“Tomorrow we’ll clear you. All of that’s in the past. Even back then I knew you would never do something like that to a human.” She paused. “I thought we were getting clean so we could get dirty.”
“Of course, kitten; I’m sorry I’ve been remiss in my duties. You’ll have to move forward if you wish me to cleanse you properly.”
She complied, sighing when he moved the soapy washcloth over her skin. He started at her nape, leaving no part of her untouched with the exception of her face. An unfamiliar emotion unfurled inside of her like a flower. His gentle touch snuck through her lowered defenses and reawakened the girlish awe she’d held for him. Only now it was matured into an emotion she dare not think of. When he pulled away to clean himself without asking her to return the favor she was relieved. Thoughts of the cloth that ran over what she knew to be a lean sculpted body made her purr in the back her throat. The nails on her fingers lengthened as her hormone level spiked. She needed to get him between her thighs fast before she shifted.
“Mhmm, I smell you, kitten. You’re ready for me again. I’m a gentleman, so I never let a lady wait.”
“Then don’t.”
Feeling him rise from the bath and step out, she fought the urge to take off the blindfold to see his body. Her ears picked up the sound of cloth and then he was picking her up, wrapping her in a soft, fluffy towel and carrying her once more.
“Don’t believe in letting me walk?”
She laid her head against his chest as she felt him begin to walk. This was every adolescent dream he’d starred in come to life.
“Once again, just indulge me, kitten. You’re getting what you want. I am going to get what I want, right along with you.” He placed her on her feet, the back of her legs hitting the bed. She stood still, uncertain of his next move. Moments passed, the mutual escalation of their breaths the only sound. His voice acted like liquid honey, turning her bones into mush as he whispered to her.
“Stay right there. Don’t move.” A drawer opened near the bed and then closed. The hint of wisteria and vanilla wafted up to her nose, and she purred softly in pleasure. His warm hands cupped her breasts, rubbing the scented lotion into her skin.
Her hands traveled the length of his chest and again captured the back of his head. Unable to resist she allowed her slender fingers to tangle into the long strands of his hair and tug. He grunted, pulling her tight to him. His hardened cock was snug against her belly, and she reached for his dick. Skirting her advances, he danced away.
“No, querida.” She fell to the bed under his gentle hand on her shoulder and growled. Shoving her to the bed, he stepped back.
“Rafael!”
“Remember, I want you to learn what it’s been like for me to wait. Let the passion build up and take over until you can think of nothing else.” He placed a cool glass in her hand. “Drink. It’s a wonderful champagne. I massage, you drink and talk to me, sí? I want you to turn onto your stomach, facing towards the headboard.”
“Okay...” Her voice quavered. She took a sip, praying the liquid courage would melt away the stick embedded up her ass from being on guard twenty-four-seven and repressing her emotions. She flipped onto her stomach, facing away from him. The pillows were heaven as she propped up against them and took another drink. The light, fruity flavor coupled with bubbles tickled her mouth as it slid down her throat.
His hands were magical on her left calf, working the stiff muscles there. He found a pleasure point, kneading the flesh into submission, and she melted.
He grabbed her other foot, giving her other calf the same treatment. By God she couldn’t remember the last time she had been taken care of like this, if ever.
“Tell me, querida, what will you do with your newfound freedom?”
His hands continued to work their way up her thighs. The bed gave a bit and then his hands were back on her body.
There was silence as she contemplated. “I know it will sound a bit cheesy. But I want to run free. With no one watching me, reporting my every move back to Logan and timing how long I should take.”
“Ahh, freedom. It is a beautiful thing. “
Sanura moaned as his hands gripped her buttocks and manipulated her flesh gently, with a bit more pressure.
“The power one feels when shifted and running, it can be intoxicating.”
“Yes,” she said. “I do it often. It relieves the tension and stress, but it’s never the same as it used to be.”
“Mmm. What else will you do?”
“Just be. Wake up every day not knowing what’s going to happen or having any expectations outside of those I place on myself.”
“My poor Sanura, you’ve been trapped in a living hell. But they will regale you.”
“What about you?”
“Me, they will tolerate. Regardless of why I injured a human and brought tension to our people.”
“No.” She tensed. “I won’t let that happen. You’re a victim just like me and without you I couldn’t have done this. There were times when I walked the edge. One breath away from blowing the asshole straight to kingdom come, then I’d leave the house, or meet you out somewhere, and you’d talk me down from the ledge with that smooth baritone and waves of calmness you shared. You’re every bit of a hero I am.”
“I did what any man would do.”
“No. No one else could’ve gotten me through this.” His voice hitched.
“It’s my turn to ask questions. What will you tell them when you come back?”
“That I’ve grown stronger in my absence than they’d ever conceived possible. They are blind to how weak the traditions make them. It’s important to embrace the twentieth century, because other Prides have, and we both know they will exploit any weakness if it means their gain.”
“You sound like an activist.” The passion in his voice as he spoke of change was just as much a turn on as his capable fingers. She liked a man who knew his own mind, and she herself had said a dozen times the old ways needed a major overhaul. Not that her father ever listened. Perhaps with Rafael at her side things would begin to change.
“I like to think I am in a way, because I plan on dragging the Pride into the twentieth century kicking and screaming.”
“That’s … admirable. It’s what I’d like to happen as well.”
“Oh, there’s something about me you like?”
“There are many things I like about you.” That’s the problem.
“I’m pleased to hear that, kitten.”
“Don’t be.”
His throaty laugh made her hackles bristle. He wasn’t supposed to be amused.
“Don’t get tense now; you’ll ruin all of my hard work. Together we will do what needs to be done for our people to not only survive, but also thrive.” He lapsed into silence as he regained his ground in the battle to slay her stress, and she placed her face against the duvet.
“I’m all done.”
Her heavy eyes fluttered open an indefinite amount of time later as she fought against the blanket of sleep settling over her limp body.
“Let’s rest now, kitten, I think we could both use it.” Her words were muffled as her thick tongue stumbled, failing to form a coherent sentence. He lifted her with deft hands, placing her beneath the covers. He joined her a moment later, pulling the bed spread up over their shoulders as she curled her body and he snuggled against her.
Chapter Four
A full moon hung in the sky as Sanura walked the dry plains of her people. She was aware of her dreaming state, but there was an aura of power that said this was more than an overactive imagination. A chill ran down her spine as she paused mid-step to look behind her, expecting to see her father. He had the power to dream walk, but it was something he’d never done to her out of respect. Have my rash actions driven him to this? By now she’d be reported missing.
What she saw in the place where she’d expected her father made her heart race. Twenty feet away sat the most beautiful Puma she’d ever seen. The phero
mones he exuded left no question of the gender. His champagne-colored coat held a high gloss that shimmered under the moonlight. His powerful muscles and body language made him both regal and dangerous.
“I don’t understand,” she whispered, shaking her head.
Why was she seeing this? Sanura had less than a second to be surprised before her body was overcome with a spontaneous change. The fierce blaze ripped through her body, lowering her to the ground. Her ass waved in the air, begging to be filled, and her core was molten lava. Juices flowed forth and she whimpered, digging her claws in the earth to keep her mind grounded. This moment was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. The male sank his teeth down into the nape of her neck, drawing blood, and pierced her core with a hard, sure thrust.
“Oh!” She’d never understood the meaning of animalistic until the male took her from behind.
Each stroke took him deeper as he claimed her with a wild abandon she had no choice but to accept. His heavy paws were placed on either side of her body, his weight holding her to the ground. She was shaking in mere minutes and coming with a gush of liquid. Her mind was a kaleidoscope of colors as the door to her soul was ripped open by the magic being woven underneath the amber-colored moon. His seed was a cooling balm to her heat as he filled her to the brim.
She woke, gasping for air. The weight of her Latin lover’s body against hers a comfort from the dream walk she’d experienced moments before. The dream was so real! She lay there for a moment to gather her thoughts, but the ache would not ease.
Desire pooled within her, and she knew the only thing that could even come close to easing it was him. Speaking of which, one of his legs was placed over her body and his head lay on her chest. It felt as if he had claimed her in all ways, even in her sleep. Was nothing sacred? She needed to ease the wild ache that seemed never-ending.
“Wake up, Rafe. No more sleeping. I want you to finish what you started.” She felt him stir against her, his face nuzzling her neck.
“You’re enthralling, querida, and I won't deny you again.” He nipped her neck, giving it a long lick, sucking at the skin there.
She groaned softly, her hands moving to run up his chest as she arched into his mouth. She gave a sharp intake of breath as he flipped her to her stomach. Moving back from her his hand slapped against her ass, and she moaned.
“Now, kitten, on your hands and knees.”
Beyond words, she got onto her hands and knees. His large hands smoothed down her sides, nails raking along her skin.
“Rafael!” He buried his fingers between her thighs, and she gave a mewl of passion as two fingers encircled her clit.
Rafael kneed her legs wider and slid between them to mount her without ceremony. Within her in one clean thrust, he moved his hands up to hold her at the waist. He thrust deep over and over again, sinking teeth into the nape of her neck. She howled in pleasure. This was her dream made real.
As he pushed forward, she pressed her ass back against him, and they both groaned in unison as he went in even deeper, his cock pressing against her cervix. Her nails lengthened, and she gripped the duvet, arching her back as he sped up. Panting softly she felt the wild emotions of the dream overtaking her, and she submitted willingly to him in every way.
“More, give me more.”
The room was filled with the heady smell of pheromones. He growled low against her neck. Nipping at her skin, he left stinging marks of delight. His grip would have been bruising had she been other than what she was. His show of strength proved he was her Alpha.
The rhythm he set was a blur, and she fought her inner cat who wanted to play with him as well. He swelled within her, and she purred softly. Now he was thicker and longer. She gave a keening cry as their bodies melded into one. Her cervix opened for his essence, and she shuddered, her eyes closing beneath the blindfold as she gushed her need around him and he filled her full. The tingling sensation that started in her womb bloomed outward through every part of her body.
“Now this is called getting what you want and need, kitten. What we both want and needed.” The whispered words and his lips against her ear thrilled her.
He surged forward, going harder and faster. The call of the moon was upon her, and she had to resist the urge to shift.
Can you feel it, kitten? Our souls becoming one? She gasped. I can feel him, hear him in my mind. How can that be? It’s the sign of a mated pair! It wasn’t what they set out to do, but it’s exactly what happened.
“No.” The words tumbled from her lips as she trembled, instantly launching into denial. He was definitely speaking in her mind. She wasn't imagining it, which meant that he was her mate.
“How?”
Sanura didn’t dare trust herself to speak into his mind, as this was all too overwhelming. He cupped her breast, playing with her nipples. Is he going to ignore the question?
“Because I am your choice. I’ve always been your choice. It’s why you ran to me when you needed help.” His mind filled hers, sure and strong. Searching inside herself she knew he spoke the true. They’d been working their way up to this moment for years.
“Did you always know?”
“Not at first. But when I left it was like an internal GPS always telling me where to find you and if you were in trouble. It’s why I relocated to a place just across the state line from our pack. Far enough to appease them, but close enough to get to you if need be. We will meet our destiny head on and bring our Pride into this century and beyond.” He followed the statement with a bite that broke the skin. He bit, marking her as his, and took her with wild thrusts. His fingers slipped to her clit, plucking it, and just when she could not take any more, lights of vivid color exploded behind her eyes to reveal images of her cat and his as they had been in her dream.
Their bodies jerked simultaneously, and she heard him call out her name. Her real name. Not querida nor kitten, but Sanura. She struggled for air as they collapsed onto the bed, the pressure of his body against hers welcome as they remained connected and he continued to pulse within her. Side by side catching their breath, Sanura came into knowledge. I need to see his face!
Sanura snatched the blindfold over her head and scurried out of bed and to the light switch on the wall. With one click the room was flooded with light to show him sprawled on the bed naked with no shame. After all this time, he was hers! The one loved from her past and thought lost to her impossibly had been hers all along.
Her mind was flooded with the images of the handsome boy from her Pride. From the time she was twelve she’d had a terrible crush on the boy five years her senior, and when he’d mysteriously left them when she was fifteen she’d been heartbroken. At the time she’d been too young to understand what had prompted his departure. But now it all made sense. Her head tilted to the side as they studied one another.
“Would you have come back for me? If I hadn’t come to you when I discovered what Logan was doing? All that time we kept in contact and met up, you treated me like nothing more than an old friend.” There had always been something about him that called to her, made her want things her young mind wasn’t ready to comprehend.
“Yes, I would have, eventually. I had to figure out how to ingratiate myself with the Pride first. Your love for them is great. I didn’t want to separate you from that or your father. When you came to me it was the break I’d been looking for. Logan covered his tracks well. I needed someone on the inside. In my heart I’ve always thought of you as my mate. Mine, not his.”
“B-But why?”
“You know as well as I do, something potent has always existed between us. But you were far too young to explore the kind of relationship I wanted. So I bided my time and waited in anticipation of your eighteenth birthday, and then the incident occurred.”
“This is all too much,” Sanura whispered with a shake of her head. She’d come there to get away from Logan and to discuss what she’d found out, and instead ended up mated.
“How could you have known and I di
dn’t?”
“A gentleman never reveals his secrets.”
“Would a gentleman have fucked me senseless like you did?”
“Did you want a gentle fucking?” The grin he gave her made her wet all over again.
He eased from the bed, approaching her with caution as he she watched him through lowered lids. She held up her hands to ward him off, and he stopped just inches from her.
“I know the waiting was extreme, but I couldn’t risk you slipping up with Logan. If he’d drug me, what would he do to you?”
She sighed, tamping down the anger that threatened to rise at his deceit. He’d known all this time and hadn’t told her. On the other hand, he’d been trying to garner the information and to keep her safe at the same time. She’d put herself in harm’s way by pretending to be with Logan to find out information.
“No more lies from now on, Rafael.”
“Never again, you can feel the truth of my words through our bond if you look.”
Sanura grew silent, testing the waters of their newfound connection. She could find nothing deceitful within him. He meant every word he’d spoken. Through their link she could also see that he was in love with her and had been since they were younger. When he moved forward she allowed him to pull her into his arms and to carry her back to the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed with her in his lap.
“Where do we go from here?”
“Wherever you want, kitten. That’s the beauty of us. We make our own rules from now on. We will also go before our people and let them know what an asshole Logan is and what his plans are. We will also reveal our bond and that I’m your true mate.”
Sanura’s heart swelled with happiness, the burden she’d been carrying so long feeling a lot lighter now that he was in the picture and she knew they were mated. Rafael gave her freedom and pleasure, something she’d never dreamed to be possible. The small kernel of hope was also fueling love for him within her. She belonged with Rafael. As a child she’d known it, and now as an adult it was a reality. Though there was something that still bothered her and she needed him to know it.
The Bond Page 3