pain, my pleasure, the violent bonding, the invasion of him, and my cunt flexed frantically, as if that would help me process it all.
We collapsed down onto the bed, shivering, and Zane pulled me in tight, his rough tongue working over the bite he’d left, cleaning the wound and letting it settle.
“I won’t be able to stay here long,” I said in a small voice. I felt full, and the quiet, it was seductive right now, especially for the moment.
“I know, but you’re mine now. I’ll feel you wherever you go, whatever you do.”
“I’m his too.”
There was a pause, another swipe of his tongue, and then he pressed his face into my hair.
“I already have more than I ever expected.” He let out a long sigh. “I don’t need all of your time, just some of it.”
I rolled over, my hands going to his face before I kissed him, slow and soft. In some ways, this was infinitely more intimate. I breathed him in between kisses.
“This isn’t how I wanted things to go,” I said.
“No?” He rubbed his head along my jaw. “It’s not exactly a fairy tale, but you’ve got no idea how good this feels.”
“Well, I’ve got some idea.”
He snorted and kissed me again.
“Promise me more of this. Promise me a breeze on my face and forests to run in. Fuck, just the earth between my toes will do. Promise me…” His eyes went gold as he looked up at me. “Promise me you’ll stroke my fur under the moonlight.”
I nodded before I thought about it, then smoothed his hair back from his face.
“Promise you’ll stick around when my claws come out and I start to bite.”
“We’re not talking in fur, are we?”
He shook his head, keeping his eyes trained on my collarbone.
“You mean when the snark comes back.”
He kissed me quickly, swooping in and pulling away.
“Maybe we shouldn’t talk anymore. My mouth is usually what gets me in trouble.”
I settled back against him, just enjoying the lull.
“Promise me this is more than just a bid for power,” he whispered so quietly, it must have been meant only for him.
I hoped I could live up to that vow.
Chapter 36
I would never have dared this if Hollingsworth had left things alone.
Zane let me go with a kiss when the heat rose again, my eyes swinging both ways as I decided where to go next. Gaden paced the floor, back and forth, something that drew my eye. And Caleb? He stood at the edge of his cage, watching me, but it was the sound of groans that jerked me forward.
Kazimir and Nero had taken the issue of the heat in hand, literally. I leaned against the glass wall, smiling as I watched the two of them. Splendid figures that rippled with muscles, Nero palmed Kazimir’s aching cock, much to the blond man’s delight. His teeth dug into Kazimir’s shoulder, holding him still as the tiger shifter thrust his hips in time with Nero’s strokes.
“So pretty…”
The words were out of my mouth before I’d thought about it as I padded closer. Kazimir’s mouth formed a lazy smile, and I imagined his flexes grew longer, more dramatic in response to my attention, but it was worth it. He was a masterwork of muscle, and that cock… I frowned as a slight whine slipped from my lips, imagining trying to wedge that thick studded monster in.
“Mine!”
Nero’s growl was muffled by Kazimir’s flesh, and his eyes, when he looked up at me, were golden and unfriendly. His mouth pulled away, leaving dents in the other man’s skin as he snarled, something that just got louder and louder as I approached. It was deafening when I ran a single finger down Kazimir’s sternum. He followed its progress with hooded eyes, panting in time with Nero’s strokes, which were just getting faster. I smiled up at him, craning my neck, raising myself up on the tips of my toes.
“NO!”
I jerked back from kissing the tiger, Nero’s alpha whip slapping me down.
“No, Kaz… This is just heat. She’s… They’ve…”
“Mm…but she smells so good, will feel so soft on my cock.”
I leaned in closer, breathing him in, and he watched my every move, smiling as I skimmed his flesh but didn’t touch.
“She’s going to want you to mark her, mate her.”
“Oh, yes?” Kazimir’s blue eyes slid to me, and I nearly stepped back at the heat I saw surging there. I could feel his gaze physically, stroking down my body, and I wanted more. I grabbed his hand,