Enchantment (76 page)

She
sl
o
w
l
y
glided
her
hands
over
her
legs,
purp
o
se
l
y
dragging
her
nails
over
her
bare
skin.
A
dding
a
subtle
s
houlder
roll,
M
eeka
checked
her
bindings,
leaning
slight
l
y
fo
r
ward
to
reveal
a hint
of
cleava
g
e.
She
giggled
artless
l
y
at
the
dribble
of
water
trickling
down
her
face
to
rest between
her
breasts.
A
s
hudder
raced
over
her
at
the
i
c
y
touch.

S
m
irking,
she
e
y
e
d
the
two
m
en,
who
gaped
at
her,
j
a
ws
slack,
e
y
es
wide.
With
one
final glance,
she
darted
toward
the
overgrown
path.

* * * *

Kerrigan’s
m
outh
literal
l
y
watered.
H
e
could
al
m
ost
feel
his
tongue
sliding
up
again
her slick
skin,
lapping
the
icy
drips
between
her
breasts.
Her
heady
fe
m
ini
n
e
s
cent
rendered
him
m
otio
n
less
and
spellbound.
Then
he
realized
St
r
y
k
er
w
a
s
stunned,
also.
Growling
deep
in
his throat,
he
shoved
him
sid
e
w
a
y
s to
break
his
stare.

“Co
m
e
on,
Kerrigan,
get
off
my
back.
You
couldn’t
expect
m
e
not
to
react
to
her perfor
m
an
c
e.
Both
of
y
o
u
are
going
to
kill
one
another
if
y
o
u
don’t
shag
each
other
s
oon,”
he said
in
disgust
and
stalked
aw
a
y
.

Kerrigan
feared
St
r
y
k
er
w
a
s
right.
H
o
w
m
a
n
y
t
i
m
es
could
he
push
his
instincts
down?
The beast
inside
him
w
anted
her
in
a
way
he
couldn’t
even
describe.
He
was
a
dragon
at
heart,
and unleashed
passion
could
be
dead
l
y
.
There
had
been
ti
m
es
when
the
beast
reared
its
head,
but
in anger.
He
remembered
the
deaths
of
the
de
m
ons
he’d
fought
and
eventual
l
y
killed.

In
the
distance,
he
watched
Meeka’s
athletic
bo
d
y
slash
at
the
vines
and
large,
broad
leaves. Catz
w
a
s
not
far
behind
her,
of
course,
the
consum
m
a
te chaperone.

Kerrigan
strode
over
to
the
s
hower
built
as
part
of
the
special
room
and
stood
direct
l
y
under the
nozzle.
“
Cold
water
on.”

* * * *

Meeka
swore
under
her
breath
and
swiped
at
the
thick
vines
with
her
sword.
S
he’d
kn
o
wn this
would
be
difficult, but
serious
l
y
…
what did
he
expect
of
her?

Catz
growled
at
her.
“Well,
w
hat
did
y
ou
expect?
A
nd
w
a
s
the
display
y
o
u
j
u
st
m
a
d
e necessar
y
?
”

Meeka
all
but
y
e
l
l
e
d at
her.
“
Stop
acting
like
my
m
ot
h
er!”

The
words
no
s
ooner
left
her
m
outh
and
s
he
w
a
s
asha
m
ed
of
herself.
The
silence
behind
her told
her
s
he
had
hit
ho
m
e
like
a
branding
iron
to
the
heart.
She
stopped
slashing
and
w
hirled
to face
Catz.
She
couldn’t
believe
w
hat
she’d
just
said.
She
loved
Catz.

“I’m
sor
r
y
, Catz.
I
didn’t
m
ean
that.”
M
eeka
sighed
in
fr
u
stration. “I
wish
I
could
help.
Let’s
keep
going.
We’ll
talk
about
it
later.” She
continued
forging
ahead.
It
was
i
m
possible to
see
a
n
y
t
h
i
ng.

W
h
a
ck.
W
hac
k
.
Keep
swingin
g
.

She
urged
herself
fo
r
ward.
An
extra
-
large
leaf
blocked
her
vision,
along
with
a
tree
she
had to
step
over.
Meeka
ducked
under
the
leaf,
braced
her
arm
on
the
log,
and
vaulted
over.
She landed
flat
on
her
back
with
a
s
pla
t
.

M
ud!
She
was
covered
with
it.
Fu
m
ing,
she
looking
up
at
Catz
from
the
stinking
m
ud
hole. Catz
looked
down
at
her
from
atop
the
d
r
y
log.
“Meeka,
are
y
o
u oka
y
?
”

“No!
I’m
not
ok
a
y
!
Look
at
m
e!
I’m
covered
with
m
ud!”
She
tried
to
wipe
the
slimy
stuff off
her
face
and
ar
m
s.
“What’s
the
point
of
this
exercise,
a
n
y
w
a
y
?
”
She
s
puttered
with anno
y
a
n
ce. “H
o
w
can
falling
in
a
m
ud
pit
p
o
ssib
l
y
teach
m
e
a
n
y
t
h
i
ng
?
”