Leaning forward, he planted one hand on the bed next to her head and kissed down her back while slipping one finger inside her.
“Tahl,” she moaned, moving her hips back.
He nipped at her back and pulled his finger out. “Not yet, baby,” he crooned, sitting up and fisting his cock, rubbing the swollen head against her wet folds. He eased just the tip inside her and gripped her hips with both hands, giving himself a moment to grab hold of his control. She was so hot and wet and making little sounds that were maddeningly sexy. He didn’t want to stroke into her once and come.
Gathering his control, he thrust into her with one hard press until their bodies were flush together, and she let out a low groan. Pausing, he stroked his hands over her back.
“I love to see you like this, kitta, spread out for me.”
She moaned, and he eased out of her almost entirely, before sliding back into her slick core. He began to pound into her, his fingers digging into her hips as he held her tightly. He could feel himself drawing close to the edge.
“Touch yourself, baby. Make yourself come,” he growled.
Her hand clenched on the blanket and then relaxed, sliding down the bed before disappearing underneath her body. Her body bucked as her fingers began to move over her clit.
“Ah, Tahl,” she moaned, squeezing her eyes shut as her body grew tense.
“Come, Tera, come now,” he demanded, nearing the point when he wouldn’t be able to hold back.
Her body jerked and she wailed, “Tahlon!”
He roared his pleasure to the ceiling, driving himself deeply into her as his cock spasmed over and over, and her pussy clutched him like a vise.
Overcome with the need to mark her, to make sure that everyone knew that she belonged to him, he sank his teeth into her shoulder, his fangs elongating as his cock spasmed inside her. She cried out, her voice raw with passion, her pussy clenching his cock. Pulling his teeth from her shoulder, he stroked his tongue across the mark. He dropped to his back on the bed with a groan, already missing the tight, wet heat of her body. She moved to him, draping her body half across his with her head tucked against his shoulder.
Slowly, in the silence of the bedroom, their hearts stopped racing and their breathing returned to normal. He stroked his hands up and down her back.
“Baby, when I break from the ambush tomorrow, there isn’t anything that they can do that will keep me from you.”
She lifted her head and looked at him.
“Tahl, I love you.”
Cupping her face, he kissed her. “I love you, too, Tera.”
Her eyes shone with unshed tears, and she sniffled and laid her head on his shoulder, taking in a deep, slow breath and letting it out on a sigh. He could feel the tension in her body and knew that worries plagued her mind. He wasn’t immune to worrying over what would happen tomorrow, but he knew that no matter who he was chosen to fight to break out of the ambush, no one would keep him from returning to Tera’s arms and the new life that awaited him in Ohio.
“You’re mine forever, love. Nothing will ever keep us apart. I swear.” He’d never spoken more truthful words.
Chapter 7
Late Friday evening, after a meal of boxed macaroni and cheese and frozen pizza that Melo had put together from Tahlon’s meager kitchen supplies, Tera left Tahlon in the bedroom to pack and found Melo in the second bedroom. The room was nearly empty, with only a stripped bed and small dresser in one corner. He was standing in the center of the room and staring at one bare wall. She could see a faint rectangular outline on the beige wall, showing that something had hung there so long that the sunshine had faded the area around it.
He looked at her when she walked in and motioned for her to join him, and she slid into his embrace. After a few moments of silence, he said, “Tahl and I were raised in an ambush in Europe. Our mother, Cecily, had me when she was only sixteen. Fifty years ago, a woman didn’t just have a baby out of wedlock, even if she was a tigress, so to keep things proper, her parents forced her and our father, Paul, to get married by human standards and mated within the ambush. Our father ditched us when I was eight. I remember the night vividly, because Tahl and I were sitting at the top of the steps and listening to them scream at each other. Our father accused her of having me and Tahl to keep him tied to her forever, and she accused him of sleeping with every female in the ambush. He walked out that night and never came back, leaving the ambush and his family behind.
“A few weeks later, she took us to our grandparent’s house for a long weekend, and she didn’t return. Our grandparents never said for sure, but I’m certain that she never planned to come back. They told us that she was just taking a long vacation, and for a few months we bought it. But eventually it became clear that she’d abandoned us just like our father did. I still don’t know what happened to her or my father. She even cut off contact with her parents.”
Tera’s heart broke. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.
Melo stroked his thumb along her jaw and shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. Tahl and I were raised by our grandparents who love us very much. We had a crappy start of things, and it was hard as hell knowing that our parents didn’t want us, but we were lucky. We could have wound up in foster care, living with strangers.”
He wrapped both arms around her and kissed her forehead. “Our grandparents want to meet you. We’ll go to Europe this summer, if you’d like.”
She smiled. “I’d love to meet them.”
“Good.”
She said, “So you had to break your promise to the Europe ambush? When did you leave?”
“We were born into that ambush. When the time came to oath myself to the king and queen when I turned eighteen, I declined, so there was no promise broken. I stayed until Tahl turned eighteen, and we came here to the Florida ambush. At the time, Tiduaron was unmated and the ambush was much larger. He oversaw our training as warriors for the ambush. Then he mated Genevieve, and slowly the ambush began to shrink. I never really noticed it. It was so gradual, but she chased away the females so she could have all the males in her harem.”
“She’s selfish,” Tera said irritably. “She had no idea if those females were possible mates for the males in the ambush.”
“True, but I don’t guess she cared. She didn’t like the competition.”
Tera looked at the wall where Melo had been staring. “What was on this wall that you were thinking about so seriously?”
Melo grimaced. “The place was furnished when we moved in. Hanging on this wall was a painting of a woman holding hands with two children while they walked along a beach. I woke up every morning with the picture being the first thing I saw. After a while, it began to grate on me because I’d never known that kind of affection from my mother. I gave it away.” He smiled sadly. “I was just thinking now that if it was still there, I would imagine that the woman was you and the boys were ours.”
“Oh, Melo,” she sniffled. She hugged her arms around him tighter, resting her head against his chest where she could hear his heart beating steadily.
He smoothed her hair with his hand and pressed a kiss to the top of her hand. “You are everything I ever wanted in a mate, and someday, you’ll be the mother of our children.”
Lifting her head, she met his bright blue eyes. “I love you, Melo.”
His eyes widened, and then he smiled before saying, “Oh, sweetheart, I love, you, too.”
* * * * *
Saturday passed quickly. They ate breakfast out, since there was no more food in the house, and brought back sandwiches for lunch. Tera and Melo helped Tahlon pack up the remainder of the house, which they were leaving furnished. By two p.m., the SUV was stuffed full of boxes and bags.
Tahlon had been quiet most of the day, working silently beside her and Melo as they folded clothes and sorted books and CDs. The training arena was close enough to walk to, so they left a few minutes before three. The phrase “training arena” had conjured images in Tera’s mind of
something from the gladiator days, with a dirt and sand floor, high walls, and rows of seats where the ambush would watch the training. In reality, it was a large, wooden barn with roping that created squares like boxing rings. Weight lifting and boxing equipment was scattered around the perimeter of the four rings.
They stopped inside the large double doors of the barn and looked around. Both Tahlon and Melo tensed on either side of Tera, and she looked up at them in surprise.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, worry skating through her.
“The king has changed his mind,” Melo spoke low, and Tera looked where both of them were staring. One of the rings had a wooden contraption inside it. Made of thick beams, the wooden square had chains hanging from the top beam as well as wrapped around the bottom of the side beams. Thick leather cuffs were attached to the chains.
Confusion skated through her. “I thought you were supposed to fight?”
Across the barn, another set of doors opened. Men walked into the barn and circled the ring containing the wooden contraption. The king and queen, and one very tall man, were last to enter the barn. The male wore black leather pants and military-style boots and no shirt. His dark brown hair was caught back at his nape in a tail.
The trio stopped in front of them, and Tahlon looked at the male. Tera noticed a whip attached to his hip, and suddenly everything clicked in her mind.
“No!” She jerked in her horror, knowing that they meant to use the whip on Tahlon.
Tahlon shushed her, pressing his fingertip to her lips.
The queen sighed loudly. “Let’s get on with this, please. It’s stifling in here.”
Regret passed over the king’s face. “None of the males would fight with you for the leaving. I had no choice but to rend your promise with the whip. I would not have wished it so.”
“It’s your pleasure to do what you will with the ambush,” Tahlon said with a voice that was so void of emotion that it chilled Tera to the bone.
The king and queen turned and walked to the ring that was surrounded with more than twenty males. Tahlon looked at the man standing in front of them and said, “Jorah.”
Jorah said, “Without the king’s knowledge, the queen threatened the males able to fight you with expulsion from the ambush if they agreed to go against you.” He glanced over his shoulder and said resignedly, “She’s got him by the balls, and he’s not got a clue of what she does behind his back.”
Anger surged through Tera, and she snarled, “Why don’t you fucking tell him?”
Jorah chuckled. “Such a temper, little mouse. Only a male with a death wish would tell a tale to the king about his beloved mate.” He narrowed his eyes at Tera appraisingly, and said, “Some day I’ll find a mate who will charge the gates of hell on my behalf, as yours appears willing to do.”
Tahlon held Tera closer. “She’s worth everything to me.”
“Then let’s get you back into her arms as fast as possible.”
Tahlon nodded, and Jorah walked towards the ring. Tahlon turned to face Tera, pulling her tightly against him and laying claim to her mouth with a devastating kiss. He pulled away from her mouth and cupped her face, staring intently at her. “I love you, Tera.”
“I love you, Tahlon,” she whispered as her voice cracked with emotion. He pressed his lips to her forehead and stepped away, pulling off his shirt and handing it to her. She clutched it to her chest as Melo slipped his arms around her, and they watched Tahlon cross the floor and climb between the ropes of the ring where Jorah and the king stood.
The king cleared his throat. “When a tiger chooses to leave his or her ambush, an oath is broken. Our laws state that a broken oath requires the shedding of blood. Tahlon Thorne, you have been a member of this ambush for twenty-nine years, and as such, you will receive one lash for each year.”
Tera clapped her hand over her mouth, but it didn’t stop the sound from escaping. Twenty-nine lashes with a whip? What would that do to him? Melo held her tighter.
“It’ll be okay, sweetheart. Tahl will heal the wounds when it’s over, and he’ll be fine. There will be no lasting damage.”
Tears filled her eyes as she watched Jorah shackle Tahlon’s wrists to the top beam and his ankles to the two bottom beams. His limbs were spread apart so his body made an X. Jorah said something to Tahlon who nodded, and she saw Jorah pull something thick from his pocket.
“Melo,” Tahlon said a moment before he bit down on the object that Jorah held in front of him.
Tera looked up at Melo, and he moved suddenly, turning them both around so that his back was to the ring and his body blocked her view.
“Melo,” she growled, trying to move around him, but he tightened his hold.
“No, sweetheart. He doesn’t want you to see this.”
She tipped her head so she could look into Melo’s eyes and saw the worry and anguish in the blue depths. The whip cracked suddenly, and Tera’s heart broke right along with it, as tears clouded her vision. Melo held her closer, protecting her from the sight of Tahlon’s whipping, as crack after crack of the whip echoed in the barn.
Tera closed her eyes and thought of a spell she could cast that would give him peace. She began to whisper the words and only said a few when Melo’s hand clapped over her mouth. “Don’t dishonor his sacrifice by interfering, love. He would love you for what you want to do, but it wouldn’t be honorable.”
Tears spilled from her eyes as she nodded her head. Melo lifted his hand and drew her back against his body while the whip continued to crack. Her knees weakened, and she clutched at Melo, wondering how much more Tahlon could take.
It felt like an eternity passed. But it could have been hours or even mere minutes. She didn’t know because time had lost all meaning to her.
“It’s done, sweetheart,” Melo said gently, turning them both.
She gasped in horror at the sight before them. Tahlon’s body was limp, hanging from the shackles. Blood pooled on the ground underneath him. The king and queen and the rest of the ambush filed out silently, but not before the queen met Tera’s gaze and smiled wickedly.
“We need to help him,” Melo said, and they rushed forward. Tera could hardly see through the tears as she stumbled after Melo. Melo and Jorah released Tahlon’s bonds, and Melo caught him as he fell forward.
“The king said he’s not to shift for two hours to complete the leaving. You can stay in here, or I can help you transport him to your home.”
“Let’s get him home,” Melo said.
Tera followed behind as the two men carried Tahlon between them. His back was a raw, bloody mess, and the sight of it made her want to throw up in terror and scream in rage, but she did neither. Squaring her shoulders, she wiped at the remaining tears on her cheeks and settled her wild emotions. Tahlon had shown an incredible inner strength to go through the whipping without showing fear. Even before it had started, his mind had been on her and her well-being, not on his own. Melo had said it was honorable to suffer through this. She could honor Tahlon by being supportive instead of a weepy mess. By the time she moved ahead of them to open the front door, she’d brought her emotions under control. Racing into the house, she pulled the comforter from the bed in Tahlon’s room and stretched it out on the floor. It would get bloody, but better the comforter that could be thrown away than the mattress.
They laid Tahlon on his stomach on the floor, and he groaned. Tera knelt next to his head and lifted his hand, gently kissing each finger. She leaned down and kissed his temple.
“I love you so much, Tahl. You’re the strongest man I know.”
His eyes cracked open a fraction, and he whispered with a hoarse voice, “Love you.”
She asked Melo to bring her a bowl of cold water and a cloth. He set it beside her, and she touched the water, finding it lukewarm and not cold.
“Do we have any ice? His forehead is burning up.” She looked up at Melo where he stood with Jorah, looking down at Tahlon.
“No, sweetheart, sorry.”
She hummed in her throat and called upon her power, hovering her hand over the bowl and willing the temperature of the water to cool. It only took a small amount of power, but the electric feel of her water power coursing through her rejuvenated her spirits.
She dipped the cloth into the bowl that was now ice cold and wrung it out. Melo knelt down next to her and put his finger into the water and exclaimed, “Shit, that’s cold. How did you do that?”
Laying the folded cloth over Tahlon’s forehead, she smiled at Melo. “My power is over the element of water. Changing temperature is a small thing. I just willed the water to chill, and it did. The older I get, the more control I’ll have over water.”
Melo said, “Our kitta is one special woman.”
She smiled at him, re-wetting the cloth and pressing it to Tahlon’s forehead.
“I’ll stand watch outside, Melo, until the two hours have passed and he can shift,” Jorah said after clearing his throat.
“Thanks.” Melo nodded, straightening.
Jorah looked at Tera for a quiet moment and then said, “I know you don’t believe me, but Tahlon is my friend. I bore the whip because I knew I could do it without permanently marking or injuring him.”
She watched him walk towards the door. “Jorah?”
He looked over his shoulder at her, stopping with his hand on the door.
“Thank you.”
He nodded and disappeared out the door, shutting it softly.
For two hours, Tera tended to Tahlon as best she could. She didn’t offer to heal him, because she knew that it would be against the rules of the ambush and she didn’t want Tahlon to think she would always take the easy way out. He slipped in and out of consciousness.
A Twitch of Tail (Wiccan-Were-Bear) Page 7