Aylon gritted his teeth as Naedar pressed a fresh poultice against the wound on the side of his neck.

“You seem distracted.” Her voice was gentle yet knowing, like her pale blue eyes. Aylon had never been able to hide anything from Naedar.

“It has been three days and I am still unable to banish her image from my mind.” Frustrated by his own weakness, Aylon shook his head. “I do not even know her name.”

After losing his mother while he was a small child, Aylon had turned to his grandmother for affection. Naedar was more than happy to nurture the boy because focusing her attention on Aylon helped her accept the loss of her beloved daughter. Now, decades later, they remained close. Naedar was a healer, greatly respected among the people Aylon would one day rule. She had instilled in him compassion and a hunger for justice meant to balance the harsher lessons of his father.

“Give it time.” She patted his shoulder. “Her image will fade.”

“I do not want it to fade.” He stretched, lightly touching the dressing she’d just applied. “As her teeth sank into my flesh, I sensed her regret and determination. She was not crazed. There was purpose behind her actions.”

Naedar looked at him askance as she wiped her hands on a clean cloth. “What purpose could there be in biting a stranger?” She stilled and her expression turned thoughtful. “Unless she was a soulless blood drinker.”

“She was not soulless. She was Therian, just like you and me.” He pushed to his feet, too anxious to sit motionless. “If she is wandering the forest alone, I need to find her. It is far too dangerous.”

“Do you still dream-walk? It might be easier to find her without the encumbrance of your body.”

He had inherited the ability from his mother, who had inherited it from Naedar. His father dismissed all such “nonsense”, but Aylon had seen spiritual gifts in action too often to discount them entirely. Much of what made Naedar such a good healer had nothing to do with her herbs and potions.

“It has been many winters,” he admitted, “but I have no reason to believe the gift has left me.”

“Our spirits reside in our blood, which means a small piece of you is already inside this woman you find so captivating. You should be able to use this connection to track your mysterious visitor.” She ambled over to one of her cluttered shelves and picked up a small leather pouch. “Soak these leaves in hot water until the water turns green then drink the liquid. It will relax you and free your mind to roam. Your gift will do the rest.”

She handed him the pouch and he thanked her with a hug. “Pray that Khonish will guide my steps or free my mind from her image.”

Sun momentarily blinded Aylon as he emerged from his grandmother’s cottage. Naedar was the only one he’d told what really happened. Everyone else believed a starving wolf lunged for his throat. His father had been skeptical when Aylon hadn’t produced the wolf’s body, but the incident wasn’t important enough to cause more than a raised eyebrow.

Aylon paused near the meeting house in the middle of the village. The elders and most of the warriors were planning the next raid. The decisions could easily be made without his input. He’d been so distracted by his mysterious visitor that he’d been nearly useless these past few days.

His father looked toward the doorway as he entered and smiled. “Are you mended?” Deep and booming, his voice easily filled the cavernous space.

“For the most part.” Aylon strode to his rightful place at his father’s side and sat. The meeting resumed as if the interruption had never happened and Aylon did his best to pay attention. But even immersed in village business, her image lingered in his mind.

Night had fallen by the time Aylon sought the welcome quiet of his longhouse. He took most meals with his family, but he slept in the solitude of his private domain. He’d built the house in preparation for a marriage that never took place. By now, he’d expected the space to be filled with the raucous laughter of children. Instead he was often alone.

He forced the melancholy aside with a firm mental shove and focused on the task at hand. After stoking the embers in his fire pit, he added twigs until he had enough of a blaze to quickly heat some water. The night was mild and the fire unnecessary, except to prepare the potion.

The herbs smelled foul and the brew tasted even worse, but he was anxious to begin his search. He needed to know more about his visitor. Who was she? Why had she bitten him? Was she still alive? And why had she run away that night on the beach?

After whispering a prayer to Khonish, asking the Father Creator to bless his journey, Aylon stretched out on his bed and let his mind wander. And her image came readily. She was never far from his thoughts so her features remained vivid within his memory. Moonlight gleamed in her long black hair and her unusual eyes stared back at him with hesitant fascination. Golden flecks shimmered in their dark depths like tiny stars in the midnight sky.

He closed his eyes and surrendered to the potion’s gentle lethargy. His surroundings faded and his physical body grew numb as his inner being came alive. He could sense the forest surrounding the village, feel the sway of the trees and hear the scurry of nocturnal creatures.

He pictured her face and felt the softness of her mouth sliding against his. Her taste had been different from anything he’d tasted before. He focused on the memories, using each element to form a pattern on which he based his search. Soaring over the treetops, he scanned, hoping for any sign of her.

An image formed suddenly, unexpected and unbidden. He saw a swirling light within his chest, tiny specks of its brilliance flowing throughout his body with the rushing of his blood. And from the center of his chest a glistening thread stretched out into the darkness.

A small piece of you is already inside this woman you find so captivating. Naedar’s words echoed through his mind, urging him on.

He followed the light thread, suppressing a moment of fear as it led him far beyond the forest, beyond the mountains and the familiar sea. How had his beautiful visitor traveled all this way in only a matter of days?

Ignoring the questions surging through his mind, he focused on the strand of light.

He sensed her before he saw her and something deep within him quickened. Excitement and hunger warred within him, each compounding the other. She rested on her side, one of her small hands tucked beneath her lovely face.

A golden female of staggering beauty sat across from his dark visitor. The blonde poked a long stick into the fire, obviously lost in thought. There was no way she was Therian, certainly not human. Her beauty was nearly painful to behold. Her head came up and she looked right at him, then a slow smile bowed her lips.

Jatara will be so glad to see you. She has spoken of nothing else for days.

Without allowing him to return the greeting, the blonde beauty flashed out of sight.

Aylon didn’t waste energy considering the mystery of who she was or how she’d known he was there. Jatara. His visitor’s name was Jatara and she had been as moved by their short acquaintance as he had been by meeting her.

He paused beside her sleeping form, drawing energy into his being as he decided how best to proceed. She attracted him like a river’s strong current and he had no desire to resist the sensual pull. Her mind was strong and complex, demanding, far different than any mind he’d touched before. He sank into her being, the light strand leading the way.

She was dreaming about him. The realization sent joy rolling through Aylon. Their connection was real and vibrant. He wasn’t losing his mind!

In her dream, they lay on his cloak beside the sea, locked in a passionate embrace. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as he kissed her deeply. This was a scene he was more than happy to join. He melded with her mind, taking control of his dream self as her scent spread through his nose.

 

Jatara slid her tongue into the mouth of her dream lover. On some level she understood that the scene wasn’t real, but she had no desire to awaken. The night of the new moon was rapidly approaching and Bellin had been particularly demanding with their hunting schedule. Jatara had obeyed each directive without argument or protest. But through it all the snow leopard’s image had remained in the back of her mind, drawing her, yet encouraging her.

“Touch me,” she whispered against his lips. “I ache so badly I can scarcely think.”

His lips blazed a path from her mouth to her upper chest as he loosened the laces on the front of her dress and bared one of her breasts. “So beautiful.” He cupped the lower curve as his lips closed around her nipple. The strong suction made her arch and heat cascaded through her body.

She wanted to strip off her garments and open her thighs so he could push deep inside her. But Khonish was all-knowing. If he sensed that she’d given herself to another, even in a dream, he might use her weakness as a reason to renege on their deal. She couldn’t let that happen. No matter how badly she ached for her snow leopard prince, her mission must come first.

He pulled up her skirts, his intent obvious. She caught his wrist then waited until her looked into her eyes. “I cannot join with you yet. After you’ve touched me, I will touch you, but we cannot do more right now.”

“Why?” Tension etched his features making him look even more savage and more appealing. “You said you ache. I ache too. Why must we postpone what we both want so badly?”

“I will explain it all, I promise. But for now, this must be enough.”

His blue gaze bore into hers as his hand gently stroked her breast. “I will wait for a full joining if you tell me why you ran away from me the night we met.” She pushed up with one arm and kissed his mouth, using the intimacy to soothe her raging desire. After only a moment, he turned his head and separated their lips. “I will not be distracted by your kiss. Tell me why you are so afraid.”

“It was not fear that drove me away that night. It was obligation.” Even in her dreams she was not free to tell him the truth and the dishonesty weighed heavily upon her. “I must be certain of my family’s fate before I even consider starting a new life.”

“But I can help you. We can search for them together and—”

She placed her fingers against his lips and smiled. “I will not waste these precious moments arguing with you. I need your touch too badly.”

“Tell me where you are and I will come to you.”

With a wicked smile she raised her skirts to her waist and parted her thighs. “Would you really rather talk?”

His mouth claimed hers in a nearly frantic kiss. He pressed his hand over her mound, his long fingers easing between her thighs. She combed his hair with her fingers and returned his kiss with equal fervor. She would have this in reality. Someday they would join.

He parted her folds and rubbed her nub with the shaft of his finger. Her thighs tensed and sensations pulsed through her core. It was so easy to imagine him there, filling her, moving against and into her.

“If you do not want me to fulfill your fantasies, think of something else,” he whispered against her parted lips.

The distinct growl in his warning only coiled the tension tighter. She rocked her hips, unable to remain still while he touched her.

Suddenly his mouth lifted and his gaze bore into hers. “Let go.” His fingers surrounded her sensitive nub and gently squeezed. “Let it happen.” He carefully pulled and the pleasure crested. Her inner muscles rippled with strong spasms as tingling heat pulsed into her chest and down the inside of her thighs.

He watched her, obviously enjoying her response to his skillful touch. She blew out a shaky breath and shivered as sizzling aftershocks zinged through her belly. She drifted down from the blissful high and suspicion scratched at the back of her mind. Even with Khonish her release hadn’t been this powerful. If her dream lover where a figment of her imagination, how had he known more about her body than she knew herself?

“What are you thinking, love?” He brushed a gentle kiss over her lips. “Your eyes are troubled, not content.”

“Is this still a dream?” She pressed her hand against the side of his face and stroked his lips with her thumb. “Tell me your name.”

His lips parted as if he would answer and then he nipped her thumb. “You told me names were not important. Have you changed your mind?”

She didn’t know his name, so a dream character wouldn’t be able to tell her. She relaxed in the knowledge and said, “It is my turn to touch you.”

He lay back across the cloak and folded his hands behind his head. “Are you sure you would not rather ride me?” He punctuated the question with a sexy smile and another shiver ricocheted through her body.

“Soon, my love. We will be together soon.” Emboldened by his willingness to let her play, she pushed up his tunic and unfastened his trousers, parting the front to reveal his cock. It rose long and hard from his flat belly, obviously eager for her touch.

She curved her fingers around the shaft and gave him a little squeeze. His hand covered hers and he showed her how to stroke, how fast to slide and how firmly to grasp. Her gaze shifted back and forth between the impressive column of flesh encircled by her fist and the pleasure reflected in his expression.

It made her feel wild and powerful to know she could make such a strong man tremble with need. When they were finally free to join this would be inside her, stretching her, filling the ache already forming again between her thighs. She moved her hand faster and felt him harden even more.

His eyes squeezed shut and his lips parted as his hips began to rock into her steady strokes. Liquid beaded on the very tip and she swiped it with her thumb, spreading the moisture over his sensitive skin. He groaned, so she did it again and again.

Khonish had used his mouth on her. Did females pleasure their mates the same way?

Before she could explore the possibility, her snow leopard prince cried out and his shaft twitched against her fingers. Streams of milky liquid shot into the air and splattered across his tight belly. She massaged him firmly until the last shudder passed and he opened his eyes.

“This is just a taste of what we will share when you return to me.” He straightened his clothing, unconcerned with the seed clinging to his skin. “How long must I wait? Where are you? Why will you not let me help you?” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his tongue moving boldly in her mouth.

She was breathless when he finally let her go and she wanted the dream to never end. “If I have found no sign of my family when the new moon has come and gone, I will return to you.”

He accepted her answer with a nod and paused for another deep kiss. “If you were not afraid, why did you bite me? You said it was obligation. To whom are you obliged?”

“In time. I will explain everything in time.”

This didn’t seem to please him, but he reluctantly let it go. “Who is your blonde companion? She knew I was here and intentionally left us alone.”

Again Jatara was struck by how real he seemed. It was almost as if…she couldn’t explain why this dream seemed so different from all her others, but it definitely felt like more than a dream.

He stared at her expectantly. That’s right, he’d asked about Bellin. “She is my friend and mentor. You have nothing to fear from her.” That was all he needed to know for now. “And as for why she left us alone, she is probably tired of hearing me complain about not being with you. I have struggled to concentrate on my mission ever since the night we met.”

“Is there some way I can help with your mission?”

She smiled and snuggled into the warmth of his chest. “You already have.”

* * * * *

The new moon shone its silvery light down upon Jatara as she approached Khonish’s massive dwelling. Her strides were long and sure, her shoulders squared. She was not the frightened woman-child he had encountered a moon cycle before. She had seen such wonders—seas of ice and towering mountains that speared the heavens. She’d met amazing people and learned that the world was a vast and awesome place.

“Do not let him intimidate you,” Bellin advised.

How could any mortal being not be intimidated by a god? “I am not afraid.” That much was true. She respected the power at Khonish’s command and was anxious to explore her own potential, but she was no longer afraid. Her blood pulsed with restrained power and her being brimmed with latent abilities desperate for release, yet now she carried the life experiences of each of the men whose blood she had consumed. This was the final step in her transformation. Khonish would anchor all the power she had harvested over the past moon cycle. He would imprint it permanently upon her soul, so her descendants would benefit from Bellin’s gift as well as Jatara herself.

As they neared the front door, Khonish pulled it open. He stood silhouetted by the light behind him as he said, “I was not sure you would make it in time.”

“You should have known better, brother dear.” Bellin looked at Jatara and smiled. “We held up our end of the bargain. Now it is time for you to hold up yours.”

He inclined his head and motioned them inside with the sweep of one muscular arm. “How many natures was she able to collect?”

“All of the important ones.”

It was an obvious evasion but Khonish didn’t press. Instead, he turned to Jatara and said, “Are you willing to submit to me body and soul?”

It was just such a sacrifice that had brought her to Khonish the first time. Could her new nature be solidified without paying his price? Bellin had avoided the question every time Jatara asked what the final step would entail. “Definition does not require a physical joining. I would prefer to wait until I’ve located my mate.”

A smile lifted one corner of his mouth, making him look impossibly arrogant. “I did not realize you were an expert on such matters.”

“I am sorry, Great Lord.” She lowered her gaze. “I did not mean to offend you.”

His warm fingers touched her chin, raising her face until she looked into his eyes. “I am not offended. I am intrigued. You have changed much in the past moon cycle.”

She had known it would come to this. Khonish had made his price clear from the beginning, her surrender for his power. And the idea had not bothered her until she met the snow leopard prince. It was his hands she wanted upon her naked flesh, his cock she longed to fill her. But there was more at stake than her happiness. If she did not submit to Khonish, all her efforts over the past moon cycle would be wasted. No, this must be done. And not just for her, for Therian females everywhere.

She stubbornly pushed all thoughts of the snow leopard prince to the back of her mind. Khonish would not be pleased if she offered her body to him with thoughts of another filling her memory. She had to stay focused solely on the task at hand.

“I am prepared to do whatever you require of me.” Anticipation zinged through her body as she remembered the pleasure Khonish had brought her before. He’d already torn her shield, so it would be difficult to convince her mate she was entirely innocent. Khonish, she must think only of Khonish.

“Return in the morning, Bellin. I suspect it will take at least that long for me to have my fill of your priestess.”

The goddess paused long enough to give Jatara a reassuring hug, then she flashed out of sight.

“Are you hungry?” Khonish asked, drawing her gaze back to his handsome face.

“I ate not long ago.” Without Bellin to support her, she felt less confident.

Be brave, yet respectful. But do not let him sense your fear. Jatara wasn’t sure if Bellin had sent the words to her mind or if she simply used the goddess’s voice to soothe her troubled thoughts. It didn’t matter. She took the suggestion to heart and released the tension gathering all around her.

He held out his hand and she placed hers on top, the trembling of her fingers barely visible. With his strong fingers lightly grasping her hand he led her across the room. She glanced at the table, where their first passionate encounter had taken place, but he had a different destination in mind this time.

Even after all the wonders she’d seen, his house was dazzling. Lavish and expansive, it was truly a home fit for a god. He led her to a smaller room adjoining the main space. She knew what a bed was—many of the cultures she’d visited with Bellin had variations of the padded sleeping platform—but she’d never imagined anything as elaborate as Khonish’s bed. High and huge, the sleeping surface was supported by four thick poles. The poles were carved with fanciful creatures and intricate designs.

He pulled the coverings down to the bottom of the bed then said, “Undress.”

She’d just come from a cool mountain settlement, so she was adorned in several layers of clothing. She shrugged out of her coat and pulled off her boots before she dared to ask, “Will you undress as well?” His knee-length tunic outlined his body, but she wanted to touch and see all of him.

With a wicked smile bowing his lips, he pulled the tunic off and tossed it aside. He kicked off his sandals and stood before her naked. “Better?”

“Much.” The word struggled past her dry throat. He was sculpted perfection from the tip of his toes to the top of his dark head. Her curious gaze focused in on his sex and her insides felt as if they were melting. Long and thick, his shaft jutted into the air, already hard and ready to fill her. “May I…”

He chuckled. “Finish undressing and I will indulge your curiosity.”

Her hands flew to the fastenings on her garments, working laces and tugging on material until she was as naked as Khonish. She moved toward him as if in a trance, her hands trembling with anticipation and uncertainty. This would change her forever. The import was suddenly daunting.

“Go on, priestess. Touch me. You were made for pleasures such as these.”

She pressed her hand against his chest, absorbing the heat and the softness of his skin. But beneath his skin, rock-hard muscles formed his stunning shape. In her dream, all she’d touched of her prince was his cock. Khonish invited a more thorough exploration and she was eager to experience everything. She stroked the rounded planes of his chest and squeezed his broad shoulders. Then she descended along his thick upper arms before switching back to his lean waist.

Rather than stand passively by, Khonish touched her as well. His caresses were even bolder, urging her on to more intimate destinations. Her curious fingers curved around his shaft while her other hand cupped his balls. He groaned, eyelids drifting closed for a moment. His hands came to rest on her shoulders and he urged her downward. She slipped to her knees, not understanding what he wanted, but eager for a closer look.

“Open your mouth, Jatara. Pleasure me as I pleasured you.”

Now her position made perfect sense. She angled his shaft toward her mouth and parted her lips. His tip was wide and rounded, like the cap of a large mushroom. She circled him with her tongue then tilted her head back slightly and sucked him into her mouth. Hot, hard, yet incredibly soft. How could he be all those things at once?

She tried not to think of the snow leopard prince, to remain focused on Khonish. But the dream she’d shared with the prince had been so vivid, so realistic. She’d wondered if men liked this form of pleasure and now she knew. As soon as she was free from her obligations to Khonish, she would pleasure her prince like this. She would—

Khonish pressed his hands against her cheeks and held her still as he rocked his hips. His shaft slid over her tongue and against her lips, forcing other thoughts from her mind. He grew harder and hotter as he moved. She caressed his tip with her tongue while keeping a snug hold on his shaft with her lips. It felt odd yet evocative, new and fascinating.

She closed her eyes, concentrating on the rhythmic slide and the faint taste spreading across her tongue. Unbidden, an image formed within her mind. She saw the snow leopard prince, water streaming off his powerful body as he strode out of the sea and hurried toward her. That was how the dream had begun, but instead of draping his cloak around them, he’d spread it upon the sand.

Heat erupted between her thighs and her nipples tingled. Of all the men she’d bitten, he alone touched her heart and haunted her dreams. She longed for him to touch her with more than his hand, to share with her the pleasures she was about to share with Khonish.

Suddenly Khonish pulled out of her mouth and scooped her up in his arms. “I should be insulted to find a mortal man’s image so clear within your mind even as my cock fills your mouth.”

“Great Lord,” she gasped, “I am sorry.”

He placed her on the edge of the bed and stepped between her knees. “If it were anyone but Aylon, I would be most displeased.”

Aylon! His name was Aylon. Warm tingles danced across her skin and desire pooled between her thighs.

Khonish chuckled and grasped her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. “Look at me.” The pressure of his hold increased until she met his piercing gaze. “What do you think it is that draws you to Aylon?”

“I am not sure, My Lord. I do not mean to think of him. I do not do it intentionally.”

“He is one of my chosen, one of the best. It is the high concentration of my energy in him that attracts and fascinates you.” He bent to her breast and sucked long and hard as his words resonated through her mind. Aylon’s taste had seemed familiar. Even his dream image had felt more powerful than a mere fantasy. Khonish moved his mouth to her other breast and nibbled upon its crest. “Rather than punishing you for your distraction, I will help you focus on your sacrifice. Lean back on your elbows. Do not lie down.”

She did as he directed and her heart began to pound. He moved her legs farther apart and traced her crease with his fingertips. “I will be your first,” he told her as he pushed his first two fingers into the very heart of her body. She watched the long digits disappear and felt the slight fullness inside her. He paused for a moment, lazily brushing his thumb across her swollen nub. Her inner muscles tightened, caressing his fingers as sensations gathered beneath his thumb. Then he pulled back his hand and his fingers emerged, wet with her cream. “And I will be your last.”

Her gaze collided with his as fear zinged through her system. “You intend to keep me here?”

“That’s not what I meant.” He removed his fingers and positioned his cock to take their place. “Aylon is my trusted servant. Each time he is inside you, a part of me will fill you too.”

The realization made her restless and hot. Khonish was a god. She had never expected to share more than this one night with him. He was helping her see that surrendering to him was not a betrayal of Aylon. Once her soul joined with Aylon’s, she would never know the touch of another.

But tonight belonged to Khonish.

“That’s right. Now watch as I take you. Surrender yourself to me.” He draped her legs over his forearms and slowly pulled her toward him, driving his cock inward by slow degrees.

She watched more and more of his shaft disappear into her body. Her inner walls stretched, the fullness acute, but not painful. She tried to relax, to surrender herself into his keeping, but it was strange and overwhelming.

When his pelvis pressed against hers and his entire length was firmly seated, he drew her up for a reassuring kiss. The new angle accented their joining and made her moan into his mouth.

“Am I hurting you?”

His concern surprised her, so she concentrated on relaxing her inner muscles. She’d expected him to take his pleasure and be done with it. “It just feels strange.”

“Then wrap your legs around my waist and hold on tightly.” As soon as she locked her ankles behind his back and clutched his neck with her arms, he climbed onto the bed. He supported her back as he laid her down then he paused again to kiss her mouth. “Ease up, sweet. Let me touch you.”

She relaxed her legs and he slipped one of his hands between their bodies. He caressed her breasts and belly as they kissed, gradually working his way downward until his thumb covered her nub. He circled the ultrasensitive spot and liquid heat swirled within her.

“Oh yes.” His sigh feathered across her damp lips as he slowly drew his hips back. The fresh rush of moisture allowed him to slide smoothly and she started to understand why others found this enjoyable. “Let the pleasure crest and you will grow even wetter.”

She combed his hair with her fingers and rolled her hips as sensations gathered deep inside her. It felt so good, so wondrous and new. His hand rotated, his fingers teasing her folds as his thumb continued its careful rotation against her nub.

Her ankles released and she drew her legs up high against his sides. He moved over her and into her, each stroke long and deep. Soon her inner muscles echoed the rhythm of his thumb, tightening around his shaft as if she meant to keep him deep inside her.

Tension wound, drawing the urgency down through her body. She arched her back and cried out sharply as pleasure burst with sudden force. Lights danced before her eyes and she shuddered violently beneath him.

Before her mind cleared, he withdrew and turned her over, pulling up on her hips as he drove back in from behind. Jatara gasped as her body adjusted to the new position. He felt even bigger and possessed her more deeply with each demanding thrust.

This was how she’d expected to be taken from the start. Most Therian males preferred to cover their mates from behind because it was more natural for their animal natures. The face-to-face intimacy had helped ease her fear, but now Khonish was obviously ready for a more vigorous joining.

His hands gripped her hips as he shuttled and out. She folded her arms and lowered her head, offering him a better angle. Lust rose up within her, wild and primal, answering his silent call. The animals she’d collected surged and tossed, battling for control and threatening the confines of her human body.

Khonish wrapped his arm around her waist and thrust to the hilt inside her. Then he bit into her shoulder and Jatara screamed. Fire spread through her chest and gathered low in her belly, radiating outward like rays off the sun. She shot forward, trying to escape the searing pain. Her legs unfolded and she came down hard on her belly. Khonish followed her down, their bodies still joined. His energy poured into her mind as his cock pulsed inside her core.

Heat consumed her human form, melting bone and stretching muscles. She screamed and screamed, frantically thrashing as she slowly lost control. Her screams gave way to growls and finally an enraged roar. She tossed her head and leapt from the bed, landing awkwardly on massive paws. Tawny fur now covered her limbs and predatory instincts overshadowed rational thought.

“You must gain control, Jatara. The lioness will recognize your authority, but you must not be afraid.”

She whipped her head toward the bed. Khonish knelt there, gloriously naked, his cock still wet from her body. She opened her mouth and projected her anger in a throaty growl.

He smiled. “Move about, grow accustomed to the new sensations.”

It felt strange at first. The lioness struggled against the commands Jatara sent until she established her dominance with a surge of energy. You could have warned me before you bit me.

“You were too busy dreaming about your snow leopard prince to notice what I was doing. Besides, a warning would not have made the transformation less painful. It always burns like fire the first time.”

Will each new animal I call forth be that painful?

“No. The pain is caused by your human body resisting the transformation. Once you learn to surrender to the change, it is far less painful.”

How do I return to human form? She paced beside the bed, too anxious to remain still.

“Calm down and relax.” He scooted off the bed and caught the thick fur at the nape of her neck as she tried to pass. “Be still. It takes energy to maintain a shift. If you stop fueling the form, it will recede.”

She stood beside him, trembling with anxious energy. She wanted to run and leap and tumble. She wanted to hunt!

“Relax.” He rubbed behind her ears and stroked the fur across her shoulders. “Picture your human body. Push the lioness back.”

Hot, tingling energy washed over her again. Sensations flared, burning brightly for just a moment before fading away. She blinked and rolled her shoulders as human perception returned. She knelt beside Khonish, sweat-soaked and trembling.

“Very good.” He helped her to her feet. “Bellin will have to teach you how to use your abilities. The stronger animals will not want to allow the weaker ones to appear. You must force them to obey. You and you alone are in control.”

She nodded and sank to the edge of the bed. Every muscle in her body ached and she felt weak as a newborn.

“You can spare a few weeks now, but most of your training will have to take place after you have joined with Aylon.”

Blowing out a shaky breath, she looked into Khonish’s shimmering eyes. “I promised Aylon I would return, but why the need for haste?”

“I left you with child.”