“This doesn’t feel right,” Jatara whispered as she gazed out over the tranquil village. The open clearing and wooden dwellings were so different from her rainforest home. Yet this was where the snow leopard prince lived and she wanted him for her mate. “Even if he accepts me, he will be forced to rear another man’s child.”
“He will have the honor of rearing the child of a god,” Bellin countered. “He is Khonish’s trusted servant. He will understand what a privilege it is to be chosen for this task. A mating bond with you will also increase the strength of his abilities and expand his lifespan to equal yours.”
That caught Jatara’s attention and she looked at Bellin. “My lifespan has been altered?”
The goddess laughed. “You were defined by the Father Creator. Allowing these abilities to fade with one lifetime would be wasteful.”
“I thought the gift will be passed on through my daughters.”
“It will, but you still need extra time to fulfill your mission. I made sure Khonish gave you that time.”
Jatara had spent the past three weeks learning how to control her abilities. Bellin assured her they would have additional training sessions once her life path was established, but the child growing within Jatara made it essential that she begin her new life as soon as possible.
Each night she went to sleep thinking about Aylon, hoping he would appear again in her dreams so they could continue their sensual exploration. But sadly, such a dream never occurred and she was left feeling empty and alone.
“What if he does not believe Khonish is the father? What if he—”
“You are better than this, Jatara.” Bellin took her by the shoulders and turned her around. “You want this man and you felt a connection with him. You must be bold in life or your abilities will mean nothing. I told you the child is female. As long as you provide Aylon with sons, your daughter will not disrupt the line of succession. Men take what they want without hesitation. You must learn to do the same.”
“Men take what they want without caring what they do to others. I will never be like that.”
Bellin smiled. “That is not what I meant. If you are afraid Aylon will not believe the truth then allow him to believe he fathered your daughter. Everything would be much simpler that way.”
“I am not even sure he is the one.”
“Yes you are. You knew it the moment you saw him.” An unusual gleam came into Bellin’s eyes as she added, “And he knows it too.”
“Why are you so sure? There is something you are not telling me.”
“Aylon is a dream-walker. He came to you a few nights after we left his village.”
Heat tingled through Jatara’s body, exciting yet comforting. “I thought there was something different about that dream.”
Bellin motioned toward the village. “There he is.” She turned Jatara back around and gave her a little push. “It is time. Go claim your future.”
Jatara kept to the trees surrounding the village, not wanting anyone else to see her. She narrowed her eyes and inhaled deeply, easily identifying his scent. He had just finished emptying his bladder when she spotted him through the trees.
His head came up and he quickly fastened his pants before he turned around. “I am not sure what I did to anger the forest spirits, but I am glad they sent you again to torment me.”
“I have not meant to torment you. The circumstances of our meeting were beyond strange.”
“I will grant you that.” He took a step closer, his gaze intense yet inscrutable. “First you try to steal from me, then you kiss me. And just when I have convinced myself that you are in need of my protection, you viciously bite me and run away.”
In her dream, he had been so relieved to see her that he’d swept her into his arms and kissed her mouth. Apparently, reality was going to require more finesse. “I am sorry about the bite. I was overwhelmed and I panicked.”
Heaving a heavy sigh, he looked beyond her for a moment. His emotions were clearly in conflict. “There is no reason to fear me, Jatara. Fear is the last thing I want for us.”
She gasped and took a step back. “How do you know my name?”
“Your lovely blonde friend told me before she disappeared.” He watched her closely but allowed the distance between them.
“She told me your name as well, Aylon.” He smiled, but she had to glance away. It was the first of many lies she’d be required to tell if she hoped to plan a future with this man. “She also told me you are a dream-walker. Why did you only come to me once? I waited each night for you to return, yet you never joined me again.”
“You promised to return. I was waiting to see if you kept your promises. There can be nothing between us without trust.”
She fiddled with the sleeves of her tunic, feeling inadequate for the task ahead. How could she make him understand all she had been through if she could not tell him the truth? “It took a bit longer than I’d intended, but I am here.”
He approached slowly, as one would a wounded animal. “Relax, love. I would never harm one so obviously favored by the gods.” He was clearly teasing her, but he had no idea how close he had stumbled to the truth. “Where have you been? I was hoping to spend more time with you. Maybe learn more than your name.”
“I…” She had debated what to tell him with Bellin as they trained, but none of the stories they’d rehearsed rang true. “You seem kind and honorable. I do not want to be a burden on you.”
“What foolishness is this?” He gently took her hand. “You could never be a burden. It is my honor to care for you.”
What a novel idea. She smiled, yet her insides twisted. Her next few words might well shape her future for many years to come. She had to be certain. “I have lost everything.” She whispered the claim as tears welled in her eyes. In a way it was true. She had lost her family and her tribe when she accepted Bellin’s challenge. “I have not been able to locate anyone from my party. I fear they all perished in the storm.”
His arms closed around her, drawing her slowly into the warmth of his embrace. This was what she’d wanted, what she’d longed for ever since she left him on the beach.
“I will share your grief and I offer any comfort I can.” The sincerity in his tone was mirrored in his beautiful blue eyes. “I will protect you and provide for you while your heart heals. Just do not run from me again.”
She dragged her gaze away from his handsome face and shook her head. “Why do you care what happens to me? I am a stranger to you.”
“I know you are Therian. It’s there in your scent and your taste. Therians mate for life and I knew you were my mate as soon as your scent reached my nose.” He raised his hand to her face and traced her lips with his thumb. “Are you going to try to convince me that you feel nothing when I touch you?”
“I feel…” She lowered her lashes, hiding her expression and releasing the tears pooled in her eyes. “I am feeling this connection with you, which means my mate is dead.”
He tensed and lowered his arm, but didn’t step back. “You are soul bound?”
“That is why I grew so frightened when I kissed you. I was excited by your touch yet knew we were confirming my deepest fears.”
“Your mate was on the ship when the storm hit.”
“It is worse than that.” She sobbed. “You must know everything before you offer your protection.”
“Nothing you say will change what I feel for you. I tried to rid my mind of your image and it did not work. We are in this together, come what may.” He placed his hands on her hips and gazed into her eyes. “Tell me the rest. Let us have no secrets between us.”
“I am with child. If you open your heart to me, you will be…” Emotion closed her throat and she couldn’t complete the statement.
His smile was slow and filled with affection. “Is that the worst you can do? The fact that you told me only reinforces my assessment of your character. Your belly is still flat. You could have convinced me the child was mine, but you chose to be honorable. I will love the child as I love you. I offer you both my protection and my devotion.”
Hard sobs shook her shoulders as she collapsed against his chest. Relief and guilt buffeted her composure. He spoke of honor and devotion, yet she still twisted the truth. Could she trust him with such a secret? No. Even if she told him, he would think she was mad.
“Relax, my love.” He pulled her snugly against his chest and stroked her unbound hair. “You are safe now. Nothing will ever harm you again.”
She knew her life would never be that simple, but it was a comfort not to face it alone. His embrace felt so good, but the lies she had told weighed heavy on her heart, so she shared with him more of the truth. “I have reason to believe that I carry a daughter and she will inherit my abilities.”
“What are your abilities? Did your first mate define your animal nature?”
She took a deep breath and chose her words carefully, not wanting to scare him away. She’d had nearly two cycles of the moon to adjust to the changes in her life. She couldn’t expect him to accept everything in the course of one night.
“I am unlike most Therian females,” she began. “In fact, I am one of a kind. I believe that is why the gods spared my life and brought me to you.” Skepticism crept into his expression, but Jatara didn’t take offense. “You said I was favored by the gods. I know you were jesting, but in fact it is true. I host multiple animal natures and am able to shift into numerous forms.”
He stared at her in stunned silence, doubt clear on every feature.
“It is an unbelievable boast. I understand that.” She took several steps back and closed her eyes. Just that morning Bellin had taught her an exercise that helped her maintain control while shifting quickly from shape to shape. She drew energy into her chest and pictured the forms she wished to use, lining the animals up in sequential order. “Do not be afraid. I only do this so you will understand the truth of my claim.”
He crossed his arms over his broad chest, clearly annoyed by her warning.
She took another deep breath and released the energy. A tingling wave cascaded through her, sweeping away her human body and replacing it with a long, lithe jaguar. Aylon didn’t seem impressed. Doubtlessly he had seen females shift before. But Jatara didn’t hesitate. Summoning the energy from the tips of her claws to the crown of her head, she reshaped her body again. In one smooth undulation, a large wolf replaced the jaguar. Aylon’s eyes rounded and his mouth gaped, but he spoke not a word. Jatara shifted from the wolf into a puma and finally into a massive white bear.
Aylon stumbled back as the last animal solidified, clearly terrified by the creature.
It took a few moments for Jatara to gain control over the bear and force it back into the well from which it had been drawn. She reshaped her human form and fell to her knees, panting from the exertion.
“That was… I have never… Are you a goddess?” Aylon approached with equal parts caution and awe.
“I am a Therian, just like you.”
He knelt in front of her, reaching out one large hand to touch her arm. “No Therian I know can do what you just did.”
“The Mother Creator convinced Khonish to empower me with unusual abilities so I can fight the injustices so rampant in our world.”
“What sort of injustices? Even with your abilities, what can one woman do?”
They faced each other, still on their knees, and Jatara realized she was at a crossroads. She could allow the misconceptions and build her future on a lie, or she could trust her instincts, trust her mate, and tell him everything.
Including the identity of her baby’s father.
“My father is leader of our village, just as your father rules over yours. To solidify an alliance, my father insisted that I join with a tiger prince even though I felt no attraction to the man. Would such a thing be allowed by your people?”
“Such unions are not unusual among my people, especially between powerful families. However, if the man mistreats the woman or fails to provide for her needs, she can sever the alliance and find a better man.”
“That is a step in the right direction. The women in my father’s village are basically the property of their mates.”
“Ours is not a perfect system. My mother was…motivated to accept my father as mate. She grew to love him eventually, but she was miserable until my birth formed an attachment between them.”
Jatara nodded, easily seeing how that could change a female’s perspective. “When Bellin created females with an undefined nature, it was her intention that females control their own life path. It never occurred to her that Therian males would take advantage of the vulnerability.”
“You speak of the Mother Creator as if you know her personally.”
“I was her faithful priestess when one of my father’s warriors tried to force himself on me. She appeared and drove the warrior away, saving me from ruin and degradation.”
Golden light flashed through the night and Bellin stepped out of the darkness. Aylon gasped and pivoted, trying to shield Jatara with his body.
“Fear not, brave son. I mean you no harm and Jatara knows me well.”
“You are the Mother Creator? It was you by the fire that night.”
“I am and it was,” Bellin said with a cheeky smile.
“I have served your brother since my birth and he has never appeared to me,” Aylon told her. “Why have you honored us with your presence?” Jatara moved up beside him and wrapped her arm around his lean waist.
“Your mate has chosen to disregard my advice and tell you everything.” Bellin paused for a moment, her penetrating gaze moving over Aylon’s face. “Jatara is blessed above all other women. Do you understand how important she is to me?”
“Yes, Great Lady.” He bowed his head but his voice was strong and clear. “I will protect her with my life.”
“She has been infused with these gifts so that she can fight for the cause of women and balance the power within the Therian world. Will you help her fight these battles and support her decisions?”
“Of course, Great Lady. I am honored to be chosen as her mate.”
“And her child.” Bellin’s tone grew softer, less commanding. “Will you open your heart to the child and love her as if she were your own daughter?”
“I will treasure them both, always.”
“Look at me. I would judge the sincerity of your claims.”
He raised his head and looked into her eyes. “I mean every word. I have never known such anger or such grief as when I thought I would never see her again.”
Bellin studied him a moment longer and then smiled at Jatara. “You have chosen well. His heart is true and his spirit strong. I see much of my brother in Aylon. You will be blessed with many sons and daughters. Enjoy them all.”
The goddess flashed out of sight as suddenly as she appeared and Jatara pushed to her feet. “Do you believe me now?”
Aylon stood as well and gathered her hands in his. “I believe you are blessed and chosen, but I am still confused. When you bit me, was that part of your—empowerment?”
“It was. I absorbed your animal nature as well as many others and then…” She hesitated. This was the only part of what she had done that she had not intended to confess. But Aylon had been so open, so accepting. She wanted only truth between them. “Then Khonish infused me with such power that not only are my abilities permanent, they will be passed on to my daughter.”
“The one within you now or all your female offspring?”
“All of my daughters will be extraordinary, but the one I carry now will be the next Omni Prime.”
“Omni Prime?”
“It is the title Bellin bestowed upon me. Therian males have alphas and prime alphas. We wanted a similar distinction for extraordinary females.”
He was quiet for a long time as he gazed off into the distance. Then he shifted his gaze to her face and asked, “Was there ever a boat caught in a storm or did Bellin bring you here?”
His sharp mind was obviously sifting through her claims, separating fact from fiction. “The goddess brought me here.”
“And you were never mated.”
It wasn’t a question, but she felt obligated to respond. “My child is a byproduct of my definition.”
“Meaning Khonish is the father?”
“Yes. I could not deceive you into thinking the child was yours, but I did not think you would believe the truth.”
He licked his lips and glanced away. “If Bellin had not chosen to appear, I am not sure I would have either. I have served Khonish my entire life, but never have I experienced anything like this. I have one more question and then I will focus on the future and the love still burning in my heart.”
“All right.”
“Were you willing or did he leave you no other choice? Khonish is known for his ruthless pursuit of pleasure.”
She silently debated what to say. He wouldn’t be Therian if the thought of his mate with another man didn’t upset him. “I knew from the beginning what his price would be, but I had agreed to pay it before I met you. If there had been any way to avoid the price, I would have taken it, I assure you.”
“Then we will speak of it no more.” He leaned down and kissed her, pushing his taste into her mouth as he inhaled her scent. “We should wait until we are officially joined before I claim you.” The hard thrust of his cock against her belly belied his words.
“You have already claimed my heart and my body has ached for you since I left you on the beach. A dream is no substitute for reality.”
“Well, we are not going to do this on the cold ground.” He took her by the hand and led her toward the settlement. “You will spend the night in my arms and tomorrow you will meet your new family.”
She threaded her fingers through his and gave his hand a firm squeeze as her mind filled with images of the pleasure they would soon share and the future they would build together.
He led her through the wooden dwellings, which were situated in concentric circles around a larger building. “What is that?” She motioned toward the unusually large structure.
“The feasting hall. We gather there to celebrate and plan the next hunt or voyage.”
“And which dwelling is yours?”
“I’ll show you.” Drawing her past the feasting hall, he brought her to one of the dwellings near the center of the settlement. “Welcome.” He lifted the woven panel hanging across the threshold and swept his arm toward the interior.
She ducked through the doorway and looked around. A fire pit smoldered in the center of the room, tendrils of smoke lazily drifting up and through the teardrop-shaped opening high above. On the far side of the fire pit sat a low platform covered in furs. Doubtlessly that was where Aylon slept and where they would consummate their bond.
Feeling oddly shy, she wandered about the room, noting the shields and weapons hanging on the walls. Were they decorations or tools of his trade?
“Would you like something to drink?” His voice was deep, his smile welcoming. He seemed content just to have her near.
She nodded. “I am a bit chilled.”
He took two cups from a nearby shelf and poured an amber liquid into each. His fingers brushed against hers as he passed her one of the cups and energy arced between them. “Sip it slowly. It’s stronger than it seems.”
Raising the cup to her lips, she cautiously took a sip. The taste was sweet, but heat flowed in its wake. “I see what you mean.”
They sipped in silence for a moment, staring deep into each other’s eyes. “Is this dwelling for you alone? Are both your parents still living?”
He nodded. “My parents are both still alive. They share a dwelling not unlike this with my four younger siblings.”
“Why do you live alone?”
Pain flickered through his gaze for just a moment and then it was gone. “I built this longhouse three springs past, as a wedding present for my mate.”
“What happened to her?” Therians bonded for life, so the link was never formed or the woman was no longer living.
“Much to the horror of her father, she ran away with her lover not long before the ceremony had been scheduled to take place.”
“You do not seem overly upset about the development.”
“I had accepted the thought of mating with her and hoped that she could learn to love me as my mother did my father. Even so, there was no real attraction between us. As I said, our ways are not that much different from yours.” He took her by the hand and led her to the fur covered platform. “Tell me about your home.” He sat on the edge of the platform, so she sat beside him.
“This is my home now.” She had changed so much that it was hard to connect herself with the frightened girl Bellin had encountered in the rainforest. “My life begins tonight.”
“I accept that, but I am not sure my people will.”
“Then we will tell them the story I first told you. I am part of a band of traders that encountered a storm at sea. You found me on the beach dazed and grieving. I did not trust you at first and ran, but now I have returned because I have accepted that I am the only survivor.”
“But they must be told that the child is mine,” he insisted. “I want no hint of scandal to fall upon your name.”
His stubbornness pleased her deeply. They had not yet joined and already he protected her. “As you wish. Bellin assures me the child is female, so this will not disrupt the continuation of your bloodline.”
He took the cup from her hand and set them both aside. “Let us worry about one thing at a time. I want our bond solidified before anyone can object. Once you are my mate, no one will have the right to question our decisions.”
“Our decisions” sounded wonderful to Jatara. In her father’s village females did as they were told, always deferring to the choices and preferences of men. She intended to build a life at Aylon’s side, not cowering at his feet.
After stoking the fire, he added fresh wood, increasing the light as well as the warmth. Then they stood beside the bed and undressed each other slowly, pausing to explore each exposed area before moving on to the next garment. She ran her fingers through his long, pale hair, fascinated by the color and texture. He was so different from the men she had known, so much larger and more heavily muscled.
He lifted her to the sleeping platform and she knelt, putting her face on a level with his.
“I have shared my body with others, but never have I offered my mind, my soul, my inner self. Will you allow such a bond?”
“Of course.” She brushed her mouth over his then added, “I will be satisfied with nothing less.”
Excitement gleamed in his eyes and a smile parted his lips as he picked her up and laid her down in the middle of the furs. She stroked the soft pelt with one hand as he joined her on the sleeping platform. “What sort of fur is this? How came you by it?”
“This is a harsh land, Jatara. More often than not it is kill or be killed. Food is not easy to find, especially during the dark freeze.”
She smiled as he eased her legs apart and knelt between her knees. “Did that answer my question?”
“Wolves kept killing our livestock. We had no choice but to defend ourselves.”
“Therian wolves or the animal kind?”
“They remained in animal form even after we killed them, so we believe they were simply wolves.”
“But you would have done the same if they were Therian wolves?” She wasn’t sure why it was so important, especially when they were about to form a soul bond. But she’d thought Aylon was different, his people more refined.
“Would it have been better to let our children starve?”
“No, but violence must be the last resort, not the first reaction.”
He sat back on his heels with a sigh. “I agree and strive to guide the council in that direction as often as possible. Unfortunately, I am one voice among many.”
His voice was the only one that mattered to her. As long as they were in agreement, they could work through the rest together. “I needed to make sure we are of a like mind. Bellin has entrusted me with great power and I will not squander this gift.”
“I expect nothing less.” He trailed his fingertip from her temple to the hollow at the base of her throat. “I understand your mission and I will support you in any way I can.” His hand drifted lower, caressing the upper swell of her breasts before circling her nipples. “A soul bond will give us access to each other’s emotions and thoughts. It will make us both stronger in the process.”
She smiled, growing restless beneath his teasing touch. “Is that your way of saying less talk and more of this?” She arched her back and rubbed her mound against his jutting cock.
His mouth claimed hers in an urgent kiss as his hips returned her playful thrust. Desire washed over her and expanded within her, spreading liquid heat from her chest to the juncture of her thighs. She needed him there, deep inside her, filling the emptiness Khonish had left behind.
No! She would not think of Khonish. This was precious, a sacred union between her mate and herself.
Aylon slid against her mound, his thick shaft rubbing over the knot of nerves at the top of her opening. She pulled her legs up against his sides, offering her body without reservation. “In me. Please, I need you now.”
Supporting himself on his forearms, he reared until he could see her face. Then he adjusted the angle of his hips and found her opening. “You are mine and mine alone.” He pushed into her slowly, his gaze nearly as penetrating as his cock.
“And you are mine and mine alone.” She canted her hips, aligning her core to take him more deeply. Her inner muscles spread around him, squeezing him with spontaneous pulses.
His lids drooped and he groaned. “You feel so…” Apparently he couldn’t find the words.
With infinite slowness, he pulled back until only his tip remained inside of her, then he thrust deep, seating himself completely with one quick lunge. They moaned in unison and Jatara tangled her fingers in his hair, dragging his mouth down to hers.
“Move,” she whispered against his parted lips. He eagerly obeyed, shuttling in and out as their tongues curled and slid. His taste filled her mouth and his scent surrounded her like a blanket, warm and welcome, uniquely his.
His tempo sped as he extended his arms, back arched to maximize each stroke. Suddenly he growled low in his throat and tore his mouth away from hers. “Too soon. This is not going to end so quickly.” He pulled out, ignoring her mournful cry and her attempts to lock her ankles behind his back. With a few quick movements, he flipped her onto her stomach and pulled up on her hips. “Fold your legs beneath you.”
She did as he directed, resting on her knees and forearms as his hands slid up and down her thighs. Then he moved her knees farther apart and slipped one hand between her legs. He pushed a finger into her wet opening.
“Your cock felt better.” She grinned even though he couldn’t see her smile. “We can do this more than once, you know.” Rather than reply, he leaned down and gave her bottom a firm nip. She gasped then wiggled as tingles ricocheted through her belly.
He slid his finger in and out as she grew progressively more restless. She squeezed his finger with her inner muscles, but her eagerness seemed to fuel his determination. With a slow twist of his wrist, he added another finger, but it still felt insubstantial compared to his cock.
His fingers pulled out slowly then he leaned down and found her nub with the tip of his tongue. “Yes!” she gasped, arching to give him better access to her most sensitive parts.
“Like that, do you?” He held her open with his fingers and explored her more completely with his mouth. He traced her crease and gently sucked on her tender folds, avoiding the ultra-sensitive knot of nerves until she was wild and panting. Then, and only then, did he close his lips around the swollen nub and apply careful suction.
Pleasure detonated deep inside her, expanding in rippling waves until her entire abdomen convulsed with release. She clawed the fur beneath her and cried out as his tongue pushed into her channel, prolonging the pleasure as he greedily lapped up her cream.
“So good,” he murmured against her sodden flesh. “You taste so good.” Before she could catch her breath or clear her mind of the staggering pleasure, he drove his shaft deep into her quivering body. He pulled her up, cupping both her breasts as he pressed against her back. “Give me your mouth.”
She twisted her head sharply to the side and angled her torso without dislodging his hands. His lips sealed over hers and his tongue pushed into her mouth, spreading the taste of her pleasure. She shivered and squeezed him as tight as she could, barely able to touch him in the awkward position.
His tongue slid against hers and his hands began to wander from her breasts to her groin and back. He tweaked her nipples and stroked her mound, rebuilding her arousal. She reached back and touched his hips, wishing he would let her turn around.
“I want to face you,” she whispered as soon as he released her lips.
“Next time,” he promised. “For now, I need you like this.”
Then she felt his being brush against her mind. She opened to him, eager for the connection, the intimacy of sharing emotions and sensations with her mate. He pushed deeper into her mind and her body. He kissed his way along the side of her neck then urged her back down upon the bed.
She braced herself against the bed, resting her head on her folded arms. Energy pulsed and sizzled, their connection clear now within her mind. She could feel him and “see” him clearly, just not with her physical eyes.
He grasped her hips and pulled back, then drove deep with one forceful thrust. Their connection expanded and scalding desire barreled into her mind. The man in Aylon might long to hold her, to be tender and slow as they joined, but his cat craved this position, needed to control and cover his mate.
She could see his shaft, wet with her cream, sliding in and out of her body. His hands tightened on her hips and he increased his depth and speed. He tossed his head, features tense as he struggled against the inevitable end.
“Want this…to last.” He cried out sharply as his pleasure suddenly crested.
She felt everything as clearly as if the sensations had originated inside her own body. His cock twitched and his seed exploded from its tip. Deep spasms of pleasure echoed through her body, drawing another moan from her throat.
No matter how long we make it last, it will never be enough.
It took her a moment to realize he hadn’t spoken the words out loud. Can you hear my thoughts too?
Of course. The link will strengthen each time we join, but the connection is anchored and stable. He rolled to his side, taking her with him. “I want to fall asleep inside you every night.”
“You will get no argument from me.”
“I know this happened suddenly,” he said. “But I can feel the rightness of our bond.”
“As can I.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist and she interlaced their fingers. “There are a few things I failed to mention before.” She smiled into the darkness, knowing what she was about to say would shock and please him. “Because my nature was defined by Khonish himself, it is likely I will live far longer than ordinary Therians.”
“How much longer?”
“We are not sure. Three, perhaps four lifetimes.” She felt him tense, but she didn’t allow his emotional withdrawal. “And your life span will mirror mine as long as we are soul bound.”
“I will live several hundred season cycles?”
“We will need all that time and more to achieve balance in the Therian world. Oh, and our link will also increase the strength of all your abilities. You will not have new abilities, but the gifts you were given will all be more powerful now.”
He laughed, his heart thudding strongly against her back. “You did not think this was worth mentioning before the link was formed?” Despite his gruff tone, she could feel his excitement and joy.
“I needed to know you wanted me for me, not for the increase in your power.” She wiggled away, reluctantly separating their bodies. Then she turned around so she could look into his eyes. “I will never allow my power to be used to harm other Therians. Your father and the other councilors must not see me as a weapon.”
“I will leave this settlement forever before anything like that happens to you.”
The conviction in his expression made her smile. “Good.” She looped her arms around his neck and settled into the warmth of his body. “Then you will not mind outliving all of your relatives?”
“I will treasure every day at your side.”
Joy unfurled within her and tears flooded her eyes. “I thought Bellin’s gift would be worth sacrificing my personal happiness. I never dreamed that I could have both.” She pushed him over onto his back and crawled on top of him. After a brief kiss she slid down his body and settled on her knees between his wide-spread thighs. “This time I want your taste in my mouth as we join our bodies.”
“I am here for your pleasure. Always,” he said with a grin as she guided him into her waiting mouth.
THE END
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Therian Heat, Book Two: Before Carissa has time to react to her sister’s disappearance, she’s kidnapped and taken deep into the Colorado mountains. Her kidnapper swears he’s protecting her, but Carissa doesn’t know what to believe. He emanates danger, strength and raw sexuality. She’s drawn to him, craves his demanding kiss and the slide of his hard body against and into hers.
Quinn has always been an outsider, scorned and mistrusted by other Therian shapeshifters. Now he’s in the middle of a budding civil war and he’s not sure how to disentangle himself without endangering Carissa. Though her powers are latent, Carissa has the potential of becoming the most powerful Therian the world has ever seen.
It was Quinn’s intention to bring Carissa to safety and simply walk away, but one taste of her sweet lips and he knows he’ll never let her go. She won’t be truly safe until she’s selected her mate—and he intends to be the one she chooses.