You will know the truth of my words.”
“You know about my ability? That I know things about people when I touch them?”
“Did you plan to keep it a secret?” Raven asked. “We are now connected, heart to heart, soul to soul. I can read your mind and send you my thoughts. Soon, you will be able to do the same. Come here, baby. Let me hold you while I try to explain things.”
Raven waited with bated breath. Would Cara trust him enough to come to him? He couldn’t lose her now. He smiled in encouragement when she slowly put down her coffee cup and came over to his side of the bed. He patted a place next to him for her to sit. Once she sat down, he draped his arm around her and pulled her back against his chest.
“I love how you smell,” Raven said, nuzzling her hair and kissing her temple. “My tribe has special gifts,” he began. It probably was better just to tell Cara everything. “We have the ability to talk telepathically. Our tribe members believe that when we find a mate, our souls will recognize each other and a link will form. I will be able to speak to you telepathically as you will to me. The members of my tribe also have the ability to walk into Shadow.”
“Shadow?”
“Shadow is a dimension that lies next to Earth. We use a shadow as a gateway into the next dimension. Once there, we can see and hear what is going on here on Earth from the other side. But we can’t physically manipulate things on Earth. We are in a different space. We work for the government, helping our military gather information.”
“You mean you’re a spy?” Cara asked.
“We like to call ourselves intelligence gatherers. But actually we are semi-retired, only occasionally taking a mission if the need is dire. I took you through Shadow to our clinic at Isanti, Inc., headquarters in New Mexico. Do you remember the cold? That was Shadow.”
“So, you can travel through this dimension?”
“If we have visited a place before, we can visualize it in our head and warp through Shadow to that destination.”
“Okay, what does all this have to do with me?”
“Well, you’re mine, Cara,” Raven said. “I knew you were the one from the moment our eyes met across the room at the awards dinner. I fell so hard for you, so fast, it left my head spinning. But I wanted to give you a chance to get to know me. Once the bond is complete, there is no going back. You told Quiet Thunder you loved me. Are you sure?”
Cara sat quietly for a minute. Was she sure? She knew yesterday she loved Raven. Biting her lower lip, she wondered if knowing about his tribe’s special gifts really changed anything. Didn’t she have special gifts? Had she expected Raven to turn away from her when he found out?
“Yes, Raven,” she answered. “I’m sure.”
“Thank you, Great Spirit!” Raven said as he buried his face in her hair. He shuddered in relief as he turned her to face him.
He took her mouth with his own, licking at her lips, tugging and nipping, until she opened for his tongue. He dove in, tasting and claiming. This woman was his, the one meant for him, a gift from the Great Spirit. She moaned and moved closer. He reached beneath the robe she wore to find her breast and the white cotton lace of her bra. She gasped and jerked against him.
“Ouch, that hurt,” Cara complained.
Raven pushed the material aside. A small heart-shaped symbol was burned into Cara’s skin.
“I didn’t know Shadow would mark you as well,” Raven said in awe.
He kneaded her nipple, being careful not to touch the tender spot on her left breast. He pressed kisses down her neck, to her chest, and finally to the rosy pebble waiting to be tasted.
“Raven,” Cara said, trying to understand how a heart-shaped mark appeared on her breast. But his mouth felt so good. He sucked and licked her nipple. Cara cried out and arched closer, giving him better access. Her hands stroked through his hair until she held him to her.
Raven reached over to the other side and fondled and caressed her neglected nipple with his hand as he continued to suck the first. Cara trembled at his touch, and he reveled in her response. She was so beautiful in her passion, so giving. He moved to the side and pushed her onto her