Binding Ties

by Shannon K. Butcher

  She was naked beneath his shirt, and so scorching hot and wet, it was a wonder she didn’t burn him. Her deft fingers had his fly open in seconds, and an instant later, she was sliding her tight, slick pussy down over his erection.

  He let out a rough groan and tensed every muscle in his abdomen to keep from coming right then and there.

  She rode him in long, slow glides that had every inch of him sliding out and back in again. Then, when he was seated fully inside her, she rolled her hips until his cock hit a spot that made her breath catch in her chest.

  “I need it,” she demanded. “Don’t you dare hold back on me.”

  He wasn’t sure what she meant, so without thinking, he slid into her mind as easily as he had her body.

  This was the first time he’d come across this part of her. It was more animal than woman, guided solely by instinct and urge. It was ferocious and hungry, unwilling to take no for an answer.

  It wanted his seed. It wanted him to breed her. Give her a child.

  The idea that part of her felt that way gave him a visceral thrill, but he knew better than to let it go to his head. It wasn’t what Lyka wanted. She wasn’t ready. She’d been very clear. Whoever—whatever—was in charge now, it wasn’t the woman he loved, the one he’d promised to protect.

  And that was exactly what he was going to do. He’d waited centuries for children of his own. He could wait a little while longer—as long as it took for her to be ready.

  “You can’t deny me,” she said as she unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it away from her breasts. “I know what you really want—the binding tie of a child uniting us as one, a sweet little life in your arms to protect and raise to be kind, strong and noble. Your eyes looking back up at you.” She brought his hand up to her abdomen and held it there. “I know you want to give that to me. I’ve felt your desire running deeper than even you realize. You’ve waited so long.” She leaned down and slid her tongue across the outer rim of his ear and whispered, “You don’t have to wait any longer.”

  She made use of the luceria, sending him an image of him holding their child.

  The instant, potent emotional reaction that caused in him was completely unexpected. He needed what she showed him. Craved it. He hadn’t realized until now just how long he’d been rejecting the notion as impossible. Not only had there been no woman in his life, but also all of the Theronai males had been cursed with infertility. A child of his own was an impossible dream.

  Until now.

  “That’s right,” she said, her tone coaxing as she lifted her hips and slid back down onto him again. “Give me what we both want. Give me a child.”

  She began to move in earnest, riding him with purpose. He was bathed in her slick heat, and every nerve ending was lit up with pleasure.

  His hands spanned her waist, urging her on. She dug her fingernails into his chest and tossed her head back with abandon. Delightful, sexy noises echoed against the wooden walls, reminding him of just how beautiful she sounded when she came.

  He needed to hear that again.

  Her breasts jiggled, begging for his attention. They filled his hands perfectly, her hard little nipples grazing against his palms. He had to taste, so he rose, arched her back against his arm and drew one nipple into his mouth.

  Sweet heaven, and the moan his suction pulled from her went to his head. His cock jerked inside her, demanding more.

  He rolled her over onto the cushions and pulled one sleek leg over his shoulder.

  She let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a command. “More.”

  With each stroke, he drew closer and closer to orgasm. His skin tingled, his balls drew up tight and sweat broke out along his spine.

  If he didn’t stop her now, he was going to lose control and fill her with his seed. And why not? It’s what she wanted, what she’d begged him for. Wasn’t it?

  You don’t understand. But you will.

  That’s what she’d been trying to warn him about. Whatever the full moon did to her, it was artificial—some bizarre Slayer insanity that would pass. And when it did, her life could be altered forever if he didn’t protect her.

  Joseph gritted his teeth and pulled his cock from her body before he lost himself in the moment and forgot what she really wanted. “I have to stop now, before I can’t.”

  Lyka went berserk. She screamed in frustration and came at him, launching herself from the floor.

  “You will fuck me, Theronai,” she growled.

  His erection was in wholehearted agreement, but he was too busy controlling her body to give in to it.

  He didn’t want to hurt her, but she was strong. It took all his combat ability to pin her to the floor without breaking bones or skin.

  “You don’t really want this,” he told her, giving her a little shake.

  “I need it. Please.” Her fury turned to desperation and left tears pooling in her eyes. “It hurts.”

  He couldn’t stand to see her cry, see her in pain. Not his Lyka. He’d made a vow to protect her, and if that meant never coming again, then he’d find a way to do that, too, no matter what it cost him.

  Her arms were pinned by her ears. His body held the rest of her down. She was squirming beneath him, but it had migrated from a way to escape to something sinuous and needy.

  He didn’t dare let go of her, for fear she’d attack him again. The last thing they needed was for someone to draw blood and alert every demon for miles that there was prey up in this tree. But he also couldn’t simply hold her down for the rest of the night.

  “I’m going to put you to sleep,” he told her. “Don’t fight me. Just let go. I’ve got you.”

  “No. Please. Don’t leave me like this. The dreams . . .” She swallowed hard, and her pupils narrowed in fear. “The pain.”

  He touched her mind just enough to get a hint of what she meant, and wished he hadn’t. Pain had been part of his world for longer than he could remember. What she suffered now was shorter in duration, but more acute. He couldn’t leave her to deal with it on her own, not when he could ease her.

  She needs sex. That wasn’t exactly the kind of thing a brother would tell a man about his sister unless it was important.

  Joseph wanted nothing more than to give her what she needed. All he had to do was find a way to maintain control and keep all those pesky sperm of his to himself.

  She squirmed against him, grinding his hot cock against her soft belly. He nearly came right then, but managed to pull himself back from the edge.

  Joseph tightened his grip on her wrists so he could hold on to her if she tried to bolt. “Spread your legs, Lyka. I’m going to make you come.”

  She obeyed eagerly, writhing against him until their bodies meshed seamlessly. So fucking good. So perfect.

  He closed his eyes and savored being joined to her for a moment before he put on his game face.

  Joseph was a man on a mission. He used every bit of sexual skill he had to gauge her reactions and find just the way she liked it. Unfortunately, the way she liked it was also what worked for him, and he was biting his lip just to hold himself back while he pushed her toward release.

  She fought against his hold, but he didn’t dare let her up. Her pupils were elongated and that feral light was glowing in the depths of her golden eyes. The animal in her was steering the ship now, and he didn’t trust her not to do something she’d regret later.

  Her breathing sped and her heart pounded hard, making her pulse beat in her wrists. A pretty pink flush spread out across her face and throat. The little panting breaths she took became soft cries, wordlessly begging for more.

  Both parts of the luceria sparked in the darkness. The tiny strands of lightning joined forces in a miniature display in the air between them. Pale golden slivers of heat and light spread out over their skin, caressing them with tingling energy.

 
; She arched her body beneath his, catching and holding her breath as she did. Her pussy fluttered around him, and her abdomen clenched hard as she peaked. She cried out as her orgasm rushed through her in waves.

  Joseph had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. It was so fucking sexy, he felt his balls tighten in anticipation of release. He used every technique he could think of to keep from coming right along with her. Instead he kept doing what had set her off, stroking just the right spot, nice and deep inside her.

  Finally, as her body relaxed beneath his, he pulled out from her silken depths and let go of his seed, spilling it onto her soft stomach. His orgasm went on for fifty years, and by the end of it, he could barely hold up his head.

  He rolled to his side, keeping hold of one of her wrists in case she decided to go all wildcat again.

  “I’m okay now,” she said, a little breathless. “The storm has passed.”

  It took him a couple of minutes to catch his breath. “For how long?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never gone through the need before with a man. It’s hard to say how I’ll be with you.”

  “If it starts up again, I’m going to tie you up with my belt before you can draw blood.”

  “I understand,” she said, sounding a little regretful. “Do what you think you need to do. I trust you.”

  And she did. He could feel the truth of her words vibrating through their link.

  He rolled onto his side to kiss her, thanking her for such a precious gift, and saw the luceria had changed. It was barely swirling with colors, almost a solid band of shimmering, iridescent amber.

  He slid his finger over the warm band. “Soon you’ll be known as the Amber Lady,” he whispered, reverence in his tone.

  She lifted his hand to look at his ring and saw what he did. The strangest look crossed her face. “Pretty soon there will be no getting away from me, or you’re a dead man.”

  He smoothed her hair away from her damp forehead as he gently probed her thoughts. “That bothers you, doesn’t it?”

  Her mental barriers slammed into place so hard and fast, he was practically caught in them.

  “Stay out of my head,” she told him as she ripped a strip from the hem of his shirt and used it to clean away his semen.

  “I thought you trusted me.”

  “With my body, yes.”

  It wasn’t enough. He wanted all of her. All of her trust. Anything less would never be enough.

  “I’ll give you time,” he said, hoping he had the patience to follow up those words with actions. “But you need to learn to let me in before you’ll be fit for battle.”

  “You think I don’t know how to fight?” she asked.

  “You know how to fight like a Slayer.”

  “We Slayers have kicked our fair share of Theronai ass over the years. Don’t go getting all superior on me.”

  He was tired of her prickly side, tired of her showing him all those barbs when he knew what a sweet, kind woman was lurking beneath the surface.

  Rather than let her go on with her tirade, he rolled her back beneath him, where she seemed to let go of some of her aggression. “Have I hurt you? Have I belittled you or your people in some way I don’t know about? Have I disrespected you?”

  “Well, no, but—”

  “No, I haven’t. Why the hell do you insist on casting me in the role of the bad guy?”

  “Because I don’t want to be what you are. I want to be a Slayer. I want to be normal, like one of my own kind.”

  “And I don’t want to sit behind a desk all the time, making life-or-death decisions for thousands of people who don’t even know I exist. We all have our burdens to bear.”

  She stopped cold, blinking at him in shock. “You don’t like being leader of the Theronai?”

  “I want to help, but, yeah, I’d much rather be doing it with a sword than a pen.”

  “And now that we’re bonded? Will it be someone else sitting behind that desk, making those decisions while you and I go out and kick ass?”

  “My term isn’t up yet.”

  “What if someone else wanted the job?”

  “Anyone who would want the job isn’t fit for it. That’s why we volunteer one another—whoever gets the most votes loses.”

  She grinned at that. “How many votes did you get?”

  He let out a weary sigh. “All of them. Except my own. It was a conspiracy.”

  Lyka stroked his cheek. “They made the right decision.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I’ve played around inside your head, remember? I know the kind of man you are. Strong, smart, determined, selfless. They’re lucky to have you.”

  He wanted her to feel that way about being tied to him, but he didn’t dare voice his desire and look like some kind of a loser. She’d made it clear that being with a Theronai had been her last choice. She would have much rather been with a Slayer—a man she saw as her own kind.

  Rather than say something stupid, he settled with, “Thank you.”

  She frowned at him. “You don’t believe me?”

  “It’s not that. I’m just thinking ahead a little to how you’re going to feel once you’re grounded again.”

  “Why would I be grounded?”

  “Because I have to go home soon and do my job. Nicholas can only hold down the fort for so long before he’s going to want to get back out there and fight.”

  “Are you forgetting your promise to me—that I can leave Dabyr whenever I want?”

  “No. I just thought things would be different now that we’re bound. Theronai couples almost always stick together.”

  She squirmed out from under him. “And you assumed that I would stay there with you.”

  “Well, yeah.”

  Lyka shook her head, making her wild, golden hair dance about her shoulders. “I keep telling you, I’m a Slayer at heart. I can’t live cooped up like that for the next ten years.”

  In all the chaos of searching for Eric and the kids, Joseph hadn’t really stopped to think about what their life would look like after they found them. He knew she needed to feel free and that she wanted to fight, but until now those pieces hadn’t coalesced in his brain to form a solid conclusion: his mate was going to be miserable living his life with him.

  “I understand,” he said. And he did. He was going to have to choose between his duty to his people and his duty to his mate. He couldn’t break his vows to any of them, which left him only one option. “I can’t break the bond you and I have, but when this job is done and Eric and the kids are safe, you’re free to go. I won’t hold you at Dabyr against your will.”

  “What will you do?”

  “What I always do,” he said. “My duty.”

  Chapter 35

  Ronan tried several times to compel Justice to do his bidding. Each time, she did exactly as she pleased.

  He was a powerful creature, centuries old and with ancient and mysterious abilities. She was supposed to at least pretend to fight the magic he was working on her.

  “Will you stop!” she snapped at him as she drove over the backcountry roads like they were her own personal racetrack. “You’re pissing me off with all that buzzing in my head.”

  Ronan hadn’t dared let her out of his sight. He’d insisted that if she wanted the demon delivered to Joseph, she was going to have to be the one to do it. And the only way she could was if he guided her to the meeting point.

  Surprisingly enough, she’d relented, agreeing to drive while he navigated.

  “Who are you?” he asked. “Where did you come from?”

  She shot him a surly glance and readjusted her grip on the steering wheel. “Are we there yet?”

  “Almost. You didn’t answer my questions.”

  “No. I didn’t.”

  “Will you?”


  “No. I won’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Listen, vampire,” she began.

  “Sanguinar. Not vampire.”

  “You stalk the night, drink blood, are all pale and far too pretty for your own good. If the shoe fits . . .”

  “Too pretty?”

  “Sorry. Did I step on your pretty little vampire toes? Should I have called you handsome?”

  He would have enjoyed that. Instead, he was unsure of what she thought of him, and that made him flounder in insecurity. Did she like the way he looked? He certainly loved looking at her.

  “Take a left at the next intersection,” he said.

  “You didn’t answer my question.” She shot his words back at him with a mischievous glow lighting her silvery green eyes.

  “You answer one of mine, I’ll answer one of yours.”

  A wide grin spread across her luscious mouth. “I love games. But I get to go first.”

  “As you please.”

  “How are you able to find me?”

  “I drank your blood. It’s a part of me now. So are you. I’ll be able to find you wherever you go for as long as you live.”

  She shivered, and he had no idea if it was the good kind or the bad kind. “Does that upset you?”

  “Yes,” she said. “Next question.”

  “But it’s my turn.”

  “You just asked yours. You wanted to know if I was upset. I told you. Thus, my turn.”

  Clearly, he was going to have to be more careful in his dealings with this woman.

  “Is there any way to hide from you?” she asked.

  “No,” he said, being as curt as she’d been, with no explanation. “Why do you keep running from me?”

  “Because I really don’t want you to bite me again. It was . . .” She trailed off, leaving him squirming with curiosity.

  “It was what?”

  “Unsettling.” She turned where he’d indicated, putting them only a couple of minutes from their destination. “Next question.”