Pursued

by Evangeline Anderson

  “I know.” She gave him a cat-like smile and leaned down to place a soft, sucking kiss on the broad head of his cock. “But I want to.”

  “Gods!” Merrick threw back his head and groaned as she explored the tiny slit in the head of his cock with the tip of her tongue. A small, salty droplet of precum appeared and she licked it up with relish. Delicious. She wondered if it would really help her stretch to take him in—all of him. Of course, she didn’t need to worry about that now, since she had the bonding fruit. And though Merrick wanted to take things slow and be careful, she was determined to go all the way.

  She licked him some more, running her tongue over the broad, head of his cock and down the thick, velvety shaft. God, she loved how soft and hot his skin was here. How she could feel him throbbing in her hand when she wrapped her fingers around his cock. She wasn’t sure if it was the bonding fruit or the fact that she’d wanted to do this for so long, but she felt as though she’d shed all her fears and inhibitions. For the first time ever she felt completely free, and it was a wonderful, intoxicating feeling.

  Suddenly, she couldn’t wait anymore. Sitting up, she straddled his hips and looked him in the eyes. “Merrick, I want to try it.”

  “Baby…” He had a pained look in his mismatched eyes. “I don’t know…don’t know if you should.”

  “It’s all right,” she assured him. “I swear it is—I’m not afraid.”

  “Not now, you’re not,” he murmured darkly. “But what if you start being afraid later? I told you, Elise, there is a point of no return with me. I just don’t want you to get there and feel trapped.”

  “I could never feel trapped with you,” she whispered, leaning forward to kiss him. “You make me feel so safe, Merrick. And I love it that you let me be in charge.”

  He gave her a little half grin that exposed his fangs. “Yeah, I kinda get off on it too. Though it’s fucking hard to just sit here and not touch you when you’re torturing me with those soft little hands and that hot little mouth of yours.”

  “I’m about to torture you some more.” Sitting back, Elise pulled her red tank top over her head, baring her breasts for him so that she was completely naked.

  Merrick groaned, his gaze roving hungrily over her body. “Gods, baby, you don’t know what you do to me.”

  “Yes I do. It’s the same thing you do to me.” She gave him a naughty smile.

  He sighed. “I still don’t think we should do this.”

  “I do. Let me try to convince you.” Leaning forward, she let her breasts brush gently against his face, loving the feel of her tight nipples against his rough cheeks. The prickly touch of his whiskers against her sensitive flesh sent shivers of pleasure down her spine.

  “All you’re convincing me of is that you’re going to drive me crazy, a little bit at a time,” he complained, his deep voice raspy with lust.

  A little bit, hmm? His words gave Elise an idea.

  “Merrick,” she murmured. “I know you don't want to go all the way but what if we just tried putting the tip in? You know, just the head?”

  He frowned. “I don’t know…”

  “Just a little bit,” Elise continued hurriedly. “That way I could see how I felt about it. And we could take things nice and slow.”

  “Well…” His eyes strayed to the place between her thighs and Elise knew he was imagining how it would feel to have her soft, slippery pussy envelope his cock.

  “Please?” she murmured. Teasingly, she spread her legs wider, opening herself to give him a better view. God, she didn’t know where she was getting the courage to act like this but she liked being the aggressor. Maybe it was a side effect of the bonding fruit, or maybe she was reclaiming her body, using it for her own pleasure instead of it being used for anyone else’s. Whatever the reason, she had never felt so powerful in her life.

  “All right.” Merrick caved at last. “But only the tip,” he warned. “No more. I don’t want you to get scared or hurt.”

  “You could never hurt me,” Elise said softly. Then she moved back so that his thick cock was directly underneath her pussy. Grasping his shaft, she let the broad head slide over her heated clit, moaning at the bolt of pure pleasure the intimate contact sent through her body. Merrick groaned too and she could see that his eyes were still glued to the place where they were almost joined. Slowly, carefully, Elise slid his cock down until the broad crown was lodged just at the entrance to her body. Then, biting her lip in concentration, she pressed until just the tip slid inside her hot pussy.

  The sensation was immediate and intense. In me—oh God, he’s in me! screamed a little voice in her head and for a moment Elise wasn’t sure if she was on fire with pleasure or completely freaked out. The old, bad memories wanted to intrude, the feelings of being invaded when she didn’t want to be, of being taken against her will. In the past she would have put those feelings and memories in the vault. But now the vault was gone and she had to find another way to deal with them.

  Elise took a deep breath and closed her eyes. This is Merrick, she reminded herself calmly. He would never, ever hurt me. He loves me. And besides, I’m in charge here. I’m on top and calling the shots. Everything is going to be okay.

  “Baby?” Merrick asked, his deep voice hoarse with worry. “Take it out if you can’t stand it,” he urged. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

  “No.” Elise took another deep breath. “No, I’m okay. I just…had to deal with something for a minute.”

  “You sure?” he looked at her anxiously.

  “Positive,” Elise assured him. “In fact, I think I want to try some more.”

  “I don’t know…” He frowned.

  “I’m over the worst of it now,” Elise told him. “It just…took a little adjustment. Now I want all of you in me.”

  Merrick shook his head. “Not all. Not yet. Maybe…half.”

  “All right,” Elise agreed, willing to take what she could get. Slowly, she lowered herself down, letting his hot shaft slide deeper into her pussy. God, he was thick! She was glad she’d eaten the bonding fruit now. Forget about his mating fist, just letting his shaft fill her was stretching her to the limit! But she didn’t feel any pain, and the trauma she’d experienced when he first entered her was gone too. Now she only felt pleasure—the pleasure of being penetrated by the man she loved, of giving herself to Merrick, of letting him fill her. But she still needed more. “Merrick…” she whispered pleadingly.

  Slowly, he nodded. “If you want to, baby. And if you’re really not scared.”

  “I’m not,” Elise assured him. “I just want you in me—all of you.”

  “All right then, sweetheart,” he growled softly. “Come down.”

  With a little moan of pure pleasure, Elise let herself settle down on him completely. There was an even deeper stretching sensation as his thick shaft invaded her pussy and then she felt the broad head of his cock kiss the mouth of her womb and knew he was completely inside her…well, almost.

  Looking down, she stroked the hard ridge around the base of his cock lightly with her fingertips. She could feel it throbbing against her, pressing against her sensitive clit and inner pussy. Could she really take that huge thing inside her? More importantly, did she even want to try?

  Yes, Elise decided, still stroking the ridge. Yes, I do—so much. And I want to feel his fangs in me too. I want all of him—all of Merrick. And I want him to have all of me. Even if we aren’t able to form the bond again, I still want to experience bonding sex.

  Merrick seemed to sense her thoughts because he was already shaking his head. “No, baby,” he said in a low, strangled voice. “No. There’s no coming back from that. I don’t want you to feel trapped, to not be able to get away from me.”

  “Why would I want to get away?” Elise pressed against him, moaning softly as his cock sank even deeper into her pussy. It had seemed impossible before, but now she felt like she really was stretching to let him in. But she needed a little help. “Merrick,” she whisp
ered, looking up at him. “Please.”

  He sighed softly. “All right. But if we’re really going to do this, I need my hands free. Need to hold you by the hips in order to get all the way in you.”

  “Yes.” Elise nodded. “Yes, go ahead. It’s okay.”

  Slowly, he drew his hands out from behind his back and flexed his fingers. “Been hanging onto the damn headboard for dear life,” he explained when he saw her watching him. “Like I said, it’s fucking hard not to touch you when you’re teasing me like that.”

  “Like this, you mean?” Elise raised herself, letting a few thick inches slide free of her pussy and then sat down hard, letting him thrust back in. They both groaned at the pleasurable sensation and Merrick nodded.

  “Yeah. Like that.”

  Slowly, gently, he put his hands on her hips and stroked up and down her sides and back. “Okay, baby? You’re sure you want to go through with this? If I slip my mating fist inside you, we’ll be locked together for a long time—possibly hours. Are you good with that?”

  Elise bit her lip. Was she really prepared to make this commitment? To trust Merrick this much with her body? She didn’t even really need to ask—the answer was yes.

  “It’s all right,” she told him, reaching out to cup his cheek. “I know…know you’d never hurt me. So yes, Merrick, I want this. Want you all the way inside me. Please.”

  “If you say so, baby. But come here.” He adjusted their position, sitting up a little against the headboard and drawing her closer to him. “Hold on to me,” he commanded softly. “And look in my eyes. I want to watch you while I do this. While I take you completely.”

  Elise looked into his eyes—that lovely, mismatched set of blue and gold that had meant safety and love to her right from the start. She felt the stretching sensation again and moaned softly as her body opened for his. But there was no fear as she spread for him, no pain as she gave her self completely, spreading her thighs for his welcome invasion. This was an act of love, pure and simple. And by taking her so slowly and gently, Merrick was wiping away all the earlier, bad memories she had of this act. Wiping them away and replacing them with beautiful memories, feelings of love and trust instead of hurt and terror and betrayal. There was no room for bad emotions here—there was only the bliss of being one with her man and it was the best feeling Elise had ever known.

  “Merrick,” she whispered softly, as he finally slipped all the way inside her, mating fist and all. “Oh, Merrick, yes.”

  “Gods, baby, you’re so beautiful. So gorgeous, taking all of me this way.” His voice was hoarse with emotion and he cradled her carefully against him, not moving a muscle until he was sure she was all right, was used to his deep invasion.

  “It feels amazing,” Elise murmured, leaning in to kiss him. “But can you, you know, thrust like this?”

  Merrick gave her a lazy smile. “It’s more of a slow grind, if you know what I mean. You want me to show you?”

  “You have to ask?” Elise wiggled her hips, causing some very pleasurable friction between them and they both moaned. “Show me, Merrick.”

  “You asked for it, baby.” Pulling her forward, he kissed her again as he began a long, slow ride that Elise knew she would never forget. The feeling of him inside her, so thick and hot and hard was incredible, more pleasurable than she ever would have dreamed possible. She caught his rhythm and began moving her hips in time, meeting and matching his thrusts as they kissed, joined both above and below.

  "Gods," Merrick groaned as he rolled his hips up, filling her with thrust after deep, delicious thrust. "Your pussy's so tight and sweet, baby. Feels so right wrapped around me."

  "It…it feels right to me too," Elise admitted breathlessly. "I didn't…I never knew it could feel like this. That it could feel so good."

  "It's good because it's an act of love," Merrick growled softly. "Sliding my cock deep into your hot pussy is the deepest, most intimate way I can show you how much I love you. How much I need you, baby." He kissed her gently. "And it's the same for you. Spreading your thighs for me and letting me in, taking all of my shaft deep inside—I can't tell you how loved that makes me feel. How privileged I am to have you as my female."

  "Oh, Merrick…" His sweet, hot words along with the slow, pumping pleasure of his thrusts inside her were an overwhelming combination. Elise almost wanted to cry with the outpouring of tender emotion but at the same time, she could feel her pleasure building, taking her to new heights of ecstasy she'd never reached before.

  She was almost at the point of no return and she could sense that Merrick was close too. She pulled back to look at him and was startled by the expression in his eyes—it was a look of need so intense it was almost pain.

  “Merrick?” she asked anxiously. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m really…really close. Makes me want to bite you.” He bared his fangs, which had grown even longer and sharper that Elise ever remembered seeing them. “But I don’t want to hurt you, baby.”

  The fangs were scary, and for a moment Elise hesitated. Then she remembered Sophie’s promise that the bite would be more pleasurable than painful. And besides, she wanted the whole experience—every single bit.

  “All right,” she murmured. Reaching up, she pulled her hair to one side, baring her throat. “Do it, Merrick. Bite me,” she urged.

  He frowned. “You’re sure?”

  Elise nodded firmly. “I want all of you in me. No, I need all of you in me.”

  Her words seemed to set something loose inside him—something he’d been holding back for fear of hurting her. With a low growl, he pulled her closer, bared his fangs and bit.

  Elise gasped and went completely rigid when the hard, sharp points first pierced her flesh. Then something seemed to happen—her entire body was flooded with pleasure—a pleasure so intense she almost couldn’t stand it. It was like orgasm after orgasm, and she could feel Merrick coming too, right along with her. Hard, hot spurts deep inside her bathed her inner pussy with his seed and made her come even harder, gasping and crying his name as the incredibly intense sensations went on and on and on…

  Oh God, so good! Can’t…can’t stand much more! she thought, her back arching as Merrick moved within her, still thrusting up into her pussy to plant his seed deep.

  “You want me to stop?” whispered a low, familiar voice in her head.

  “Yes…no…I don’t know. I just don’t know how much more I can take!” Elise sent back, without thinking about it.

  “The first time is always intense—that’s what I’ve heard, anyway. Never had bonding sex with anyone before now.”

  “No, I guess n—” “Oh!” Elise gasped aloud. Her eyes flew open just and she looked up just as Merrick withdrew his fangs from her neck. “Merrick,” she whispered in a trembling voice. “Did you…did you just…”

  “Talk inside your head?” He grinned at her, his eyes still lazy with desire. “Yeah,” he said out loud. “Guess I did.”

  “And I heard you. And you heard me—didn’t you?” Elise demanded.

  He nodded. “Loud and clear, baby.”

  “So then…does this mean…” She was almost too afraid to hope. “Is our bond back?”

  “Not like before,” Merrick said, frowning.

  “Oh.” Elise was crestfallen. “Oh, then…”

  “Better than before.” He grinned at her. “It’s a good healthy bond this time—I’d bet my life on it. Though we should probably get checked out by Sylvan, just to be on the safe side.”

  “But…but I don’t understand,” Elise said uncertainly. “How could this happen? I thought with you being a hybrid…”

  Merrick shrugged. “I don’t know. A gift from the Goddess, maybe.”

  Elise frowned. “I thought you didn’t believe in the Goddess. Or didn’t care for her much, anyway.”

  “That was before,” he said seriously. “Who do you think healed me and sent me back to you, baby?”

  “Oh.” Elise nodded, understandi
ng. “Then we should give thanks!”

  “We are, in our way.” His hips rolled up in a deep thrust, making her gasp, reminding her they were still joined. “The Goddess is pleased by the pleasure of those she puts together,” he murmured, smiling at her. “And she definitely meant you for me.”

  “And you for me,” Elise told him, rather breathlessly. “Forever.”

  “Yes, baby.” He kissed her again and then gave her another long, deep thrust. “And forever starts right now.”

  Chapter Forty-six

  “So I’ve finally figured out what Minverna was up to.” Nadiah had a frown on her face which worried Lissa.

  “What was it?” she asked, picking her steps carefully as she walked the long, winding road to the temple hidden inside the holy mountain. Though she’d been on First World for three years, the dark, circuitous path could still trip her up if she wasn’t careful.

  “She—ow!” Nadiah stumbled and Lissa just managed to save her by grabbing her arm.

  “Be careful, my Lady!”

  “Thanks.” Nadiah rubbed her shin. “I don’t see why we have to keep the path to the temple so dark,” she complained. “It’s really a safety hazard.”

  “There used to be glows on the walls to light the way,” Lissa said. “But they burned out and Minverna wouldn’t replace them. She always said the path to enlightenment ought to be dark so that pilgrims who came to us could better appreciate the beauty of the temple.” She cleared her throat. “But I believe she simply didn’t want to spend the credit to have them replaced.”

  “That sounds in line with what I’ve found out about her,” Nadiah said grimly.

  “What did you find out?” Lissa wanted to know. By now they had left the winding road and passed into the huge natural cavern which housed the temple.

  “We’re here now,” Nadiah said, nodding at the temple’s many steps which led up to the Seat of Wisdom. “I’ll tell you when I tell everyone else. Rast has to know too. And Saber, of course.”

  “Saber?” Lissa’s heart started beating double time. “Is he still here? I…I thought he was going back to Tarsia today.”