Feral Fever Page 7

  Total assessing silence filled the chamber as Luvk witnessed the stakes planted, uprooted, and shattered in the battle of two warriors' wills.

  Borun swung the weapon overhead in one full circle and tossed it at the attentive crowd.

  The warriors shoved out of the sliding weapon's way as it rattled to a halt at the base of a wall.

  Borun growled. "Go to your beds, fools. You've dishonored all Luvks in your childish attempts to possess the one thing that can unite us all during the past two days."

  "Borun, please. I hear your anger and understand every bite in your words," Ishan said. "But you've frightened your mate. Show her to her sleeping skins and let her sleep away this clamor. We acknowledge your Breeder's Rights. Now see to the Marshal."

  Borun turned his glowing golden gaze to me.

  A shiver skittered through my soul.

  Gooseflesh tickled the hairs on my arms to chilly attention.

  I tried to suck in a deep breath.

  I did. Where are my sleeping skins?

  He took one step toward me.

  I was his mate now. I think. Wasn't that what I had offered?

  His slightly bowed legs and black boots devoured the space between us in microseconds as he studied the Queens, then focused his fiery gaze back upon me.

  My heart did a swan dive.

  How could any woman stand there and be defended in such a manner and not find the man stole her breath away? Stupid mask. Ridiculous harness. He deserved whatever he wanted. Freedom to think and act. My body.

  He extended a hand to me.

  Who wouldn't take the warmth and strength offered in that massive palm?

  He nodded at the Queens.

  "Tomorrow, Borun. We'll speak with the Marshal tomorrow," his mother called after us.

  I threw the backpack over my shoulder as he led me toward the doors beyond the pack of observant males.

  All eyes watched us.

  Kruk said nothing where he rose to his feet.

  As if anyone would defy Borun again. He was right. They were no better than cowards to risk the unity of their people for their own selfish whims.

  Borun pulled me into the softer torchlight outside, into another besiege of stares, and turned me down to walk along the porch's length instead of mounting Jonner. We stepped from one pocket of shadow into another in silence.

  What would he say first? Would he despise my putting him into the position he was in? After all, I had literally begged him to do so with my proposition. He couldn't blame me though. Not after kissing me the way he had at the waterfall. His grip on my hand didn't seem angry and accusing. No. He was taking care of me. Still.

  Leading me to a safe place. I hope.

  Borun guided me down another set of low wide steps out of torchlight.

  Wooden steps, I think.

  We took four more steps across a hard earthen surface.

  "Step up, Aisling. Here." He carefully waited for me to feel out a rise in the darkness. "I will have the workers make certain there is lighting here from now on."

  Because he now had a mate who required lighting? If only he would have expanded on that statement.

  He pulled my hand toward a soft glow beyond a rounded building's edge and shoved a door into a warmly lit space full of shadows and a central hearth's dancing flames. "My aunt tends my fire." He pulled me into the room. "Ask anything of Morna. She will care for you as she always has me."

  The door thumped at my heels.

  This is my future? Nothing dark and sinister? Just a cozy space with one hunk of man who spoke ever so softly. At least, to me.

  Borun yanked off his mask and tossed it upon a pile of furs.

  Just the way I liked things. Unmasked.

  Golden firelight gilded his almost-human face. Maybe it would have been exactly human if he didn't sport that genetic tattoo of tiger stripes. But then he wouldn't be Borun at all. And I was really starting to favor Borun.

  His eyes burned in the soft firelight.

  Watching me.

  He reached up to yank a tie from his hair and shook out his orange locks as if he'd finally been liberated from duty. "Your heart doesn't lie, little one," he whispered.

  Oh, the way my heart raced probably announced to his delicate hearing how damned ready I was to launch my body at his. Were female Luvks that aggressive? I didn't want him to think I did that sort of thing all the time. Really. I had with two other men. But when a girl went to graduate school with a bunch of geeks, there weren't many to get all hot and bothered about.

  He grabbed me up, lifting me until his warm hungry mouth covered mine. His teeth latched onto my lower lip with such passion I couldn't keep my hands to myself. I wove my fingers into his hair, trying to trap his hunger there. To let him devour me. He could have anything. Anything.

  His mouth sucked hot kisses down my neck until finding the pulse he seemed to gravitate toward when the mood took him.

  My soul felt like it would seep away through his kiss, into him. God, I just wanted his hot mouth all over me.

  Gooseflesh dimpled my flesh until I shivered where he carefully held my feet off the floor.

  My legs swooshed upward.

  He swung an arm beneath my knees lifting me before him without releasing his lock on my soul in his kiss.

  Trapped. I wanted to remain trapped. Under his spell. I leaned my cheek into his soft hair and groaned. Everything about my body ached with need. I just wanted him to throw me down and pound home. I'd be his home. His hearth. His sanctuary if that's what he needed.

  He kicked a door wide and carried me to wherever he wanted me.

  Toward a circular glowing pool in a black room where a small area was lit with a few candles.

  Sexy. Seductive. Almost meditative.

  My heart sank even further into his tempting world. There was no turning back now. Earth was a part of my past. Borun was my future. Here in the darkness.

  He leaned down, gently placing me upon something soft beside the glowing water.

  A seat or furs.

  His gentle mouth slipped away.

  So did his hair.

  I couldn't see any part of his face in the damnable darkness. The shadows stole all but his silhouette from me like that crappy mask. If I could, I would have snatched his scratchy whiskers and pulled his intense expression back to me.

  But he fumbled with my boots, gently pulling them off in two swift motions.

  Any man who'd carefully undress me was worth keeping.

  "You can't see me in here, little one, can you?"

  If I said no, my voice might crack from the desire welling up inside me.

  "My vision is strong enough for both of us," he said.

  And just what kind of vision did he talk about? One that saw a future? Or night vision?

  The light at his back outlined his body and jerking movements as he removed his own boots before he shoved his pants down. "Swim with me," he asked in such a way I could only rise and pull off my clothes one piece at a time as he stood before the pool's glow, his erection begging I join him.

  He jumped into the pool, surfaced, wiped the water from his eyes, and watched me.

  He hid his hunger well if that's what burned behind those glowing eyes where he anchored himself at the pool's edge with one elbow. I could barely concentrate on stripping seductively knowing how hard his cock felt when I laid inside that cave or straddled his lap on his mount.

  Mounting was a crucial subject at the moment.

  If only I could wrap my legs around that waist and get him to pound deep inside me. I shoved out of my leather pants and wriggled out of my lace hot pants.

  Borun thrust a handful of fingers through his hair and propped his other elbow up for support on the pool's rim.

  He seemed too comfortable for what I had in mind.

  We're going to seal this pact and exchange blood. Over my dead body. Then there would be no more room for whining rivals. Only Borun would be at the center of my reality. And I'd
feel freaking whole again. I jumped into warm water and rose with my long hair draping down my back to tickle my bottom.

  Bubbles kissed my skin.

  Geothermal baths were a killer. Talk about luck in landing on a planet and falling for the biggest bad ass with all of the accoutrements necessary to lead a comfortable Dark Age life. And just what accoutrement was he hiding under the water's swirling surface?

  He studied me as if he didn't know what I would do.

  Well, time to just take what I wanted. I swam over to his long hard body and bumped a ledge with my hip. Who needed a seat when an amazing hunk of man meat just roared at the world that you were his? He could carry my weight any time. I laid a palm against his bare hairless muscle of his abdomen.

  He watched my hand as if mesmerized.

  As if he enjoyed the wait. What would he do if I took a hold of his shadowy member distorted by the bubbling water? I slid my hand south over his ribbed abdomen into the coarse curls leading to cock.

  He grabbed my hand.

  His mouth fell on mine as he lifted me to his lips. "Aisling," he whispered the faintest words against my lips. "We have all night. Let us relish the first night we have together. Slowly."

  My heart exploded into oblivion and melted down into the pool, sucking me deeper, threatening to drown me in the intoxicating heat at the pool's bottom. I'd die right then and there if he didn't catch me. If he didn't kiss me. I snaked my arms around his neck to hold myself above the water.

  He drew me into the gentle circle of those massive arms and squeezed me so delicately that I could never know the true strength of his lean body. Never feel the deadly anger I had witnessed well up inside him in my defense. All I could do was look into those glowing eyes and hold back some kind of choking emotion. Tears? Or a lump of need? He wasn't going to be anything like those warriors who chased us. No. His actions proved he could love me.

  He placed the most tender kiss upon my lips and looked me in the eye. "What's wrong, Aisling? Have I frightened you?"

  Maybe I'm frightening myself with these thoughts of potential love. All I could do was wag my head and bury my nose into his neck. Duty didn't seem so difficult with this mate.

  One of his palms slid up and down my back, measuring me or just touching something he couldn't stand not to touch. His other arm locked me in place where I floated, right above the thing tormenting me most of all. His hard-on. And that secret weapon kept rubbing my ass. Goading me into battle.

  Didn't he realize I was as needy as him?

  His adventurous hand slid around to measure the curve in my breast.

  God, the lightning jolt of need deep inside my core almost shot me across the pool. I shoved back against the supple iron of his supporting arm into a yoga stretch with my palms against his chest.

  His breath knifed as he exhaled, and his gaze slid to where his fingers finely tuned my nipple sending a jolt of hot electricity from the hard point to my groin.

  Not good for maintaining general order and morale. I couldn't sit still where I straddled his goddamned iron waist.

  He growled, leaning over, latching onto my collar bone with the most amazing heat in his delightful mouth.

  Match that with the gentle scrapes of his rough beard against my skin and I was about to warp faster than the speed of light.

  God I would die the way my womb ached for the full length of his hardness sliding along my inner channel. "Borun, please," I begged. "Just quick. Just once. Please. I need you inside me." All the way to his balls.

  A chuckle rumbled from where his mouth massaged my skin. He leaned back upon the pool's edge and watched me with those glowing eyes.

  Calculating. How could he be so calm after the display of anger before the

  Queens? "Borun, you're killing me." I tried to reach around and grab his cock. To shove it inside me enough so that he wouldn't be able to refuse.

  He grabbed my arm and twisted it back to place my palm on his chest. "How can a warrior paying homage to his mate translate into killing her?"

  As if he didn't delight in watching me suffer. "Deprivation."

  "Then, little one, you aren't going to be very happy tonight given I intend on making you prove to me how strong your desire is." He lifted me with strong arms beneath my knees and at my back only to head to a row of steps I had yet to discover. His gaze locked on mine. "I'm going to test your every nerve. Torture you with interrogation. And when it's all over, I'll know your true motives."

  The big ox. But I couldn't hide how willing I was for him to bring on the shackles and disembowelment. After all, he was carrying me somewhere…

  He planted a gloriously hungry kiss on my lips, thrusting his tongue into my mouth, taking anything and everything he intended to claim. I slid my fingers into his wet hair and tried to kiss him as deeply in return. But he had no intentions of relinquishing his control. I just gave in to the interrogation.

  A door thumped.

  Probably just him kneeing one open.

  He carried me into the shadows, planted me on the softest expanse of fur I'd ever felt. Not one inch of my body extended beyond the divinely luxurious bedding he owned.

  He kneed my thighs apart. His black form hovered with the firelight behind him.

  Right there. Yes, settle between my legs.

  He was nothing more than a powerful shadow in human form. No stripes. No colors. All male. Powerful raw needy man. I dropped my knees to the furs, opening myself, inviting him in.

  Couldn't he see me begging? I reached for him.

  His firm body slid past my palm.

  Down to pin me to the furs with the most exquisite weight. I gasped beneath his lithe mass.

  He shoved up on a palm as if fearing he might hurt me.

  No more delays. I grabbed his back and pulled his sinuous muscles back down to warm my belly. "I like you here, on top of me."

  The enchanting rise and fall of his body with each of his breaths only sent my thoughts reeling. I had to touch him, run my palms down his muscled lower back, down to those two rising handfuls of hard ass.

  He groaned a deep throaty growl where his face hovered above me.

  Watching me. I could have climaxed just listening to the sounds he made. But he rationed them out like bites of food before a starving person. He seemed to just want to study me while my hips rocked involuntarily for him. Or he measured my reaction to his touch. That's what this had to be about-the-never-touching-a-warrior thing he mentioned when I healed his wound. He was starved for my touch and wanted to relish every moment. Or witness the truth in my actions. How could he even begin to think I wasn't sincere?

  The seductive suction of his mouth latched onto my jugular again.

  Oh, Dear God. Teasing me with those scratchy whiskers. But he was focused on my pulse. That might be a problem after the blood exchange if he shape shifts and can't control himself. I could bleed to death. But one step at a time. Now I just needed to get him to ram his hard length inside me.

  His solid cock lunged between my legs.

  Good. His defenses were buckling. I glided my palms across the muscled angles of his ass, down to where those iron mounds curved into his legs with amazing firmness.

  He groaned against my skin, arched his hips, and marched burning kisses down to my nipple where he latched on with such ferocity I almost bucked him off my body.

  "God, Borun. Will you never make me yours?"

  He rose on a knee, grabbed his cock, rubbed the head of it through my damp folds, while nibbling on my nipple.

  Raw demanding need shook me from heart to groin. "Tease," she hissed.

  He thrust the luscious hard length of himself so deeply inside me that he stole my breath away.

  At long last, he plunges into the abyss. I threw my head back and sucked at the darkness, slapping at the fur for something to cling to as I writhed with the delicious hardness of him buried to the incredible root inside me. And my channel adjusted, easing open to allow his welcome presence.

&n
bsp; I trembled.

  My hips rocked with a mind of their own as if searching for the blessed friction of cock rubbing against clenching muscle.

  And nobody gave a shit that he just hovered. Observing.

  My prince of warriors had the deadliest interrogation weapon.

  He slowly toyed with withdrawing.

  I'd die. Right then and there. "Please, Borun!"

  Borun overpowered me with one mind-numbing lunge after another until I could feel his thighs quake where my thighs held them like I rode his war beast. But my body's tremors had nothing to do with over-exertion. He leaned over, thrusting and throbbing, planting his sweaty brow against my forehead, growling with his rapid breaths, each one magnifying in intensity as he riddled me full of the most seductive sensation-absolute bliss. And I matched his every wild aggressive lunge with my hips to ensure the pleasure never ended.

  Tickling, breathtaking, uncontrollably wild rapture. So damned amazing all I could do was cry out with ecstasy. I grabbed his shoulders and clawed into his skin to anchor myself for the rising tide of our release that came in one overwhelming need to scream.

  The calming sea of completion washed through me.

  Every angry moment, every bit of the past two day's frustration, every bit of his pain and exhaustion seemed to burst inside me. Over and over. And I wanted to take it from him. To hold him. To thank him for saving me. I matched each of his last desperate plunges into the serene waters encircling me.

  He arched his neck backward, grunting then growling as his final wild thrusts squeezed the last bit of his wild heat inside me.

  And I never let go. Didn't want to let go.

  He halted with a final squeal of air from his lungs and focused on my gaze. Some wayward firelight fueled the glow in his eyes. "Did I hurt you, little one?" he managed.

  Rather, I hurt him with my nails more than he could have caused me injury. I eased out of my grip and slid my palms softly across the undulating damp muscles of his shoulders and arms. "No. Oh, God, no." Even though I wondered if we looked like feral beasts, mating in a frenzy. But who cared? It was so damned amazing.

  His gaze drifted left.

  Undoubtedly to where my hand drank in his amazing body. Every bulging vein and turn of muscle. "I please you?" His gaze slid back to hers.