Sarazen's Vengeance: Book 1.1 (9 page)

“We must…ahem. Once the scan is complete we can return to our quarters.” he rasped gruffly. Muscles quivering with what she could only say was restraint.

She smiled at him slowly.  “Sounds good.”

Ten

The change in her was markedly apparent. Andi walked taller. Confidently. More gracefully. As though she was taking each step atop clouds. She even went so far as to sensually glance at him upon returning to their quarters. The way she walked, he could picture her beast, twitching her tail at him enticingly.

Ohlen almost stumbled over his own feet when the scent of her desire flooded the entire room. The aroma so powerful that his own beast surged forward eagerly. It hurt to keep from changing. From pouncing on her and taking her to the floor. He fought off the fog of lust. Getting hold of himself before he dropped the tray heaped with nourishing foods he’d carried up from medical. His hands shook, hearing the rough growl of his beast filling his voice when he invited her to sate her hunger. She took a berry from the tray and wrapped her lips around it. Staring at him while she bit down. Licked the tart juice from her mouth. Tilted her head to look her fill of him.

“I feel strange.” Andi told him huskily.

He gave a distracted thought to why it was a bad idea to give in to the lust surging like tidal waves between them. Her beast was putting off enough heat to set an entire forest ablaze.

“Strange? Strange how?” he circled her. Stopping to stand behind her. To run his nose up the side of her throat where she tipped her head to expose it to him.

“Hot. Very, hot. Hot like I’ve never been before.”

She relaxed back into his hold. Her lashes fluttering when he spread one hand on her belly. Pushed the other up between her breasts to gently cup her throat. He tugged her head back against his chest so he could see her eyes.

“I will take you back to medical immediately.”

She gave a growl. Kicking back with her little foot to catch him in the shin.

“You know that’s not what I mean. If I can smell how much you want me, I know you can smell me too.”

He could. Beast’s Teeth, could he smell her.

“Andi, it is undeniable, the depth of my desire for you. Even if it were not permitted until the festival, I cannot in good conscience give you what your beast is demanding of me. Not one day past, you were terrified by the very idea of bearing my touch in any way remotely hinting at intimacy. You have just now become comfortable allowing me to hold you. Sharing your kisses with me. I would be no better than-”

Andi rocked up on her toes to reach him. Caught his lips with hers. Wrapped his hair in her little fist to keep him from pulling away. He could taste the tart sweetness of the berry she’d eaten on her tongue. Followed by the tang of blood when her little fangs punched down in proof of her arousal.

The surprise of it made her draw back with a little sound. Made her touch her fingertips to her mouth. The taste of her blood spurred his beast forward. Head spinning, Ohlen had only enough control to keep himself perfectly still and wait for her to speak. He stood frozen, his hand still curled around her throat, fingertips pressed hard into her belly. He caught not a single scent of fear or uncertainty from her. Watched while she licked the smear of blood from her mouth and sensually touched her tongue to the point of one of her fangs. Testing the shape of it. Speaking with the slightest lisp as her mouth learned to move around them.

“I can smell the truth in your voice. I feel you, here.” she took his hand from her belly and pressed it between her breasts. Spreading her little hand over the back of his to keep it there.

“I know you would never hurt me, but I know I could stop you now. If I needed to.”

“With a word, my one.” he made it a vow. Watched her lips curve up in a little smile.

“With a word,” she agreed softly, “I believe that. I could stop you if I had to, because of the piece of your beast you gave to me. I feel different. Good different. Stronger. Like you gave me some kind of magic spell to take away my fear.”

Ohlen tried one last time to do the right thing. To be strong for her as she adapted to the power of her beast. Her words made him feel like a god. He was tempted to allow her to think he was responsible. Let her believe he had done this intentionally, or with the foreknowledge that it would make her feel strong.

“Andi-“

Her eyes flashed at him. Her strength enough to catch him by surprise. She pushed back using a maneuver he had purposefully downloaded into her mind. Kicked his legs out from beneath him and send him crashing to the floor. Gracefully, agilely, with perfect execution to get him on his back so she could straddle his chest. So she could curl her fingers around his throat.

“Careful,” he warned. Taking hold of her wrist just in case her beast released her claws. Grinning up at her with pride.

“If you don’t want me, say so.” she snapped.

“You know that is not why I-“

She leaned down until they were nose to nose. Until he could see her beast, pacing restlessly behind her eyes.

“I burn. I need. I need you. I’m not afraid.”

This was his test.

Not the Breeding Festival.

Now. This.

Andi’s heat was growing and he could feel it slapping at him. Clawing at his control
.
His test was to give in to her demands and retain enough control to impress upon her beast that he was her mate. Her match. And keep from hurting her or frightening her at the same time.

His beast was slavering for this chance. Frothing at the mouth, readying himself for the pounce that would take her down. He had to fight that impulse with every ounce of his being. Fight himself to carefully take her hand from his throat. To kiss the center of her palm and not drag her forward.

Andi gasped when he flipped her over and reversed their position. When he took her other hand and slowly raised her arms up to cuff them in one hand. Pressed them firmly to the floor to hold her still.

“With a word,” he repeated hoarsely. She licked her lips, her expression slumberous and sensual. The scent of her heat a siren song calling to him,

“With a word.” she repeated back.

“Take hold of the lounge. I am not quite ready to feel the kiss of your claws.”

She tilted her head back. Looking to see that the lounge was just within reach. Obediently curling her fingertips into the underside of the seat. He knelt over her. Pulled his hand down over his mouth while he looked at her. Stretched out beneath him like a tiny little offering to the gods.

Ohlen thought he would like it.

Thought it would be easiest to position her this way. But now that he had her all stretched out like this, she looked helpless. It sat so ill with him that he reached down and pulled her up to hoist her against his chest.

       Their mouths clashed, battled for supremacy. Just as he was about to surrender to her, she made a soft, feathery little sound and melted. She let him command her. Let him guide her lips open so he could taste her. Lick at the still sharp points of her fangs and suckle softly on her tongue.

Andi moaned when his hands found the hem of her dress. Sought out the soft skin of her calves and stroked slowly upwards. Pushing the material out of his way. She wiggled, tore her mouth from his and for a gut-clenching moment he feared he had pushed her too far. The fear passed when she whipped her dress off and launched herself back at him with a hungry little, 
rawr
.

Ohlen laughed, unable to contain his joy. Hissed to feel her soft little body mash against his and how tightly she clung to him. Rubbing all over him like she was every bit as starved for touch as he was for hers. He couldn’t rush and miss a single moment of this. Deprive either of them the pleasure. He forced himself to soften the grip he had on her. To touch her with the reverence she deserved. His beast rumbled for her, left his scent on her when he rolled his cheek over hers. Felt her sigh and ease the death grip she had on his shoulders.

“I love that,” she murmured.

“Love what?” he marked her other cheek, wanting to imprint her scent onto his soul,

“How you purr like that,”

“Purr?”

She rumbled back at him. Laughed a little at the sound, then did it again while she returned the scent marking of her cheeks over his throat.

“We call that a purr. I love the sound of it, the way it feels against my skin.”

Did she now?

He flipped her around to haul her back to his chest. Wrapped his arm across her body. Cupped her shoulder in one hand, her belly in the other. She shivered for him when he touched his lips to her throat. Felt to her pulse leap against his mouth at the careful scrape of his teeth. Felt her catch her breath. Smelled the rise in her desire when he gave her his rumbles. His purrs.

Ohlen touched kisses to every inch of her soft skin. From the delicate shell of her ear, to the curve of her shoulder. Along the back of her neck, up into her hairline. Her head twisted this way and that. Her ragged little murmurs guiding him to where his touch gave her the most pleasure. Andi brought her arm up to twist around the back of his neck. Smiling softly when he brushed a feather light kiss over her cheek. He rolled his face down her throat, licked at the sweetly scented hollow behind her ear. Listened to her shattered breath when he cupped the soft weight of her breasts. Gently rubbed at the tightly furled peaks of her nipples,

“I have never in my life, held something so precious in my hands.” Her husky laughter filled the cabin. That, more than anything, made his heart sing. He would crave that sound for the entirety of his life.

“Are you honking my boobs and calling them, precious?” she giggled.

Honking her boobs? His one had such strange vernacular, but her amusement was plain. Until he rolled with her. Got her to her back. He gave her his purr while he stared into her eyes and touched his lips between her breasts. He could feel her heartbeat against his mouth. Rubbed his cheek against the unbelievably soft curve of her breast.

“All of you is precious, but your…boobs, are beautiful. Sarazen females only gain such softness when they carry cubs. Otherwise, they are lean and hard. Always ready for battle. But you, my one. Everything about you is soft.”

The scent of her heat was rising again. Her need intensifying. He could smell her desire. Looked carefully to see only trust in her eyes. No fear. His breath on her skin made it prickle. Made her shiver with anticipation. His tongue swiping across the sensitive point of her nipple made her gasp. Made her arch up to push more of the sweet, tender flesh into his mouth. He licked again. Suckled until the pink tip became a dusky red. Flushed and swollen with blood. The smell of her heat, her arousal burned hotter with every tug of his lips.

Her arms wrapped around his head, holding his mouth to her flesh, urging him on with ragged little moans. Undulating and writhing beneath him to gain the most pleasurable contact. His hands curled around her tiny waist. His fingertips almost touching because she was so small. She panted, her chest rising and falling with the string of kisses he touched down the middle of her body.

A squeak of sound was torn from deep inside her when he caught her by the hips and rolled to his back. Taking her with him to set her knees on either side of his face. Bringing the slick, sweetly scented treasure between her thighs, right to his mouth.

“O-Ohlen?”

Her voice shook with shock. Still no fear, uncertainty perhaps, but the smell of her heat was intoxicating. He could taste it when he turned to kiss the inside of her thigh. The sweet, slightly salty tang hitting his tongue like a sip of the finest ale. Heady enough to muddle his thoughts,

“If you wish me to stop, you have only to say so. Otherwise, I would taste every inch of you, my one. Give you my kisses. Teach you the feel of them so you never confuse them for any others.”

He licked her skin, licked that sweet fluid from her thighs. Staring in hungry fascination at her pink center. So close and yet just out of reach. At the dark curls that tried to hide her from his gaze.

“I told you, no one has kissed me before. And definitely not 
there
.”

“Then let me give you this, my one.”

Ohlen stroked her hips in an effort to soothe her. His beast riding him hard to grip her tight and haul her down over his mouth. To make her give him what he wanted.

Her thighs quivered. He could feel it where he’d rested his cheek against the tender skin. Rolled his eyes up to meet hers as she combed her fingers through the stripe of his mane. It would be her choice. Her right to always, at any time tell him no, and believe he would honor it.

“With a word,” he repeated. Promised.

She nodded, saying it back to him softly. Staring down at him while she lowered her glistening sex to his mouth and gave him what he wanted. He purred against the sensitive flesh. Watching her lips part on a shocked cry. How her eyes flew wide, so surprised. Held her steady while he feasted.