Binding Ties

by Shannon K. Butcher

  Joseph sent her as much reassurance as he could muster, but it wasn’t much.

  Her long legs ate up the distance, moving effortlessly over rocks, logs and fallen branches, despite her bare feet. She was naked except for his borrowed shirt, and her curvy bottom kept peeking out to tease him.

  His balls tingled and grew heavy. His cock started to swell and throb.

  He knew he shouldn’t be thinking about such things at a time like this, but he couldn’t help it. He remembered all too well how perfectly her ass fit his hands, how smooth and soft her skin was there. And the shadowy perfection hidden between her thighs . . .

  His foot caught on a tree root hidden under the leaves and he fell flat on his face. His sword landed a couple of feet away, protruding from a fallen tree.

  Lyka skidded to a stop and turned around to help him.

  He pushed himself back to his feet before she reached his side and made his humiliation complete by offering him a hand up. It was bad enough that he’d been clumsy; she had to come to his rescue, too.

  “Think about my ass later, Theronai,” she said. “We have ground to cover.”

  She’d heard his thoughts? He couldn’t help but smile at that. They were making progress, which meant that somewhere deep down, she was starting to trust him, even if only a little.

  “Don’t get your hopes up,” she said. “Your thoughts about my ass were just really loud.”

  She spun on her heel to take off again when Joseph saw the glow of green eyes in the woods on the other side of her.

  He instinctively amplified his vision to see what was hiding, and drew power to his eyes to turn night into day.

  A sgath was there, lurking in the darkness.

  It leapt toward her.

  Chapter 33

  Lyka felt Joseph’s burst of panic and knew instantly she was in the way. She wasn’t sure how she knew that, but she followed her instincts and dove to the side, away from his swinging blade.

  Moonlight bounced off steel and muscles gleaming with sweat. Shirtless Joseph was a wonder to behold, complete with the kind of potent strength that made a woman’s knees turn to liquid, along with the rest of her.

  The new leaves on his lifemark were shiny, though she had no idea how that was possible. They trembled with the force of his blow as he jumped into the air, meeting the charging sgath head-on.

  His sword sliced one leg off the demon. It howled in pain and skidded to a clumsy stop, where it began licking the blood flowing from its wound.

  Joseph didn’t pause for a second. He walked right up to the thing, half-naked and deadly, and finished off the demon in one hard stroke. Its head flew into the woods, coming to rest at the base of an old oak tree.

  Two more demons charged in, and he dispatched them with the same brutal efficiency.

  Lyka hadn’t even made it to her feet yet before the whole thing was over.

  She’d seen a lot of men fight, but none had the same kind of controlled grace that he did. Slayers were much more emotional when they fought—filled with a feral kind of berserker rage—but Joseph’s mind had been completely calm the whole time. At least it had been once he knew she was out of harm’s way.

  He was fast, powerful and nearly silent in his attacks. Hell, the man wasn’t even breathing hard.

  He offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet.

  “That was beautiful,” she told him.

  He lifted a dark eyebrow. “Beautiful?”

  Embarrassment washed over her. She shouldn’t have said such a thing. Men didn’t want to be beautiful. They wanted to be handsome, masculine.

  Joseph was all of that, too, but she was always stunned by the way he fought, as if he had all the time in the world.

  It was so freaking hot, she just wanted to run her hands over him and feel that strength firsthand.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “I’m getting a weird vibe from you.”

  “Then stop poking your nose in where it’s not welcome. We’re almost there.”

  He cleaned his sword and motioned for her to lead on.

  At least now she had her back to him, so he couldn’t see her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She had no idea what was wrong with her or why seeing him fight had suddenly rattled her so deeply, but it definitely needed to be fixed. Fast.

  Lyka led him the rest of the way to their temporary hiding spot. She hadn’t been in this tree house since she was a child, but it had been kept in good repair, used by Slayer young who, like her, had needed some time alone away from the settlement.

  The climb was longer than she’d remembered, and her muscles were burning by the time she’d made it all the way to the top of the rope ladder.

  Joseph crawled up through the trapdoor of the tree house right behind her. He pulled the ladder up so demons couldn’t make use of it, and shut the wooden door in the floor.

  They were alone now, relatively safe, and it struck her that if she had to be holed up with someone, she was glad it was Joseph. He was easy to be around and such an intense distraction, she was able to let go of her worries, if only for a few seconds at a time.

  Shadows draped across his face as he settled back against some cushions that had been left here recently. He was such a powerfully built man, with the kind of broad shoulders that looked like they could carry the problems of the world. Smooth, tan skin stretched over his muscles, delighting her with the kind of masculine contours that made a woman remember just how differently men and women were built. And why.

  It was hard not to think about how well they fit together and whether she’d ever again allow herself the pleasure of his body.

  A breeze slid through the gaps in the wooden shell, stirring dust through the space. She could smell the scent of teens and the hormone overload they left behind. Beyond that was the darker, more mature scent of Joseph’s skin, luring her to reach out and touch, taste.

  “Hell of a climb,” he said.

  She spread out a couple of cushions to pad the wooden floor and stretched out on them. It eased her sore muscles, but did nothing for the deeper, hungrier ache growing in her abdomen. “The tree wasn’t this tall when I was a kid. Guess they had to get a longer ladder.”

  “I’m not complaining. Demons with enough claws might be able to make the climb, but we’ll definitely know they’re coming from all the heavy breathing.”

  It was dark inside the space, lit only by the glow of the rising moon.

  That’s when it struck her. The moon was full. That’s why she’d gone all mushy watching Joseph fight. That’s why she wanted him. This was the time of the month that Slayers became fertile and hormones ran rampant.

  Hers were about to get out of control. It was probably already too late, but once the moonlight hit her skin, she would be lost in need, desperate for sex from a man who lit her up.

  She’d never been with a man at this time of month before—at least not with one she wanted. Many of the Slayer males would lock themselves away until the full moon passed, rather than take a chance that they might ravish some unwilling female. And the women . . . they would band together, the older ones helping keep the younger ones in check until the need had passed.

  It was definitely an interesting time around the settlement, and not one she missed.

  But here she was, back home, trapped with a man that called to her senses, with a rising moon and little time to find some control.

  “What’s going on, Lyka? I can feel you freaking out.”

  “Just stay away. Don’t touch me.” She wanted him to touch her so badly, she nearly grabbed his hands and put them on her. And he was going to know it, too, if she didn’t find some way to keep her mental shields nice and high.

  “What did I do?” he asked.

  She closed her eyes to block out the concern on his handsome face, but it didn’t work. She could stil
l see him, all gleaming in the moonlight, his muscles the color of burnished bronze. Those broad shoulders of his would look so good between her thighs, and what his mouth could do to her while he was there . . . pure heaven.

  “Talk to me, Lyka, or I’m going to shove my way in your head. I feel you throwing barriers up. You’re not going to like what I have to do to tear them down.”

  She didn’t know if she was strong enough to keep him out or not, but what she was going through was private, for Slayers only to know.

  He pushed against her mind, trying to find some way in. The pressure made her head throb, and she knew she had to give him something or he was going to learn everything.

  “Tell me what’s going on,” he insisted.

  She hugged her knees and rocked. “Full moon.”

  Cool air blew past her. The fact that she wasn’t wearing panties—that they’d been shredded when she’d shifted—made it all that much harder to forget that her pink parts were steadily warming.

  “So?”

  “Promise you won’t fuck me.”

  His tone was the same as if she’d asked him to cut off his own dick. “Hell, no.”

  “I’m not ready to have young.”

  “Okay. Good to know. But I’m still not following why you’re suddenly freaking out about this now.”

  She opened her eyes and knew what he saw. Her pupils had lengthened as the animal in her prowled around, demanding that she take action and claim her mate.

  No, not her mate. He hadn’t been approved by the council. She might have tied herself to him for life, but that didn’t mean her people would approve.

  “Promise me you won’t touch me, no matter what I do. Even if I beg.”

  He shook his head. “I won’t make that promise. I will always give you what you need, Lyka. There’s no shame in needing me to touch you, comfort you.”

  He didn’t understand, but how could he? He wasn’t a Slayer. He’d never felt the consuming desire to give in to the needs of the flesh. To release the beast and let go.

  Moonlight shone through the narrow window, growing closer to the corner where she now cowered. “Just give me some space. Please.”

  He moved closer, intoxicating her with his scent, making her want with such desperate force, she was certain it would tear her apart. It was beyond arousal, beyond desire, causing her physical pain. The need had never been like this before, clenching her womb like a vise.

  She curled up on her side in the hopes of making it stop, but all it did was remind her that she was naked beneath Joseph’s shirt.

  Her mental walls began to crumble. She did her best to reinforce them, but she wasn’t experienced enough in such things to be sure her patches would hold.

  “Trust me,” he told her as he stroked across her mind, coaxing her to give him the knowledge he wanted. “Tell me how to ease your pain.”

  She hated it that he knew she suffered, that she was weak. She hated it even more that he was more than capable of taking away the pain. All she had to do was spill her people’s secrets to an outsider.

  “We’re bound now, Lyka,” he said as he pulled her into his arms. “Family. I’m no outsider.”

  He was so warm, so strong and solid. Just touching his skin seemed to ease some of the tightness in her chest.

  “Get out of my head,” she said, though her words lacked any real fire. How could she be angry with a man who was trying to offer her comfort?

  “Is it some kind of sickness?” he asked.

  “Call it temporary insanity.”

  “It looks more painful than that. How long does it last?”

  “Until the moon is no longer full.” Or until the fire is quenched.

  “Ronan will be here soon. I’m sure he’ll be able to ease you.”

  “No!” she shouted. Everything inside her rose in denial at the idea of another man touching her. Just the thought of the Sanguinar’s hands on her was enough to make her want to vomit.

  “Wow. Okay. Violent reaction noted. I’ll make sure Ronan keeps his hands off you.”

  She relaxed a little in Joseph’s embrace. His fingers stroked up and down her arms and across her back, soothing her enough to ward off the worst of the pain.

  “But we have to do something, Lyka. You’re in no condition to fight like this. And the chances of us being attacked out here aren’t exactly slim. You have to be able to run away, at the very least.”

  She couldn’t even think about that right now. Standing was inconceivable. Fighting was as likely as her flapping her arms to fly to the moon and giving it a good gut punch for making her miserable.

  “I’m sorry, honey,” he said, “but we really don’t have a lot of options. You’re going to have to trust me to help you.”

  “You don’t even know what to do,” she said between clenched teeth.

  “Maybe not, but your brother will. I’m calling him.”

  Oh, hell. The only thing worse than suffering through a violent storm of sexual need without relief was letting her big brother know it was happening. “He’s going to be dealing with his own issues right now. It’s a Slayer thing.”

  “Good. Then he’ll be able to tell me what to do.”

  Another wave of pain ripped through her, making every muscle in her body clench. She heard Joseph dial his phone, but there was nothing she could do to stop him. She couldn’t even find enough air to beg him not to make the call.

  Dark spots rippled in her eyes, adding more proof to the pile that she was in no condition to fight.

  “It’s Joseph,” she heard him say. “Lyka’s in pain. Some Slayer thing, she says. What do I do to help her?”

  Andrea’s voice came through the line, angry and indecipherable.

  “I can’t lock her in a room. We’re not at Dabyr. We’re out looking for Eric.”

  Joseph stroked her back as her muscles squeezed down to fit someone with a much smaller frame than hers. She tried to pant through it, but it didn’t do squat to help.

  “It’s a long story,” said Joseph. “All I need to know is what to do for her. She’s suffering. As her mate, it’s my duty to make it stop.”

  Joseph paused while Andreas went on a furious rant.

  “You knew this could happen when you sent her to me,” said Joseph. “You knew she was a Theronai and didn’t tell me. I’m the one who should be pissed that you hid what she was from me. She and I could have started bonding weeks ago.”

  Andreas’s rant continued, but he was losing steam fast, likely dealing with his own need.

  “No, it’s permanent. No way out.”

  After a few seconds, the tone of Andreas’s voice changed to one of weary acceptance.

  Joseph’s hand involuntarily tightened at the back of her neck. “Seriously? That will fix her?”

  “Yes.” The word came through loud and clear, and, instantly, Lyka knew her brother had ratted her out.

  Chapter 34

  Joseph had always known that the Slayers were private people, keeping to themselves and protecting their secrets with an almost cultlike ferocity, but even that hadn’t prepared him for what Andreas had told him.

  “You’re mated to my sister now, so you might as well know how to deal with this. It’s going to happen every time the moon is full, at least when she’s not pregnant.” The Slayer’s voice was tight with pain. “She needs sex.”

  “Seriously?” said Joseph. “That will fix her?”

  “Yes. If you do it right, it will. But she’s fertile now, so unless you’re both ready for young, wear a fucking rubber.” There was a muted groan of pain, as if he’d covered the phone with his hand.

  “Is that’s what’s wrong with you, too?” asked Joseph.

  “Yeah, but I’ll live. Just take care of my sister and you’ll live, too. I don’t like it that you let her leave the protective w
alls of Dabyr.”

  “Neither do I, but it wasn’t exactly my decision. She tricked me.”

  “Lyka is good like that.” He sucked in a sharp breath. “Gotta go, man. Hurt my sister, and I’ll kill you.” Andreas hung up.

  Joseph looked down at Lyka, who was doing her best to absorb her knees into her chest. Pain trickled out of her through the luceria. She was shaking, pale.

  He couldn’t stand to see her like this.

  “Andreas told me what to do,” he said.

  She opened one eye, revealing a narrow pupil and plenty of fury. “Keep your hands off. I’ll be fine.”

  She looked anything but, and even if she hadn’t, he could feel a little sliver of what she did.

  It wasn’t good. It reminded him far too much of the pain he carried around before she’d taken his luceria and freed him of it. The least he could do was return the favor.

  And if it got his hands on her sweet body in the bargain, then all the better.

  “I know why you’re afraid,” he said. “You don’t have to be. I’ll protect you.” If she wasn’t ready to have a kid, then he’d respect that. He didn’t have any condoms, but there were other ways to take care of her. “I won’t come inside you.”

  She looked up at him with a feral light glowing in her catlike eyes. “You don’t understand,” she said. “But you will.”

  And then she pounced.

  She shoved him back to the floor of the tree house in a move that was far more suited for combat than foreplay. She landed straddling his hips, her hot hands splayed across his naked chest. Her mouth covered his in a kiss so demanding, he could feel the air being pulled from his lungs. Her tongue thrust into his mouth, giving him a taste of wild need.

  The mental shields she’d been using to keep him out crumbled, and a torrent of emotions came spilling out. All the pent-up desire that had been rolling around in her for hours broke free and invaded him, becoming part of him.

  He was instantly hard, aching with the need to bury himself in her over and over.

  This was no gentle desire. It was all jagged angles and hot, sharp edges. There was nowhere to touch it without feeling its sting, and the only way to ease it was to give Lyka everything she wanted. This was her need, her lust. And he was going to sate it.