by Emma Dean
He slowed down their movements so she could catch her breath and he leaned into her space, his entire arm across her back and embracing her. “At first I was angry that the universe gave me a human mate,” Caleb admitted, his breath tickling her ear and she shivered. “But only because of what happened to my family, to the strong females in my pride. If I couldn’t protect them, how could I possibly protect you?”
Piper held his neck and pulled her head back so she could look into his face. “How do you feel now?”
“I’m still angry the crocs won’t let this blood feud go, and that now they’ve brought my unsuspecting human mate into it just so they can curse my pride. But ever since you threw that book in my face I’ve been in love with you – even if I don’t know you very well.”
Caleb whipped her into another dramatic dip and she stared up at him with her mouth open in shock.
Did she love him? How could she when they hardly knew each other? But emotions didn’t have to make sense – and they rarely ever did anyways even without things like mate bonds. Tango had taught her that.
As they moved across the floor she didn’t have to ask him anything else – not with words. Tango was about power and vulnerability. His body asked hers a question and she answered with a flick of her foot or complicated footwork that intertwined with his before he paused to caress her face and then all the way down her body.
Piper felt it in her blood – in her bones. It was passionate and intimate. Caleb’s hips against hers and the slow movements asked her to be patient, to feel what he was feeling – and she pressed as close to him as she could while he did what he wanted with her body.
The song and the dance and Caleb absolutely consumed her – it was like love at first sight – that’s what the tango felt like with someone whose body meshed with hers, who dominated her, yet gave her the room to add her own style and flare.
When Caleb spun her out there was a moment as she flicked an arm up and looked back at him, she could see the fire and love in his eyes. The mournful strains of the tango song asked them to pause and then give themselves over to the sensation of fiery passion.
Caleb wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped backward, dragging her forward before whipping her to the side and his strength left her utterly breathless. Never had a partner been so perfect for her – so in tune with her and she with him. He barely had to move his hand for her to know what he was suggesting.
Piper caressed his leg with her foot in a brief moment of respite before he led her in a quick promenade across the floor. The music was compelling and haunting with an unearthly violin she felt really reminded her they were in the paranormal world and not the human one.
Normally the tango was barely restrained passion, but with Caleb – she burned alive with it.
The song ended and he kicked her up in a bit of flair before dropping her into a split dip and somehow she knew that was exactly what he wanted from her without any practice at all. She breathed heavy with her back arched ,looking up into his face as glittering lights above them framed his entire body.
Without even trying he pulled her up and then his lips were on hers, hands in her hair as he led them through a sweet, slow salon tango. Not once did Caleb’s lips leave hers as he pivoted them slowly, dragging her foot behind them elegantly. His arms were wrapped around her waist and the proper form had gone out the window as he loved her with his body.
Because that’s what it was. She could feel the emotion pouring from him – and it was impossible for his actions to lie to her in this moment, this dance she knew so well.
Caleb slipped his tongue in her mouth and she couldn’t stand it any longer. Piper took his hand and led him off the dance floor, telling him to follow her this time. His gaze ate her up as he did as she asked – a give and take.
Piper needed him in ways she didn’t really understand, but her body was on fire and it burned with a need that had been building for days. And she planned to make him do something about it.
Chapter Eleven
Caleb
Piper threw a look at him over her shoulder and Caleb felt his blood boil and then rush to his dick.
Ever since he’d found out she tangoed Caleb had been hoping to ask her to dance. It was one of the few things he could do with his body that wasn’t destructive. But what was the chance the opportunity would arise before she ended up hating him?
Then the Beltane Ball invite fell into their lap. He would be the first to admit he’d been selfish when he’d insisted he be the one to take Piper.
Because it did make him a little jealous to see how easily she’d fallen in with Xavier and Niko – though those two always knew they’d be part of the same triangle. They also didn’t hold the same responsibilities he did. The weight on his shoulders was crushing. Caleb was the Alpha of a dying pride and Piper was their first shred of hope in a long time.
She was also a curse.
Fucking pharaoh’s blood of all things. Damn witches and crocs just needed to leave him and his alone.
“Where did you learn to dance like that?” Piper asked as she pulled him through the tables.
Caleb yanked back and spun them until her back was against one of the walls in the dark ballroom. The curtains hanging down from the ceiling to give the space that extra bit of decoration hid them from prying eyes. The dancing witchlights made his mate’s eyes glitter and glow. He pressed against her, hard as a rock, and nipped her neck.
“I own the best dance school in Crescent City which isn’t saying a lot. I opened it after I got back from the Middle East.”
His hand slid up her bare thigh – that naughty slit giving him so much room to touch and play. Piper gasped and he could barely keep from groaning. Caleb wanted to rip her dress off and take her now. Dancing with her had been a phantom of what it would really be like to be inside her.
Piper wasn’t just a queen, she was a fucking goddess and he wanted to worship her.
Caleb dropped down to his knees and nuzzled the apex of her thighs over her dress. Instantly her hands buried into his hair and tightened. It only made his desire worse.
“We’re in the middle of a ball,” Piper hissed. “Get up.”
So he did. Caleb hooked her knee over his shoulder and then stood, lifting her up with him. The witches always planned for such things with their enchanted food and drink. He ran his hand along the wall while he carried her, still rubbing his face against her. God, she wanted him and Caleb could barely fucking stand it.
There it was. He tapped the orb and a door to a room slid open. It was a special bit of magic that allowed for hidden spaces. After all – the coven owned the ballroom. Caleb wrapped his hands around Piper’s thighs, gripping them hard while she pressed against his face, rolling against him while he teased her.
Caleb was the first to set eyes on their mate, and he’d be the first to truly taste her.
Gently he laid Piper down on the bed covered in black silk. She looked shocked to see the room, but didn’t question it. Instead those beautiful eyes were round with surprise and anticipation as she watched him.
For the first time in a long time Caleb smiled. It was because of her that he could let go, even just a little. Christ how long had it even been since the last time he’d danced?
He pressed a kiss to the inside of her bare knee and pushed the dress up as he trailed his lips along her leg. Then he knelt on the floor and yanked her towards him. Her tiny gasp, the sound of her heart beating wildly, and the scent of her arousal on the air was exactly what he needed from her.
With a growl Caleb ripped her panties off in one smooth motion, revealing her swollen pussy to him. He couldn’t hold back the grin this time and he pounced, licking long and slow from the bottom of her slit to the top. When his tongue flicked her clit Piper moaned and she bucked against him.
Caleb was so hard it physically hurt, but he’d been in real pain before and this was nothing he couldn’t handle. He would take his time and enjoy her, making sure
she enjoyed him.
He was on his knees before her, worshipping her with his tongue, and Caleb knew that even though he was the Alpha, she was the queen. Queen of the Klamath Mountain Pride sounded fucking perfect.
He spread her legs farther apart, kneading her thighs as he slowly licked and laved, tasting the salty sweetness of her, like coconut milk. It made him want more and he growled as he sucked on her, listening to her gasps and moans to learn what she liked, what she needed.
“Caleb,” she murmured, trailing her fingers in his hair.
His name on her lips nearly made him lose control and take her right then and there. It had been too long since the last time and it wasn’t just a quick fuck in a club or hotel like he was used to. Caleb could feel what she felt to some degree; he could smell it filling the room. Not only that, he actually had feelings for her.
It was like the tango, his tongue dancing around her sweet folds, teasing her clit until she writhed beneath him. Her strength was surprising for a human woman when she nearly ripped the hair out of his head as she came for him.
Her screams could only be heard by him thanks to a bit of magic and he relished that more than anything. “Tell me what you want,” he growled, licking her one last time.
She was panting on the bed, eyes wide as she looked up at him with her pupils completely dilated. “What?”
Caleb stood and took a step back so he could see all of her. Those red shoes and that magical lipstick…slowly he slipped his jacket off and tossed it on the black velvet chair in the corner. “Tell me.” Then he removed his cufflinks. “What you want.” Caleb unbuttoned his shirt as he waited for her response, enjoying the way she watched him.
As Alpha he was the most dominant and powerful male in the pride. But the way Piper looked at him – it made him feel powerful in a completely different way.
She bit her bottom lip and hiked her skirt all the way up and over her hips. The sight made his mouth water and Caleb groaned as his dick throbbed. “I want you to make love to me,” she whispered. “Show me how you feel.”
He could definitely do that.
His shirt went on top of his jacket and Caleb slipped off his shoes and socks. His belt went next and Piper spread her knees apart for him, ready and trusting. He climbed onto the bed and left a trail of kisses from her ankle up her leg and then pressed one to Piper’s clit before licking the curve of her hip.
Caleb ran his hands over her silky skin. She wanted him to make love to her – to show her what he couldn’t say with words, not like Xavier or Niko could. His hands skimmed over her stomach and breasts until he was leaning over her, untying the top of the dress. Caleb was desperate to see her, to take all of her in.
She let him pull the top down and off her arms so only the necklaces were left. His gaze caught on her dark nipples. Caleb palmed one breast and leaned down to lick the other, being as gentle as he possibly could. Then he ground against her so she could feel how hard for her he was.
Soon he would be buried inside her.
Caleb kissed her breast, still rolling and kneading the other while her hands explored the planes of his chest. The noises she made were the best kind of torture. He kissed the pulse in her throat, feeling the spark of magic from her necklace warm him.
It was nothing to wrap his hands around her waist and lift her up so she was higher on the bed. Then she yanked his pants down and his cock sprang free, pressing up against his stomach – that was how hard he was. Piper looked down and reached for him. Her soft, small hand on his skin nearly made him lose his control again.
But Piper was human; he had to be careful with her. She was more fragile than glass and so precious. Caleb leaned down onto his forearms so he didn’t crush her, settling between her thighs. Her sea-green eyes were so bright they practically glowed in the dimly-lit room.
Christ she was gorgeous. He brushed a curl from her face and rubbed his dick against her, gauging her reaction. Her lips parted and she gripped his shoulders so tight he felt her nails score his back and the pain felt almost as good as her hot pussy against his cock.
“You’re my mate, Piper,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss that sinful mouth of hers. Her lips were so full and she tasted like nothing he’d ever had before.
This gorgeous woman who was so incredibly sweet, gentle, kind, and unique. Never in his life had he ever met anyone – shifter or human, who had such incredible curiosity about the world, paranormal or not. He never wanted her to lose that wonder.
“And you’re mine,” she whispered against his lips. “Now put your dick inside me before I roll you over and do it myself.”
The dirty talk made him chuckle. Caleb had no doubt she’d follow through, but he needed her underneath him right now. He needed to protect her body with his.
Putting most of his weight on one arm, Caleb adjusted so he pressed up against her entrance and the slight resistance was fucking delicious. He slowly eased inside of her, breathing carefully so he didn’t fucking lose it after only one thrust – but damn, she was tight as hell despite how wet she was.
Her groan against his mouth nearly ruined the moment and he gripped her hip tight enough to bruise, trying to keep a fucking handle on the situation, but she was so close already. Her walls pulsed against him, milking him even when he paused to catch a breath.
“Any day now, Caleb,” she gasped, looking right into his eyes.
It was too much. He couldn’t take any more of her sass. Thrusting the rest of the way into her until he was hilt deep was exactly what he’d needed. Her nails ripped through his skin as she moaned, arching her back into him.
It took everything he had not to bite down on her neck and claim her. Caleb stroked in and out, feeling her tighten around him until she was right on the edge. “Come on baby, come for me again,” he murmured against her ear.
“Caleb,” she whispered, and then she shattered around him.
The sensation of her orgasm had him roaring, pounding into her until he came violently, filling her completely. She’d taken everything from him and Caleb couldn’t be happier. He kissed her again, softer this time and with less teeth. The sensation of her skin against his was soothing.
Caleb never wanted to leave her.
Piper smiled up at him, tracing the line of his jaw, his goatee, and then slid her fingers into his hair. She pulled him down so they were hugging. He was careful to keep most of his weight off her, but the simple act seemed to suck all the poison out of his soul.
The stress he’d carried every day since he was fifteen and named Alpha, the pain tattooed on his heart when his entire family had been burned alive, it all seemed to ease with her little touches and the bond between them.
“I want to see you shift,” she whispered.
It was so unexpected Caleb laughed and sat up so he could see her face. He tapped her nose and then couldn’t help himself. Kissing her was essential now, like breathing. “You want to see my cat form?”
She nodded and then grinned up at him. “If that’s okay.”
Carefully he slid out of her and was pleased to see she didn’t seem embarrassed, or to regret what they just did.
The room was stocked with all the essentials. Caleb grabbed a warm, wet cloth from the bathroom and cleaned up. Then he got another for her. She didn’t even bother cleaning up or fixing her dress.
“You aren’t going to distract me. I want to see you as a kitty cat.” The determined glow in her eyes made him grin.
Caleb let out a breath and then shifted, dropping to all fours. Her gasp told him she was intrigued, but not afraid. He prowled around the room, giving her time to see all of him, to see his size and strength. Then he jumped up on the bed and rubbed against her face.
Piper laughed and sank her fingers into his fur. It felt so good he fell to the side, careful not to crush her. Caleb lay out on his side so she could scratch more of him and he watched her with half-closed eyes.
She turned so she faced him and ran her fingers over every inc
h of him, even the pads of his paws. Caleb had never let anyone touch him in his cat form before and this was oddly sensual – relaxing.
“You’re adorable,” Piper told him. “Not quite the teddy bear inside my father is, but definitely fluffy and cuddly.”
He grumbled at the word ‘adorable’ and placed his paw on her shoulder. She laughed as it pinned her to the bed and she couldn’t move no matter how hard she struggled. “Strong and powerful, but definitely beautiful.” Piper traced one of his spots and Caleb stood, shaking himself.
It was a bit much for him and he needed to be able to talk to her.
Suddenly he was naked again and she got up on her knees, running her hands over his legs, his sides, and then they rested on his pecs and the way she looked up at him had his heart pounding. “You’re beautiful in both forms, Caleb. Thank you for sharing the other with me.”
He traced her bottom lip and wondered how long this would last. Would he be able to save her from the crocs? If he couldn’t, Caleb knew it would break him. “I swear to you I’ll give my life for yours before I let them take one drop of your blood.”
Her fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck and she breathed him in. “I believe you. This mate thing goes both ways though. I can feel it even if I don’t understand it. And Caleb, I won’t let them hurt you or the pride.”
The finality of her statement scared him. Caleb had so much to learn about Piper, but he knew this girl didn’t lie. Never once had she tried to hide anything from them. What the fuck would she do to keep that promise?
“We should go,” he told her.
Piper kissed him, just a soft peck that left him wanting more. Then she went to the bathroom and started cleaning herself up, fixing her dress, carefully pinning her curls back up, checking her lipstick…if he was lucky he’d get to watch her do this for the rest of his life.