“I am capable of completing more than one task at a time.”
She lets out a moan as I capture her nipple between my teeth. “A man who can multitask? How did I win this lottery?”
Working to recall the story of the Zhyrrak I learned from my father’s books—the more romanticized version—I release her hands and run the tips of my claws down her ribcage. “My ancestors were mighty warriors. Fearsome even. It is said they got their strength from love—from the Zhyrrak bonds they had with their mates.” I press my lips above her heart. “Their power and skill in battle were unmatched, and when they fought, they were demons.” I nip at the thin skin beneath one of her breasts, and she lets out a surprised gasp. “It is said that when two parts of one soul find each other, their heart’s electromagnetic fields resonate at the same frequency. When the fields interact, they strengthen and amplify, creating a bond that threads their souls together.” I run my tongue between her breasts, tasting the salt on her skin. “It is also said that only the Vhorathi have the ability to forge such bonds.”
“But I’m not Vhorathi.”
“It seems the gods have chosen to ignore that fact.” I grip her chin with my thumb and forefinger and ask, “Why did you accept the bond?” I was not expecting her to accept it so quickly, and it seems odd, especially considering her reluctance to believe my admiration of her.
“I’m not sure.”
My stomach drops as my thoughts turn to her bandaged knee. “Is this what you want?”
“Yes. But I want something else too.”
“And what is that?” I ask warily, praying this is not the moment I discover she was sent here for some nefarious purpose.
Her hands run up my arms in a soothing motion. “I need you to promise that for as long as this lasts, it will be a partnership.You don’t get to order me around, or keep me in the dark, or make decisions that will affect me without talking to me first. We have to be open with each other and trust each other's judgment. Is that something you can agree to?”
I let out a held breath. “Yes, I can agree to that.” But the moment the words leave my lips, the sting of guilt burns my tongue. There are some things I cannot share with her. Not yet. I just hope she will be able to forgive me when she learns this.
I kiss her hard and deep, pouring all of my hope into the movement of my lips against hers. A bruising, painful hope for our future. And she returns that hope without restraint, whipping up a new wave of frenzy between us. A hot, powerful, desperate, frenzy.
Her legs slip around my lower back, and I can feel her aching need like it is a physical object hanging between us.
She needs you.
“You will teach me?” I ask between kisses, knowing she understands my meaning.
She nods and drags her blunt nails down my arm.
“Tell me what you need.”
Her eyes lock on mine, and she grins. “Touch me. Explore me. Do your worst.”
“Good human,” I rumble playfully.
Her lips pinch together, and her eyes turn towards the ceiling. “Well, fuck.”
“What?”
“I think you just unlocked a new kink.”
I kiss her neck. “Kink?”
“Something you like in a sexual context, but maybe not in other contexts.”
I sit and stare at her, holding her legs around my waist. “You like it when I call you, ‘human’?”
Her cheeks flush. “Uh … I guess so. Specifically, you saying, ‘good human’.” She lets out a husky laugh and gently slaps my forearm. “Ok. Enough talking, more … mouth stuff.”
Taking my time, I caress, lick, and nip every inch of her, making note of each gasp, moan, and beat of her heart. I learn her body as I go, memorizing the things that bring her pleasure. When I reach the base of her abdomen, the smell of her arousal floods my entire system, and I nearly roar with the overwhelming urge to rip off my leathers and bury myself in my mate.
My mate.The thought is as surprising as it is arousing.
Ignoring the incessant throb in my cock, I lift one of her ankles and kiss the length of her leg, from calf to thigh, getting drunk off the taste of her skin and the tempting sounds she makes.
Just before I reach the crease where her leg meets her center, I stop. “How am I doing?” I ask.
