Binding Ties The Sentinel Wars - Shannon K. Butcher Page 0,59
in her shoes. “So there was a time you wanted me to know?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“When I’m buried balls-deep inside that sweet pussy of yours. That’s the appropriate time for you to know exactly how much I need you.”
She had no idea what to say to that, but knowing what he wanted from her—hearing his thoughts spoken aloud—made her own sexual hunger rise, answering the challenge.
Lyka couldn’t let this happen. She couldn’t give in like this.
She knew that Theronai couples frequently engaged in sex. Most of them considered the bond a form of marriage—one far more permanent and binding than any piece of paper issued by some governing body. But she hadn’t been raised as one of them. She didn’t have to follow the path they did. She could still be connected to Joseph and mate with a Slayer male.
Couldn’t she?
“If you think I’d ever let another man touch you, you’re insane,” he said.
“Get out of my head. I didn’t invite you to listen to my private thoughts.”
“And I didn’t invite you to drop in on my deepest fantasies.”
He had a point. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. But you did. And now that you’ve opened Pandora’s box, there’s no closing it. You’ve seen how I feel about you. Do you really think that I’d let you go in search of another man, another mate?”
“I really never considered that you had a right to let me do anything.”
His grip on her wrists tightened. She thought about trying to break his hold, but she doubted she was strong enough, even on her best day. And today was definitely not her best day. She was weak, shaky, unsteady, both mentally and physically.
He closed his eyes, pulled in a deep breath. Let it out again. She watched as he reined himself in, shoving down his frustration and lust an inch at a time until it was all tucked neatly away, out of sight.
But she knew it was still there. She’d been inside his thoughts—felt his emotions too keenly to ever pretend they weren’t real.
No man had ever wanted her the way Joseph did. It was as thrilling as it was terrifying.
“You’re too weak,” he said as he let her go and moved back into his own seat. He started the truck and pulled back onto the gravel road. “It’s my duty to see to your care, and right now, you wouldn’t be able to defend yourself if we were attacked.”
“I’m fine,” she lied. All that brain hopping she’d done had worn her down even worse than before.
“You can’t lie to me about this. I know I’m right. You need me to revive your strength.” Even though they were out too far in the countryside for streetlights, her vision was good enough that she could make out fine details in his skin. Freckles, a light dusting of hair, scars faint with age.
He really was sexy as hell—built just the way she liked her men. Tall, strong, sturdy enough to take whatever she might throw at him. Joseph wasn’t the kind of man who was easily broken, not even once her two brothers got their hands on him for staking a claim on her without council permission.
“How do you do that?” she asked. “Because I’d really like to have the strength to keep moving tonight.”
“I can pull power from the earth and feed it to you.”
“How does that work?”
“I’m not entirely sure. I’ve never done it before, but my instincts are strong, and I’ve seen bonded pairs do it over and over.”
“So, we never need to rest?” she asked.
“Not never. What I’ll do for you is only temporary—just enough to get you on your feet in an emergency. Think of it like an energy drink.”
“How long will it last?”
“I don’t know. We’re going to have to figure it out together.”
“Pull over. We’ll do it here.” She was worried she’d piss him off and he’d refuse to work his magic on her. The longer she kept talking, the more likely it was she’d say something that would set him off. She simply couldn’t take the chance that he’d change his mind.
“No. I’m not risking an experiment with something I’ve never tried before out in the open like this. We’ll do it at a Gerai house, so that if it goes badly, at least we’ll have shelter for the night.”
Lyka knew about Gerai houses—safe places stocked with food and supplies, magically warded to increase their security against attack—but she’d never been to one before. “You’re going to trust