfly to her nose and let the creature sit there as she giggled, her biceps curled and flexed. Her legs, one crossed over the other at the knee and swinging freely, were strong and firm with muscles bunching and relaxing with each movement. She was covered with nothing but a few leaves strung together to form a cover for her mons and breasts, leaving her tummy bare. The woman had abs defined enough to do any man proud.

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Talon was built solid as the earth itself. Hell, he was just plain big all over. One thing he’d always been careful of was to choose lovers he was sure could withstand vigorous lovemaking. Tiana, all muscle and sinew, was such a woman. She was the perfect woman for the God of Earth. His cock swelled with that knowledge. Tiana smirked. “Like what you see, big boy?” Her gaze was centered on his crotch. No use denying the obvious. “You know I do. I’ve liked what I saw from the first moment I laid eyes on you.” “But I’m not the same woman now as I was then.” She stood, slowly, seductively tugging the leaf coverings from her delectable body. “My body is perfect.” Her hands touched her flesh as she sauntered toward him, cupping her high, firm breasts and shaping her hips. She trailed one finger down her belly to dip between her folds. Bringing it out, she promptly stuck it into her mouth. “I’m every man’s wet dream, wouldn’t you say?” Talon didn’t know what to say! In fact, his mouth was so dry at the moment, he wasn’t sure he could say anything even if he did. She was right, but he doubted she really expected him to agree. He shifted his feet, uncomfortable. His cock was seconds away from exploding, yet somehow, he held on. She was just inches away from him now. So close he could smell her. If he took a really deep breath, his body would brush hers. She stood there, looking up at him with those bright green eyes… And kneed him in the groin. Hard. He was so surprised, the pain didn’t hit him all at once. But when it did… He couldn’t move. He couldn’t even groan. He just stood there until he could double over like he was moving in slow motion. When he was finally -- finally -- on the ground, he simply covered his privates with both hands and bent his knees in a fetal position, hoping he could breathe again in a few seconds. He didn’t even notice the tears streaming from his eyes until Tiana knelt above him, smiling sweetly, and brushed his cheeks with the pads of her fingers.

Marteeka Karland


- 23 -

“You’re right, Talon.” To look at her, you’d never guess she’d just ambushed him. Her face was serenity itself. “I think we need to start over.” He simply looked at her helplessly. “Listen carefully, God of Earth, because I don’t intend to repeat myself.” She sat down beside him and crossed her legs in front of her. “In order for my home to live, we must use our energy in unison, and apparently the most efficient way to do that is with sexual energy. The earth absorbs it and flourishes.” When she reached out to caress his arm, Talon couldn’t help but flinch. He also couldn’t help but notice her slight smile when he did. “Earth is a constant thing, Talon. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that the only way to save her is with a permanent mating between us. It’s the only way to keep the energy stable.” “It’s more than just a mating, Tiana.” He managed to croak out the sentence, and he wasn’t at all sure he got his point across. “The earth needs our sexual energy, just like water needed Jada, Cronos, and Raphael’s. Just like fire needed Pyros and Allison’s.” She stood and looked down at him then. Even in his incapacitated state, he couldn’t help but admire her beauty. She looked like some nude Amazon queen -- pretty much what she was. “If the earth needs me to have sex with you -- if my home here needs it -- then I’ll do whatever I have to. I’ll even enjoy that big, magnificently muscled body of yours, Talon, but I’ll never give you my heart.” Talon wanted to argue with her that her heart was exactly what she had to give. He wanted to tell her it wasn’t enough to simply have sex with him, or anyone else. She had to give everything that she was -- not to him, but to the earth. He wanted to tell her earth would demand this one sacrifice of both of them. He wanted to. But he didn’t. Trying to convince her of that would be an exercise in futility. She simply wasn’t ready. But that was OK. He could wait. Time… And pressure.

Chapter 4 Tiana sat in the very top of her oak. She suspected Talon needed a while to recover. She actually felt a little bad about that. But he had deserved it. It didn’t really make them even, but she was satisfied with it. As she sat there, thinking things over, a leaf fluttered down in front of her and landed in her lap. Brown. Dead. She looked up. Then she looked all around her, her heart rate skyrocketing in alarm. They were all dead. Or dying. How had she missed this? This oak was dying, and she’d bet it wasn’t the only one. Climbing down, she ran for the pool. The nearer she got, the more alarmed she became. Nothing thrived as it had several hours ago. Not all the vegetation was in danger, but most of it was either dead or dying. “You look like a woman with a problem, my lovely Tiana.” Tiana was wound so tight, she actually screamed. The man was lounging in her pool, water lapping at his muscled abdomen. He was devastatingly handsome. Perfect in every way. Each muscle was perfectly defined, his skin tone tanned without being overwhelming, his hair the color of midnight and spilling down to the water in one smooth, silky wave. Off balance, Tiana blurted, “My forest is dying.” “My dear,” he chuckled, “the whole world is dying. Why should this place have a different fate than everything else?”

Marteeka Karland


- 25 -

“But you don’t understand.” She looked around her in disbelief once more. “Everything was alive and healthy -- thriving even -- a few hours ago. The sexual energy Talon created with me saved this place.” He chuckled again, this time his voice washing over her like warm honey, sticking to her skin, turning her insides molten. “My dear, it’s not just about the God of Earth. You are just as important in this as he is.” He moved then, like a swan in all his grace through the water. “He might provide the raw power, but you provide the vitality.” Tiana found herself concentrating more and more on the man instead of what he was saying. She wanted to know what lay below his waist beneath the water. Her sexual nature taking over, she absently ran a finger around her nipple. But something inside her screamed at her to concentrate, think about what was happening. It was an internal voice she hadn’t heard in a very long time. Her adopted nature tried to override that voice, but she couldn’t ignore it. This was a man who screamed sex, but the lure to find out what he might offer her physically wasn’t as appealing as it once had been. The adopted part of her nature -that of a wood nymph -- perked up at this blatant display of masculine sexuality, but instead of surrendering she dropped her hands to her sides and focused on what he’d actually said. “OK. Start over.” This was important. She had to concentrate. “What the hell are you talking about?” “The energy required to fix all this --” He waved his hand around, indicating the dead and dying foliage. “-- not only requires brute strength, but tremendous energy. Talon supplies the muscle. You supply the focus.” “OK,” she said, “so we have sex to focus this energy. What’s your point?” “It’s not just about sex. Earth needs substance. You already know that. It’s the nature of earth to be constant and to need consistency. It’s not enough that you mate with him. You have to put everything you are into that relationship.” Her eyes narrowed. “I’m putting in it all I care to.”

Marteeka Karland


- 26 -

His grin was positively evil. “Then earth is as good as mine.” Extending his arms out from his sides, the man rose slowly from the water. Tiana’s mouth fell open in shock, though she thought nothing in Eden could shock her. There was something about the way he levitated into the air that prickled the hair on the back of her neck. Something about the way the air moved around him… “I am Chaos, little darling, the one who saved you. Should you tire of the God of Earth, remember I’m looking for a mate with your special… talents with regard to earth.” He flowed through the air slowly, surely, to the bank where she stood. Tiana couldn’t breathe. Chaos. In her forest! “You dare come here? To Eden? This has always been haven for all the earth’s creatures. It is not a place for you. State your business.” Again, he chuckled. “I just did, my dear. I intend to convince you to bind your energy with mine. I am stronger than Talon, and together, we can heal the earth without a heart and soul mating like Talon needs from you.” “But why me?” She felt trapped, helpless. Like someone other than herself was controlling her destiny. “Why does it have to be me? Why can’t it be someone else?” “Because, my dear, there is no other woman who has been wood nymph as long as you have. Your communion with earth is stronger than any other creature of your kind, and nymphs are not only intensely sexual, but also very closely tied to all creatures of earth, especially plants and trees. And you bring something else. A vitality unmatched by anything I’ve ever seen. Your willingness to live even though you really didn’t want to because you knew there was something else you had to do.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tiana snapped. Too quickly to be believable. Chaos merely laughed that annoying, knowing laugh. “You do.” He raised a hand to caress her cheek gently. Tiana sucked in a breath and closed her eyes tightly. His touch wasn’t a simple touch. It filled Tiana with a surge of unimaginable lust. If she hadn’t braced herself for it, she might have fallen to her knees. Still, she couldn’t contain the whimper.

Marteeka Karland


- 27 -

“You are a rare gem, Tiana, do you know that? You can take a man to the heights of ecstasy and make him want to give you anything you ever wanted just for the privilege of lying in your arms afterward and knowing he made you feel the same. I think deep down, you want a man who really can make you feel that way.” “Not so. I live for the moment. Just like every other creature here.” “No. None of you truly feels that way. You want to be needed. You just want the right person so you don’t feel vulnerable when you need them just as much.” “I need no one!” Tiana’s heart raced. Not only because of his touch, but his words pierced her heart. “Of course you don’t.” He smiled. “Not now. Not as long as you can fulfill your sexual needs.” He trailed a finger down her jaw and neck, to the swell of her breast. “I can do that for you.” She looked up at him, into his eyes. Their ebony depths held her, trapped her, and she couldn’t decide whether to run or to surrender. Ever so slowly, Chaos dipped his head to her breasts. He never broke eye contact with her. When he latched on to her nipple, she closed her eyes and let the sensations flow through her. The baser side of her relished his exquisite ministrations. After the confusion she felt toward Talon, she welcomed an escape for her troubled mind. Sighing, she twined her fingers in Chaos’s hair and pulled him closer to her chest. His arms closed around her waist as he settled to his knees. She shivered when he left one breast for the other and cold air passed over the nipple. Sensation overwhelmed her and before she knew it, Chaos had her flat on her back with his face buried in her pussy. She writhed beneath him, wrapping her legs around his head. She was close to orgasm, but she couldn’t quite reach it. Taking a breast in each hand, she massaged and tweaked them until her sexual excitement was at a fever pitch. Still, she couldn’t orgasm. When Chaos plunged two fingers inside her, she teetered, then fell. Bliss was hers.

Marteeka Karland


- 28 -

But as soon as the contractions began to fade, she knew Chaos wasn’t the one. Knew he couldn’t give her what she needed. It wasn’t that she didn’t receive physical gratification -- quite the opposite! But Chaos didn’t need her. He would never need her. But there was one who did. Shame washed over her. What the hell was she doing? This was wrong. So very wrong. “Chaos!” The familiar, very angry voice pierced the air. Chaos winced and his hand flew to his temple but he remained where he was -- lounged between Tiana’s parted thighs. Tiana, on the other hand, tried to scramble back, as if perhaps Talon would draw some conclusion other than the obvious. “You will leave.” “You are in no position to order me about, God of Earth, even if you had the power.” Chaos released Tiana and rolled lazily to his side, propping his head on his hand. “I will have Tiana, and you will crawl back to Eurynome, the Goddess of All Things who made all the Elementals gods and goddesses. You will beg her to send you back home. Never forget, your home lies millions of miles away from here on a distant planet in another dimension. You don’t belong here. You never did.” “I am home, Chaos.” Talon was more subdued now, in control. “Earth is as much a part of me as I am of it. I belong here more than I ever belonged to the planet of my birth.” Still, his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, and all around him, vegetation quivered as if frightened. Reaching out to the plants, Tiana tried to soothe them as best she could, but she was trembling herself. “Besides, Eurynome brought us here to keep order and peace with the elements. She knew that task was beyond you. It’s simply not your nature. This planet, this forest, is my home. I will protect it at all costs. I will not let you drive me from it.” “Look around you, Talon.” He smirked. “Earth is dying. Do you really want to stay here knowing you couldn’t help the element you were supposed to be in control of? Order and peace might not be in my nature, but you’re a miserable failure at both.”

Marteeka Karland


- 29 -

Tiana felt the sharp, stabbing pain in Talon’s heart as if it were her own. She squashed the sympathy threatening to bubble to the surface. After what he’d said to her in the past, he deserved whatever he got. At least, she kept telling herself that. The way he looked at her now, as if she had betrayed him, hurt more than she could have ever imagined. Why did she have to connect with a man who left her so confused each time she encountered him? Why did she have to care at all? Twenty years of having no long-lasting emotions, and now she’d developed a conscience. Sometimes, life was a bitch.

Chapter 5 Talon wanted nothing more than to vomit. He had never hurt so badly in his life. Seeing Tiana really come for another man just about ripped his heart out. Knowing it was Chaos she was with just made it that much worse. Turning, Talon left them there. Now wasn’t the time to argue, or to try to win Tiana’s heart. There would be time for that later. Right now, he needed to calm himself. And let the earth settle him down. Wandering into the forest, he looked at everything around him. Most of the younger plants were in various stages of dying. Without Tiana, none of this would survive, including the rest of the planet. Earth had struggled on its own for far too long. He was now running out of time. Fast. Still, he had to be patient. Now more than ever. Tiana had reached a critical point in her life. Everything she had learned to trust about herself in the last twenty years was being challenged. The question was, could she withstand the pressure? Ordinarily, Talon would say “absolutely” without batting an eye. But she was particularly vulnerable right now. She was in turmoil. Chaos had offered her a way to save earth without engaging her emotions, and she was confused as hell. She could have what she wanted, without risking her heart. Or she could take a chance. She could find not only physical release, but eternal happiness. Real happiness. Later. He’d deal with that later. Right now, he needed to center himself once again and prepare for the battle to come.

***

Marteeka Karland


- 31 -

This was absolutely absurd. Chaos had left her to think on his proposal, and all she could do was follow Talon. He was hurting. Why the fuck she cared, she couldn’t say, but there it was. After about an hour, she found him. He was lying on a bed of clover in a small clearing, the sun bathing his nude body. At first he lay there, one knee bent, arms behind his head not moving. Tiana admired his body. He was truly magnificent. The man himself was magnificent. And he needed her. She felt that in the earth, though she had ignored it until now. Even so, she wanted to deny him. As she debated what to do, Talon shifted his position. Before her eyes, his cock swelled and thickened. He reached for it and grasped it, simply holding himself for a few seconds as if debating what he wanted to do. Tiana held her breath. And Talon began to stroke himself. Muscles rippled across his body as he tensed with each stroke of his hand. Tiana could hear his moans of pleasure among the noise of the forest, and her heart rate accelerated. She wanted Talon. There was no reason she had to give him her heart, and no reason she couldn’t have his body again. It was a body she was already addicted to. Lust surged through her as she felt that same lust building within him. Earth took in a deep breath, reaching for Talon’s energy yet unable to use the energy it found. Earth needed an instrument that created a bridge to that energy. Her. Tiana approached him. He stroked himself faster now, his eyes tightly closed. Carefully, and oh, so gently, she placed her hand on his. Talon’s eyes opened, and he turned his head to face her, the movement slow. Lazy. As if he knew she was there all along. Not saying a word, she moved Talon’s hand away from his cock and dipped her head to let her mouth serve as a replacement. He was large, but not uncomfortably so.

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The head fit into her mouth snugly, but it was difficult to go much farther. She knew it would fit perfectly inside her already wet cunt. Talon’s hands fell to his sides, and Tiana couldn’t help but notice his fingers flex and relax as she worked his cock with her mouth. Using her mouth, lips, and teeth, Tiana carefully, methodically set about building Talon’s lust and need to a fevered pitch. For some reason, she felt a perverse urge to make him need her as much as she needed him. His cock swelled inside her mouth, and the heavy muscles of his abdomen fluttered with the trembling of his body. He groaned loudly when she left his cock to suck on his balls. Over and over, she played this cycle -- taking Talon to the brink, only to let him fall slowly, leaving him unfulfilled and needy. She knew he was experiencing the greatest sexual frustration of his life, but still he allowed her to play. He didn’t move other than to stroke her head, or clutch the clover bed where he lay. Her jaws ached, but still he said nothing other than to groan and moan loudly in pleasure when he was on the verge of coming, and in frustration when she stopped and changed the direction and aim of her mouth. He did nothing in body or mind to indicate he cared one damned bit if she let him come or not. The man was simply not human! She sat back. “You fucking son of a bitch!” Anger coursed through her. Anger at Talon, anger at herself for thinking she mattered to him. She might not have admitted it to herself, but she secretly wanted Talon to be as obsessed with her as she had been with him since she’d met him. “Why go out of your way to get me to fuck you now when you’re no more interested in me than you were twenty years ago? If it’s a romp in the hay you want, I know a couple of water fairies I can introduce you to.” She stood and turned to stomp off when Talon swept her legs with one of his and she fell face first to the ground. Before she could move, Talon’s body covered hers, pinning her.

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“You still don’t have a fucking clue, do you?” So much for gauging his reaction by her connection to him through earth. He sounded mad enough to shake her, yet she didn’t catch it until it was too late. “I need you, Tiana! More than I’ve ever needed anything in my eons-long existence, and you refuse to see that.” His growl was inches from her left ear, his breath hot on her cheek in a deep, rapid rhythm. “What the hell are you talking about?” She tried to turn to him, but he pushed her head back to the ground, not painfully, but none too gently. “I’ve given you space -- time. I know I hurt you. I can’t take back what I said.” The deep, angry rumble of his voice seeped through her skin and vibrated her insides. It was as if everywhere their bodies touched allowed a current of lust to travel through her. It didn’t matter that they were both furious at each other. All she could process was the sudden, uncontainable need she had to join her body to his and claim him as hers. Whether he wanted it or not. Which she was almost certain he did. It was there, hidden in his actions and words. Not necessarily in what was happening now, but what had happened in the past. She’d always known he’d kept close to her, watched her, protected her. She’d just never bothered to wonder why. “I don’t need you, Talon!” she screamed at him. “I’ve never needed you!” “No, you don’t --” he shifted enough to flip her over and captured her gaze with his, “-- but I’ve needed you since the very beginning.” When his mouth descended to hers, she never thought to resist. The only thing she wanted was relief from the tremendous pressure building inside her -- a pressure that had been building since she’d first met Talon. In fact, Tiana met his lust head on with her own. Talon lay on top of her, securely pinning her body to the ground, but she managed to kick her legs free, which she promptly wrapped around his waist. Tiana held him to her with her limbs. He was a very large, very strong man, but her strength of will matched his strength of body.

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- 34 -

As Tiana saw it, she had two options. She could take pleasure from his body and keep her distance emotionally, or she could acknowledge the fact that she already loved Talon beyond reason and open her heart as well as her body to their impending lovemaking. He could hurt her if she gave in to tender emotions she had suppressed for a long time, thanks to the nature of a wood nymph. But the moment the thought entered her head, she felt the earth wither. The solid, steady element longed to add her into the equation. She could feel its arms reaching out to welcome her home… Just as Talon’s arms clutched her to him possessively. Through her connection to him within the earth, Tiana knew he wanted desperately for her to find a home at his side. His fear of losing her to Chaos, his fear she would never forgive him or even give him a chance to make her happy was an almost crippling emotion inside him and his element, which was why earth failed to thrive. She felt the sudden shock of enlightenment. Talon’s soul was withering and dying because he needed her love. Earth was simply reacting the same way as its god. Their combined distress was more than Tiana could take. She succumbed to the pressure. All it had taken was time.

Chapter 6 Talon had always been able to read Tiana if he concentrated hard enough. Her connection with earth was stronger than any mortal he had ever encountered. But for the first time since he became aware of her, Talon could actually feel her full and total connection with earth. She knew the nature of his need for her, and that his despair was earth’s despair. More importantly, she now believed he was sincere. He knew she was still hesitant, but he had a chance. He let her be the aggressor in this encounter, wanting to see how far she would go on her own. Talon wanted to know if Tiana would open her heart even a little. She grabbed his hair, jerking his head back and kissing him. Her tongue plunged into his mouth to lap at his teeth and lips. She explored him rapidly, hungrily. When he shifted his body because he feared his weight would crush her, she gripped him with her legs as if to prevent him from leaving her. Her whimper said the same. “Relax, my love. We have time.” “Oh, Talon,” she sobbed, “don’t leave. Not now. Please.” “Never, Tiana. I’ll always be with you.” “I can’t think in those terms. Not yet.” She held his face between her hands and kissed him between her words. Talon sighed as she continued to nip and lick him, and gently stopped her eager kisses. “You have to think in those terms, Tiana. You know you do.” Tears welled in her eyes as he spoke. Talon would have given every drop of power granted to him by Eurynome if he could take away her hurt and mistrust. “Listen to what earth is saying. It’s your choice. I’ll try to do it without you, but nothing will ever be the same.”

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- 36 -

“I know.” She brushed her fingertips over his face as though seeing him for the first time. “I can feel how much earth wants our union. I know how much you want it, and not just to save earth.” She looked at him a long time, so long Talon thought she might choose to leave him. Then, he noticed a wilting daisy beside them. The longer Tiana looked at him, the less wilted that daisy became. He focused on her again. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes as he felt her reach out to him. Earth wrapped loving arms around them both and swelled with pride and relief. Until Tiana’s mind bucked wildly against the new emotions. She screamed and gave a mighty shove, flipping Talon to his back. She straddled his hips and sank onto his thick erection, lust and denial warring in her mind. Beside them, the daisy still thrived, but it felt… different. The energy they were producing was different than a few moments ago. Tiana rode him, gripping her own breasts. She ground her pelvis against him, getting the needed friction to her clit. Energy surged around them as they both neared their climax. Talon gripped her hips and fought against the rising explosion. Wrong. The energy was all wrong. Tiana was pulling away from him emotionally, trying to concentrate on her baser instincts. She was trying to live for the moment as her wood nymph persona insisted she do. With a screech, Tiana threw her body on top of Talon’s. Biting his shoulder, she fucked him. Her hips pumped frantically, and her breathing became erratic. She screamed. Talon couldn’t hold back. Try as he might, her pussy gripped him like a fist and milked him dry. He came so hard, he was sure the head of his dick exploded. Tiana shuddered and moaned. The muscles in her body contracted and rippled beneath her skin. She pushed all tender thoughts as far away from herself as possible.

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- 37 -

Talon held her to him tightly. He loved her so much, and she was slipping away from him even as he clung to her. Looking to his left, he watched the daisy wither and die once again. This time, it crumbled completely to the ground. All around him there was more of the same. Nothing quite so dramatic, but he could feel it. When Tiana pulled back emotionally, it was like puffing on a burning ember; it flared briefly, then burned out. When she pushed away from him, the smile on her face was brilliant, but Talon could see a little piece of her soul slipping away. She stretched and bent to kiss him once, briefly. Then she hopped up. Talon grabbed her ankle. “Where are you going?” “To bathe.” She shook herself free… Then she was gone. Talon propped himself up on one elbow, staring at the spot where she had disappeared into the forest of Eden. He was out of time. And the pressure was about to kill them all.

Chapter 7 Tiana huddled beside a softly rumbling waterfall. She didn’t know what to do. If she kept protecting herself, earth was going to die. OK, so she knew what she had to do, she just didn’t want to do it. “Why is that, by the way?” The musical voice flowed through the air and wrapped itself around her. Looking up, she saw a beautiful woman dressed from head to toe in gold flowing gossamer with huge snow white wings approaching her. Dressed only in scant leaf coverings, Tiana felt like an orphan next to this woman. “Why is what?” How did the Goddess of Air know what she was thinking? Probably the same way she knew she needed someone to talk to right now. “Why is it that you don’t want to give Talon your heart? You know what’s inside him. He loves you.” “He loves the earth, not me.” “You know better.” Tiana looked away, ashamed. Yes. She knew Talon’s feelings toward her. She knew they were pure. So why did she hesitate? “She hesitates because it is the way of a wood nymph, doesn’t she, Angelina?” Tiana gasped and jumped to her feet. “Allison,” she sobbed. “Oh, God, Allison, I don’t know what to do!” Tiana ran to the mate of the God of Fire and threw her arms around her. Allison looked different, but Tiana knew very little had actually changed about the other woman’s personality. Allison hugged her fiercely. “Forget about earth, Tiana. Forget about everything other than your heart.” Pushing Tiana away, Allison gripped the shorter woman’s shoulders none too gently. “Can you honestly say you don’t love Talon?”

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- 39 -

Tears stung Tiana’s eyes. She felt like she was being torn apart from the inside. “No. I do love him. I’m not sure why sometimes --” she tried to grin, but the falling tears ruined the effect, “-- but I do.” “It’s the nature of the wood nymph to avoid permanent attachments,” Angelina sighed. “You’re trying to protect that part of your nature.” Tiana looked at Allison helplessly. “Is that why it hurts so much? I feel like my heart is breaking, and the only way to stop it is to run away from Talon as hard as I can.” Angelina stretched her wings. The ends of her feathers twitched as if blowing in the breeze, only there was none. “You have been a wood nymph far too long.” She sounded distracted and kept looking around them as if looking for someone. “Talon should have approached you years ago.” “It wouldn’t have worked, Angelina.” Allison watched the other woman closely. “She wasn’t ready.” “I’m not sure I’m ready now,” Tiana said. She was beginning to get paranoid. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t tell what. Allison focused on her totally. For the first time, Tiana noticed her eyes were flame orange, just like her hair. “You don’t have a choice now, Tiana. You have to be ready.” She took her friend’s hand. Tiana welcomed the familiar touch. “It’s not just about you anymore. Talon’s power is the elixir that can heal earth, but you are the only one who can deliver the dose. You have to choose.” “Why? Why me? Why Talon? Chaos said he could do the same thing for earth, and I wouldn’t have to surrender my heart. Why can’t I do that?” Allison just looked at Tiana a moment before dropping her hand. “I suppose you could. But Talon would wither and die without your love, just like this forest. Over time, so would you. And Chaos would move on to someone else who can fulfill his needs.” She stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. “Tiana, earth isn’t like any other element. Fire is powerful, but it flashes in surges before settling down again. Water flows powerfully with brute strength, though a gentle hand can direct it with a

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- 40 -

little push in the right direction. Air is all consuming and elusive. But earth is solid. It can be carved and shaped by all three of the other elements, but it remains. It always remains. If it is to flourish, it must be controlled by one who does the same. It has always been Talon, but he has grown weary these last centuries. He can’t continue to be the keeper of earth, the protector of earth alone. “Yes, Chaos can fix the problem with your help, but it’s a temporary fix. Only Talon has the power and control over earth to make things right permanently. But he needs your help. You are the only woman he wants, and you’re the only woman in a position to help.” Tiana hated crying. She really did. It had been years since she had felt the urge to shed more than the occasional tear. No emotion stayed with her for long. But now, it was like something inside her burst free. There was no denying, even to herself, that she loved Talon. For all her bravado about being true to herself, she had known she loved Talon since they’d first met. “I do love him, you know.” She sniffed and wiped her nose on the back of her hand. “And I know how powerful we are together. I saw the earth healing, felt it rejoicing when I let my heart free. It scared me.” “Because someone else needed you.” Allison made it a statement. Tiana had no doubt that was her friend speaking, not the powerful mate of the God of Fire. “You’ve always been afraid of letting down someone you loved.” “I don’t want to be responsible for someone else’s happiness.” “I’m responsible for my own happiness, Tiana.” Talon approached from behind the waterfall. He was naked from the waist up and wore only a leather-like loincloth. Water droplets from the waters emptying into the Pool of Eden clung to his skin and hair, and light glinted off them making him look like he was encased in diamonds. His heavy muscles flexed and relaxed as he moved toward her. He was the most splendid specimen of man she had ever seen. “Talon.” Her voice was no more than a whisper.

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“I don’t want you to make me happy, or to do anything for me other than simply love me, Tiana. Just love me. You’ve had my love since we first met, I just didn’t know how to express it.” “So, what now?” Talon extended his arm toward her. “Take my hand, Tiana.” “She hasn’t made her choice yet, God of Earth.” Tiana would know the voice of Chaos anywhere. It was sweet as honey, but she knew something sinister lay just beneath. But something was different this time. He appeared in a whirlwind that whipped around them all. Chaos stood only a few yards from Tiana. Without saying a word, he focused on Allison, Angelina, and Talon for a moment before settling on Tiana. “I have chosen, Chaos.” Tiana glanced around her. Talon gripped her hand firmly but placed his body between her and Chaos. Allison stood to her right and slightly in front of her. Angelina was to her left and moving away from all of them. She looked almost frightened. Chaos nodded. “So it would seem.” His expression told her nothing of what he was thinking, but she knew it couldn’t be that easy to be rid of him. “Well,” he continued, “if you won’t join me, I’ll just have to choose someone else.” In the blink of an eye, he lunged for Angelina. Talon and Allison both moved toward them, but a sudden burst of air knocked all three of them off their feet. “Angelina!” Allison screamed. Digging into the pocket of her pants, she grabbed a lighter and flicked it. In an instant, a huge ball of flame shot from the tiny instrument, and Pyros exploded into the air. Water spewed from the waterfall along with two male figures and one female -- Jada, Goddess of Water, and her mates Raphael and Cronos. Chaos rose slowly into the sky with Angelina in his arms. The Goddess of Air wasn’t struggling. “I now have what I came for to begin with.” Tiana watched helplessly as the two of them glided higher and higher. “We’ve got to do something.”

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“What?” Pyros shifted restlessly, his and Allison’s bodies growing darker as he built energy into fire, presumably in case he got a clear shot at Chaos. “He’s shielded himself with Angelina. Why the hell is she not fighting?” “I’ll go.” Raphael’s great black wings extended, and he bent his legs to jump into the sky when Jada placed a hand on his shoulder. “No, Raph,” she said softly, sadly. “Angelina can take care of herself.” “Are you crazy?” Tiana pushed past Talon. “You can’t just let him take her.” “Yes, we can.” Allison had bent and was scratching something in the mud near the water’s edge. Burning the end of a twig, she drew on the land and sprinkled it with water as she blew on the still flickering ember. With a flash, Angelina’s face appeared in a wavering, rippling image. It is time. Her voice came through the image, and she looked at each of them, as if she knew what Allison was doing. She focused on Talon and Tiana, who were now standing side by side, hand in hand. Heal the earth, my friends. You two are a perfect balance for each other, and I know you can work out a peace you can not only live with, but thrive with. She looked back over her shoulder, most likely at Chaos. I have old debts to pay now. The image faded as a look of fear passed across her face, leaving them all to wonder about her fate.

Chapter 8 Tiana looked around them. Already the land was showing signs of healing. Nothing drastic, just a flower here, a leaf there, but she could definitely see a change. Those changes reflected the changes within herself. She no longer fought Talon, or herself. “What do we do now, Talon?” Her soft voice was like the sweetest music. He had waited a long time for this. “Now, we concentrate on earth. I think this forest you love so much is a good place to start.” “If you like,” Allison said from Pyros’s arms, where she now embraced her mate and wiped tears from her cheeks, “I can aid you here. Once you get things set in motion, it should be only a matter of time before the rest of the world follows. My runes will lend you strength from all the elements, and can radiate the power in all directions at once.” Talon looked down at Tiana, seeking her input. She was so wrong to have believed he didn’t care about her. No other man in his position would have cared about her opinion. He was God of Earth. She was his mate, not a goddess to share power, yet he intended for her to assume that role anyway. “I think it would be the quickest way to accomplish our goal. And it’s spring in the northern hemisphere. They are the ones hit the hardest, and this is their prime growing season. Perhaps this year there will be a good harvest.” “Then --” Allison moved from Pyros, “-- you need to prepare yourselves while I create the runes.” Talon took her hand and they stepped away from the small group into the forest for privacy. “You have accepted your place with me? That easily?”

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Tiana couldn’t help but laugh. “You call that easy? I fought you at every turn.” He grinned. “OK. You have a point. But you see now?” “Yes.” She reached a hand to his face and stroked the strong line of his jaw with a finger. “I guess deep down, I’ve always known. I just didn’t want it to be true after everything that happened after Yellowstone.” When a pained look crossed his face, she quickly grasped his face in both hands, forcing him to look her in the eyes. “But I understand why you said what you did. You were afraid -- terribly afraid -- and you lashed out. I won’t lie to you,” she said. “I thought about taking Chaos up on his offer. I wanted to take him up on his offer. But I knew it wasn’t right. Every time I took a lover over the last twenty years, I knew it wasn’t right. I’ve only ever been meant to be with you.” He smiled and turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand. “Are you ready for this?” “Yes. Let’s do this so we can have some quiet time alone together.” Cleansed of the last remaining doubts about each other, Talon and Tiana rejoined the other Elementals to find the God of Fire, the Goddess of Water, and their mates hard at work drawing runes and giving them a signature unique to their own element. Under Allison’s guidance, the rune circle was almost complete. Not knowing what to do next, and not wanting to break the others’ concentration, Tiana waited at Talon’s side, deciding she’d take her cues from him. When he started removing his loincloth, she removed her own sparse garments. He took her hand and led her to the center of the circle. Tiana felt a little silly. Exposed. For the first time in more than twenty years, she felt the urge to cover herself. “Relax, sweet,” Talon murmured softly. “Go where the earth leads you. If you listen to that, we will triumph.” Tiana smiled nervously and simply closed her eyes and reached out to earth as she had done so many times before. There were all kinds of weird energies surrounding them. She could sense fire and water with weaker threads of air weaving them all

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together. Underneath it all, almost unnoticeable, was earth. Earth was the foundation supporting all of them. She grasped that solid block of energy, opened herself to it. The element caressed her and celebrated her arrival and acceptance of it and its god. The love earth had for Talon ran as deep as that of the most loved of lovers, and earth welcomed her into that circle. The emotion wrapped her in warm, loving arms, and she sighed in exquisite pleasure. Then she realized it wasn’t only earth embracing her, but Talon as well. His arms were firm and strong, and the feel of them around her was better than ever before. Strong hands caressed her back and bottom, and one finger traced the seam of her buttocks. Tiana sighed. Loving Talon could never be better, and they hadn’t even started yet. She was overwhelmed by the unconditional acceptance from earth, yet it was exactly what she had expected. Somehow, from the moment she had chosen the wood nymph form, she had been accepted as a protector of earth. Subconsciously, that was exactly what she had become, and it was a role she had always taken seriously, even if she wasn’t fully aware of it. She opened her eyes to find Talon’s lust- and love-filled gaze focused entirely on her. “Now you truly understand.” His voice was husky with need. She knew what he was feeling. Just knowing she was part of something so special -- part of a man so special -- was the most powerful aphrodisiac she had ever experienced. She couldn’t respond, she could only pull him down for a kiss. Fusing her lips with his, she kissed him tenderly. It was a kiss filled with all her desires to have his magnificent body, desires she had kept bottled tightly inside her for many years. Instead of consuming him with her lust, however, she let it flow through him, unhurried. She took her time and explored him at her leisure. Her hands rubbed lightly over the muscles of his arms and shoulders, and delighted when they bunched beneath her touch. His erection pressed tightly into her abdomen as they clung to each other.

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They still stood, embracing and kissing at an unhurried pace, when Tiana felt another hand on her back. At first, she couldn’t concentrate on it long enough for it to matter, but when a tingling started over the skin of her back and buttocks, she pulled her attention away from what Talon was doing to her breasts at that particular moment to focus on everyone else. “It’s just me, Tiana.” Allison’s voice was at her ear. The other woman continued whatever she was doing to Tiana’s backside. Her legs were next, then the backs of her arms. “Turn around.” Tiana followed Allison’s direction without hesitation. Talon gripped her hips and nestled his erection between the cheeks of her buttocks. Facing Allison, Tiana now realized the other woman was painting runes on her skin. With Talon’s mouth and tongue dancing around her neck and ear, it was hard for her to concentrate on anything else, but she did notice the complicated and painstakingly complex images Allison drew on her skin. Every element was present in perfect combination. The energy resting on earth was balanced perfectly. “That’s it.” Allison left the circle the others had completed. “I’ll double check the circle, then we’ll leave you two to heal the planet.” She paused, and Tiana felt compelled to look at her long-time friend. “If you need anything, Tiana, don’t hesitate to call one of us. We are all part of an ever-changing universe, and the only way for any of us to remain is to work together. The elements can no longer afford to live in isolation from each other. Remember that.” “I will, Allison,” she managed, already dissolving back into the pleasure she wanted to draw from Talon, concentrating on the pleasure she knew she wanted to give to him. Talon picked her up then, lifting her in his arms as if she weighed no more than a doll, and laid her down in the softest bed of clover she had ever had the pleasure of touching. He settled himself between her legs and looked into her eyes. “I claim you as my mate from now until eternity takes me away from this place forever.”

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His words were formal. Tiana felt like she should say something, but she wasn’t sure what. All she could think of was to simply nod her head. The earth swelled around her, engulfing her in love. Reaching between them, she guided Talon to her slick entrance. With one tilt of her pelvis and one thrust of his, her cunt surrounded him. Just as the earth surrounded her. She felt as if she had two lovers with her, the energy from earth was so personal. She cried out when Talon surged forward once again, and they began to move in a slow, leisurely rhythm. “Look around us,” Talon whispered. “Earth rejoices.” Sure enough, flowers and trees bloomed everywhere. Their energy carried the other elements to the four corners of the earth and nourished it completely. Tiana’s orgasm built within her, and she almost didn’t rein it in before it burst free. Not now. Not yet. She wrapped her legs around Talon and caressed his ass with her feet and legs. When sweat broke out over his body and his breathing became erratic, she knew he was as close to the edge as she was. Placing her feet on his calves, she braced herself and met each of his thrusts with one of her own. Their tempo quickened, and the energy around them swelled with joy as, with one last mighty plunge, they both came. Spasm after spasm rocked Tiana’s body, and she felt Talon’s cock swell inside her until he burst. Both of them cried out in pleasure until the contractions finally passed. Earth held off one final second… Then the healing energy that began with the joining of the God of Earth and his chosen mate radiated from that point around the globe. The full effects would take weeks, but that a change had taken place was never in question. Earth would now flourish, and even though her people had much to overcome, there was a good chance many would survive. As it had been in the beginning, they would begin in the Garden of Eden.

Chapter 9 Tiana lay in the protective circle of Talon’s mighty arms. Her mind was in turmoil. She’d very effectively given Talon her heart and done so willingly. She did love him, and more than anything wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Those facts weren’t in dispute. What she was concerned about was the morning after, so to speak. He spooned her securely, and she snuggled against him, her back to his chest. She sighed softly. She’d committed herself to him now. There was no going back. “You have nothing to fear, Tiana,” Talon assured her. “I will never break your heart again.” She knew there had to be honesty between them from the beginning or there was no hope for them. “I won’t lie to you, Talon. I’m more scared than I’ve ever been. If Allison and Angelina were right, the future of the earth depends on us being at harmony with one another.” “And we are,” he interrupted her as he shifted his position and rolled her onto her back. Moving carefully over her body, maneuvering himself between her legs, Talon cupped her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly before continuing. “It’s really very simple, Tiana. We listen to each other. We respect each other’s feelings. We’re no different from any other couple in that regard. If we can manage that --” he smiled at her, “-- the rest will take care of itself.” “If you hurt me again, Talon…” Tiana clutched at his shoulders as he slid his semi-erect cock up and down her clit, “… I’ll leave… Ahh!” Pleasure pulsed through her and she reflexively thrust her hips at him. She closed her eyes, took a breath, and tried again. “I’ll leave you and never come back.” With one sure, swift thrust, Talon buried himself inside Tiana. She cried out and wrapped her legs around him. Digging her nails into his shoulders, she arched into him

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as she opened her eyes to find him watching her intently. “All I’ve ever asked of you is a chance, Tiana.” He stopped his movement, focusing her attention on him. “I promise. I won’t let you down.” Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked several times. “Then let’s not think about it right now.” She smiled. “Perhaps sometimes, it is simply better to live for the moment and let tomorrow take care of itself.” Talon grunted and began to move slowly. Rhythmically. He watched her intently, and Tiana knew he was reaching for her through their mutual connection to earth. She did the same, needing to know what he was feeling. Reassurance from Talon. Joy from earth. Love surrounded her from both Talon and the earth itself. Wrapping herself in all of these positive emotions, Tiana locked her gaze to Talon’s and let him take her into bliss. He made slow, lazy love to her. Their bodies glided together perfectly, generating more pleasure than Tiana thought possible. Each time with Talon was better than the last. With her budding trust in him, she was learning what true love was all about. Slowly, Talon built the pace of his lovemaking, thrusting into her faster and faster. Tiana met each thrust with surges of her own. Finally, not even trying to hold herself back, Tiana let Talon push her body into an orgasm. She screamed her satisfaction just as she felt him swell inside her and spill his seed deep within her cunt. Breathing hard, still looking at her beloved God of Earth, Tiana found she could live with the fragile peace they had found between them. Only time would tell if it would last. But it was enough. It was good.

Epilogue Angelina sat chained to the stone wall high above the surface of the earth. Her home was now her prison, and her jailer was merciless. That Chaos had planned everything that transpired below, she had no doubt. Why was a mystery she would, most likely, find out soon. She only hoped he didn’t suspect who she was.

She only hoped that, if he did, he would forgive her.

Something wasn’t right with the way he was acting, but she could only speculate

as to why. As she looked out over the billowy, white clouds, despair seized her. She had given up her one chance for happiness in order for the elements that held all life together to find a perfect balance. Would that sacrifice be in vain? Only time would tell.

And time was the one thing she had absolutely no control over.

*** Earth thrives abundantly. Fire burns steadily. Water flows freely.

But what of air?

If the balance is upset, the element will rage…

And Chaos will rule.

Marteeka Karland Marteeka makes her home in Kentucky with her brat husband and her darling son. (Or is that the other way around?) Family has always and always will be her passion in life. She works as an Emergency Room Technician and has for the past eight years. She has been writing for most of her life, but has only recently realized her potential when she found erotic romance. This genre opened up a whole new world of possibilities for Marteeka and she is thriving on the endless promise of what is to come. Science Fiction has been her favorite topic since she saw her first episode of Star Trek. Now she combines sci-fi with erotic romance and feels she has found her place in the writing world. You can visit her website at http://www.marteekakarland.com.

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