Drak stepped closer, a crooked smile on his lips. His gaze slid for an instant toward the space where Kalisha had been standing, but the gesture was too quick to carry any real meaning.
"She is as stubborn as a shruk," he remarked.
"I am," Fiona shot back, crossing her arms. "And I won't rest until I hit the bullseye more often."
A low laugh escaped me. It was that indomitable fire she carried that had enchanted me from the very first time. Fiona reminded me of the sea—merciless and fearless, beautiful even when it threatened to swallow everything around it.
She advanced, retreated, learned, failed, and insisted. She didn't ask permission to exist; she simply occupied the space she decided was hers.
I couldn't contain myself much longer. Totally ignoring Drak’s presence, I brought her closer enough for our chests to touch. Her skin was warm, carrying a delicious scent of wild flowers mixed with my scent.
I raised my hand to her face, my thumb lightly brushing her lower lip. The memory of those lips moaning my name, pleading for more pleasure, sent a shiver through my body and made my blood run hot. She parted her lips slightly, and her pink tongue licked the tip of my thumb in a way that was anything but innocent.
"Krash’uk," I growled, pulling her to me with my other hand so she could feel the effect she had on me.
"That's my cue. Goodbye, lovebirds."
Neither of us spared Drak a glance. The training field lay empty at that late hour, and I seized the moment, guiding Fiona back until her spine met the rough bark of a tree.
"I missed you," I whispered against her ear.
She shuddered, her body leaning into mine almost by instinct.
"Already?" she asked with a half-smile. "We were only apart for a few hours."
"Too long."
Her blue eyes, intense and brimming with desire, stared back at me with a ferocity that mirrored my own.
"And what do you plan to do about it?" she asked in a whisper.
The scent of her desire hit me, making all my instincts scream for me to take her right there, in the middle of the training meadow. My mouth found hers in a deep and urgentkiss, stealing her breath away. There was none of the slowness of the night before, only the brutal necessity that consumed us.
My hands gripped her hips, lifting her and pressing her against the tree. She moaned into my mouth, her legs wrapping around my waist, pulling me closer; the friction of our bodies ignited a wild spark that consumed any remaining shred of hesitation.
"Malek," she gasped, breaking the kiss in search of air.
"You drive me wild, krash’uk," I murmured against her skin, kissing my way to her neck, finding the junction of her shoulder. My fangs grazed the sensitive skin, and she moaned again—the sweetest sound.
"I can't take it anymore either," she answered before kissing me again, forcing me to tilt my head to accept her dominance.
The desire I felt for her was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was the need to possess her that both frightened and satisfied me. I wanted to make her mine, and I didn't care if the whole world knew to whom the Ruk'hai of Oksha belonged.
Her mouth was fire against mine, hungry, answering my desire with the same intensity. I wanted her, and I wanted her now. I slid my mouth to the fabric of her top, pulling it aside with my teeth until my lips found the soft skin of her breast. I suckled the hardened nipple, licking it with the tip of my tongue. Fiona moaned, her hands clutching my hair.
I pulled back just enough to turn her, pressing her front against the tree and positioning myself behind her. The friction of our bodies was a delicious torture. I reached down, sliding Fiona’s loincloth aside, finding her wet, evidence that she was every bit as ready as I was.
I entered her slowly, the sensation of being surrounded by her hitting me like a lightning. She let out a loud gasp, her ragged breathing setting our rhythm. The fit was perfect, so tight it made my vision swim with pleasure. I drove into her with powerful thrusts, pushing us both toward the edge of the abyss. Fiona moaned loudly, her head thrown back, her body arching under my command.
"Malek!" she screamed, heedless of who might hear us.
I drove into her even faster, feeling the pressure build rapidly. I flicked her swollen clit with my thumb while my base pulsed against her. She cried out as she hit the peak, and a moment later, I exploded with a roar, feeling the knot lock inside her as I filled her with my seed.
I leaned forward, resting my head on her shoulder while our hearts beat in unison.
"Mine," I murmured, my voice thick with a possessiveness I had never felt before.
Fiona squeezed my arms against her, her face radiant. We stayed like that until the knot finally released. I straightened her clothes carefully and turned her to me, kissing her reddened lips with a tenderness that only she ever knew.
