eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520 Macon GA 31201 Hunting the Huntress Copyright © 2008 by Ember Case ISBN: 1-59998-859-3 Edited by Heidi Moore Cover by Dawn Seewer All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: January 2008 www.samhainpublishing.com
Hunting the Huntress Ember Case
Dedication For S. I love you, more than the moon, the stars, the everything that surrounds us. You taught me that dreams can come true.
Ember Case
Chapter One I need to find a way out─now! The desperate thought chased Nilana through the night. Behind her, she sensed the pair of cougars drawing closer. The warrior and the shaman hunted her tirelessly, their paws passing without sound over the rock-strewn canyon bottom. If she couldn’t find a path out soon they would have her trapped. The hunt had been underway for too long. She was tiring quickly. She ran on under the full moon. Tall canyon walls cast shifting shadows in her path and rose above her on each side. Too steep to climb. Too high to jump. Dust flew in the air behind her, tossed up by her paws as she raced down the dry riverbed. Crouching lower, she sped on. Tonight was the harvest moon. Under a moonlit sky, the unmated warriors hunted the maidens. Generations of Chimaga had found their mates during the harvest moon hunt. The moon blessed those who chose under her light. For six years now, Nilana had run the harvest hunt. Six hunts she had been happy to remain unmated with the rising sun. The only female hunter of her tribe, she’d enjoyed the power which the honor carried. No male had been able or daring enough to run her down the year of her first hunt. After the first hunt, none of them seriously tried. Unfettered by the bonds of a mate and the duties of family, she had been happy to run without pursuit under the harvest moons since. Until now. Tonight she was chased by not one, but two men blessed by the powerful totem of the cougar. Men intent on claiming her for their life mate. Men who could take away the freedom she treasured so much. She sped on. They ran soundlessly behind her. Pebbles lay undisturbed beneath their flying feet as they followed her into the moonlit night. Their breath was steady, not like the short gasps for air coming from her chest. They gave no sign of letting up before cornering their quarry. www.samhainpublishing.com
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A year of good hunting and the late fullness of the autumn moon meant this year the tribal gathering was bigger than any Nilana remembered. For the last two weeks, tribes from as far north as the Rock Yellow River had traveled to be here for the mating harvest. There had not been this many warriors gathered in one place since the Great Plains Wars of her grandfather’s age. Warriors came hunting for a wife, a mate to skin their furs under the sun and warm them under the moon. She had no interest in a life as any man’s fur warmer. Curse the traditions. And curse the men who make them! The weeks of gathering were meant as a time of celebration. She had enjoyed the large, daily hunts required to keep the many tribes fed. Just as entertaining were the nightly fireside dances, where the many families would meet and mingle. Size alone had made this a harvest celebration the tribes would talk about for generations. Its place in lore was guaranteed when members of the seldom-seen Meskwaku, the northernmost tribe of the Chimaga, had ridden in late yesterday to join the harvest hunt. The mighty warrior chief known as Tate led the small group. He had led the Meskwaku for nearly a decade now, since the hated, nomadic Jurunga tribes had killed his father. Tate had been only fifteen, but he had led his people into a bitterly-fought battle against the murderous invaders. It ended with the few surviving coyote shifters of the Jurunga fleeing the north lands for good. Tate’s reputation as a fierce warrior had spread southward in the years since. The tales of his bravery and strength grew with each retelling, until a listener who had never heard the stories could easily believe he was more godlike than man. When he rode his stallion into camp at the head of his group, riding in his shadow had been his shaman, Cheveyo. The tribal tongues had begun to wag. For the northern mountain tribes to travel this far to the great plain for a harvest could only mean they were hunting a mate. And if both powerful leaders had traveled together with no more than a small hunting party and left their tribe camped for the winter, it could only mean they searched for one single mate to bind to them both.
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The ancient custom was seldom followed anymore, but it had once been common for renowned tribes of the Chimaga to see their chief and shaman bind their lives together with a mate. When the Great Spirit blessed such a mating, the totems involved often led their tribe to such glory as to inspire a generation. Nilana had no desire to become the leader of anything bigger than her hunting party. On she ran. She felt Tate’s gaze hot on her backside as she raced away through the night. Why had he singled her out? From his seat last night by the dance fires, he had watched her, his midnight-black gaze never leaving hers. For over an hour, she had danced with the unmated maidens. The ritualistic steps came easily to her graceful feet, her body comfortable in the ancient dance of seduction. Never in her life had she been as aware of the motions of her body as she was under his gaze. She had tried to focus on the rhythmic drums beating in the background, the chanting of the gathered shaman as they called for a successful harvest hunt. More than once, she’d met his gaze across the fire and seen the desire that heated his look. Her ceremonial dance tunic was brief, worn by generations of Chimaga women. Its design was simple, meant to present the nubile body of a maiden to the interested gaze of a warrior. There was no doubt he’d been watching with interest. His gaze had followed her long, bare legs, often lingering on the shadows where her short tunic ended high on her thighs. Approval filled his gaze when she circled near enough for the scent of her sweat and musk to mingle with the smoke from the fire. Intricate beadwork caught the flickering firelight as it wrapped across her chest, hugging the full curves of her breasts as they swayed with her movements. When her dancing brought her close to his seat, he had watched her with the stillness of a stallion standing guard over his mare. Awareness of everything around them had flickered over his strong features, but his brilliant gaze never left hers. His warm scent filled her nose, and when the beating drums
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called her back across the fire, his smell went with her; crisp evergreens overwhelmed with the heady musk of a male cougar ready to mate. His companion, the shaman Cheveyo, had eventually joined him and the two men had spoken briefly. And when the music ended, the warrior had given her one last searching glance before retiring to his skins alone. Why couldn’t I get him out of my thoughts? Instead she had gone to her solitary skins and spent a restless night dreaming of dark eyes, ebony hair, and the warrior who had watched her under the almost full moon. She dreamt of him following her to her bed, stripping her of her tunic, and spending the long night hours worshiping her with hands and mouth. Her dream warrior had loved her from head to toe. His tongue had blazed across her skin, his lips laving her breasts and nipples for long moments until she ached with need. But he had given her no relief, instead bringing sobs of pleasure and moans of ecstasy to her dreams as he licked a wet trail to her core. His mouth offered her only a glimpse of heaven, and her dreaming body twisted beneath him in the frenzy to find its release. She woke before dawn to find her body a throbbing mass of need, as her dream lover had brought her again and again to the peak of ecstasy, then pulled away without allowing satisfaction. Nilana was restless with unfulfilled passion when the morning sun spread its light over the valley. Her mind was still foggy from her night of dreams, and the day passed slowly with the other maidens. It was the one day of the year when she was not free to run with the other hunters, and instead spent her time first in the purification rituals, then gossiping with the other women. She had let their chatter slip past her as always, uninterested in their girlish dreams of mating and raising a family. More than one maiden this harvest was openly dreaming of being chased by the fierce pair from the north. Nilana had held her opinions to herself. She had been born to hunt. No man could compete with the thrilling freedom she found running the trails, the rush of the kill, knowing her skills provided precious food and furs to her tribe.
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The moon had barely begun its path through the night sky when she’d slipped away from the maidens. Hoping she’d gotten away from camp before the warriors had time to begin their hunt, she’d headed for a quiet spot by the river. After covering the slight trail her footsteps had made she let her totem answer the lunar call, enjoying the feel of the autumn wind ruffling through her fur as she breathed deeply the smells of the coming night. She’d headed for the river alone, eager to lose her scent in the quick running water. A hunter could not follow where there was no trail. She had been almost giddy with her power as she headed out under the clear, bright sky of the early twilight. She had hoped for a quick run through the night followed by a quiet evening of rest under the full moon while the hunt went on without her. Her hopes had been quickly dashed. It was there by the river they had found her, the warrior and the shaman. She’d stared at them for a moment, unable to believe they had tracked her down. And there the chase had begun. She should have taken them more seriously. Overconfident in her ability to hide her trail from any hunter in her tribe, she had taken them lightly when she first picked up their scent. Nilana admitted it had thrilled her just a bit to be pursued by the men so many of the maidens were dreaming of. That excitement had faded as they proved hard to shake from her trail. She should have remembered her role tonight was that of prey, not huntress. It was a truth driven home again and again as they ran her down the path they wanted her to take. A glance over her shoulder now showed only one form behind her. Tate, the warrior. His longer legs continued to eat the ground between them. Under other circumstances, she would have enjoyed watching him run. His glossy brown coat rippled with the powerful muscles beneath. There was awesome strength in his lean body, whether he took the form of man or cougar. As a man he stood head and shoulders above the warriors of her tribe, his long body impressively formed of muscles and sinew. But when he called his cougar totem to take its form, he became the Chimaga who was already the source of legends.
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Pursuit by the legend had lost its charm for Nilana. She needed to get to higher ground. The canyon curved ahead and she used the tight corners to her advantage. Her legs were shorter than his, but her agile body was better able to take the corners at high speed. Shooting out of the last curve, she saw a fork ahead in the path. Yes! With any luck one of the branches would lead up and out to the forested foothills where she would have the advantage. To freedom. Get out of the canyon. Get to the hills. The two thoughts ran through her head with the rhythm of her paws as she sped across dry ground. She poured her last reserves of energy into a final burst of speed. Higher ground was to the left, and that way should lie freedom. Great bounding leaps took her onward, hope adding strength to her feet as she reached the split. Already springing for the left path, she roared her anger when she found she had been outmaneuvered. The shaman Cheveyo stood guard there quietly, a furry, gray shadow blocking her path. With a snarl of frustration, Nilana headed right, further down the canyon. She had not scouted this far past the forking canyon during the days of hunting and had no idea what lay ahead. Desperately she prayed for a way out. If this path dead ends… It did indeed dead end. Nilana skidded to a stop and began to pace the small space, her tail whipping behind her as she studied the steep walls on all three sides. She had been herded into the canyon like a buffalo in the hunt. She admitted the hunters had chosen their trap well, running their target into the ground and making sure there was no escape. She could have admired their skill, if she were not the prey. Angry howls escaped her as she sprang from one side of the canyon to the other. Desperation clawed at her. Capture during the harvest hunt was not only a blow to her pride. It could mean an end to her freedom. Her heart pounded with frenzied outrage. A muted roar came from behind her. They had managed to corner her, but she was not down yet.
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Nilana backed into the corner made by the rough, rocky walls. She would not give in without a fight. She put her backside to the wall and faced the opening, then dropped to a crouch. A warning rumble escaped her throat. Let them come to her. She waited. Tate moved into the gully. He paced forward with slow steps now he had her cornered, his tail twitching in arrogant anticipation. His ears pricked forward to catch the sounds of the night. The moon lit him well as he stalked her, moving ever closer with deliberate precise strides. He passed for a brief moment into shadow, and then he stood before her. Large, rounded cougar gaze staring into hers with amused anticipation, he opened his mouth in an impressive show of red tongue and sharp teeth. He leapt. It was a humiliatingly short fight. Even with his claws sheathed, it took him only seconds to overpower her with his size and strength. Nilana had no qualms about using her claws, but she never had a chance to sink them into his luxuriant pelt. With his first leap he had knocked her down, and an instant later she felt his teeth at the nape of her neck. A helpless whimper escaped her as she slumped beneath him. He was too damn fast. Her eyes closed. She waited not in defeat, but in fury. She felt his arousal, his hardness tucked against the base of her tail. Nilana tensed when she felt his strength and readiness above her. She was torn by the conflicting urges pulling at her. The woman in her wanted her freedom to hunt and run with no mate. The spirit of the Chimaga wanted to be claimed and possessed by the warrior who had been able to catch her. With the full moon riding high in the sky, the urge to join herself with him filled her like the hunger after a spirit fast. A low growl emerged from her throat as she fought the desire to give in. He was waiting. The intensity of his hunt left her sure he had come for more than one night of pleasure. She lay still, refusing to shift from cougar to human. He will not take me this easily. Even if they coupled, as long as she held her cougar body she could
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deny him the complete merging necessary to form the lifelong mating. Only by mating in human flesh while binding their totem spirits could the mate bond be forged. Tate could take her body now. He was inches away from her heat, and it would take only one shift of his powerful hind legs to cover her fully. Her flesh ached with readiness for him, the animal in her aroused by the thrill of the chase. The scent of her heat surrounded them, a clear signal of her body’s willingness to join. But taking her now would lead to only one night of pleasure. The longer he held still above her the more she was sure the rumors were true. He wanted more. He wanted a life-bond mating that would tie her soul to his forever. I cannot let him take my future away. She focused on the thought, running it through her head repeatedly and fighting the desire coiled tightly in her gut. She clung to her cougar shape, determined to hold it throughout the night ahead. During the long race the moon had climbed until it rode high in the night sky. Now that she had been run to a standstill, the canyon was well lit by its light. There were no shadows, only the clear, harsh lines of the night. Cheveyo had paced from the shadows to join them, moving gracefully to crouch in the small opening to the side. Nilana ignored him, more worried about the battle in her head than the shaman who quietly lay watching them. Her pride would not let her admit she had been trapped. A low moan of animal pleasure came from her right and she turned her head in time to watch the shaman as the change swept over him. She growled as he rose, his human body hard and proud as he stood before them. His skin was much paler than the skin of the Chimaga warriors of her tribe, and marked with the ceremonial scars of a shaman from chest to groin. The scars did not mar the line of muscles, instead enhancing his power and beauty. His hair hung long in the back, the streaks of gray a mark of his experience and wisdom. Her gaze dropped lower, following the firm line of his muscled abdomen before stopping where his manhood jutted proudly from his strong thighs. Her mouth went dry at the sight of his arousal. Great Spirits above.
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He was long and thick, and making no effort to hide himself from her. She watched, entranced, as he paced towards them. His scent reached her, the smell full of passion and hunger. Her body, already aroused by the hunt, began to throb with need in answer. Her mind was still denying her body’s hunger, but her totem knew what the ceremony behind this night was for. Cheveyo crouched in front of them. Bringing his head close to hers, he stared into her eyes and began to chant softly, his breath feathering across her whiskers. Nilana growled again low in her throat as she felt his power reach into her totem and stroke her beast. Who did he think he was to try to master her spirit without her blessing? His authoritative voice swelled around her, demanding she release control to his power and return to her human form. The form which could open the door to a lifetime bond, and close forever the door to a life of freedom. Her rising anger mingled with panic as she struggled against him. But much like the physical battle moments before, within minutes she was overwhelmed. Tate’s furred body lay still above her, seeming content to wait until this inner battle was over. Cheveyo’s gaze forced a bond into her soul, unblinking as he continued his chant. His will was relentless, his energy scorching through her, licking with white-hot heat from her head to her heels. Nilana felt her body begin to quiver from the power he was passing through their bond. Every bit of her began to tingle where he focused his attention. Desperate fear howled through her as she tried to break from his gaze, certain if she could only close her eyes she would find the strength inside to break the bond he had forged. But her eyes refused to obey her demand to look away. His voice swelled around them, the deep melodic chanting weaving words she could not understand in a voice that entranced her. Her spirit could not resist. With one last snarl, she felt her totem submit to his will. Closing her eyes she submitted to the change as it coursed along the path of fire his spirit had forged in her body. Her eyes flew open—human eyes that could see the vibrant reds and yellows lit by moonlight in the rocks around them. Her next breath captured only the smell of sweat and
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dust, with none of the magical scents of the night that had caressed her cougar senses moments before. The steady thudding of a heartbeat filled her ears. Nilana focused on the slow rhythm and swallowed the impulse to fight. There were sharp claws in the paws resting on each side of her shoulders and face, much too sharp for her to battle with her furless human hide. Grudgingly she admitted to herself they had won this battle. The war for her future though was not yet decided.
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Chapter Two “Submit. You have been caught.” Tate’s voice was low above her, raspy with the dust of the dry, night air. Nilana flexed, trying to get even an inch of breathing space. He did not give. He had shifted from Chimaga to human in an instant, his warm fur giving way to hot, male flesh. The stroke of his body across hers as he settled snugly into her curves brought her nerves to instant awareness. Awareness she was desperate to deny. “I submit to no man. Especially when he is not man enough to have caught me alone.” She aimed for where the voice had come from and flung her head back in a desperate ploy to free herself. He read the move easily, ducking the attempted headbutt without giving her an inch. “Enough.” The sharp sound of flesh against flesh was the only warning she had before her backside erupted in a fiery burn. Damn him, it almost sounded like he was laughing at her. “Don’t push me little cat. You won’t like what you find if you do.” Nilana lay still, stunned less by the blow to her ass than by the sudden heat between her legs, and the wetness which had come with it. Why did this man have to be the one to turn her on? Her nipples pebbled beneath her, and even her human nose picked up the scent of her arousal surrounding them. His body stretched over hers, his legs anchored around hers to keep them still. The position had forced his erection into the crevice between her legs, and her body was swiftly letting her know it was a welcome hardness. Every inch of her that was pressed to him reveled in the feel of his flesh touching her. The scent of her moisture filled the air around them. He swelled in response, hot and heavy against her. Arching her back, she tried to wiggle free from the delicious weight of him.
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“Maybe you need to be petted a bit to calm you down.” It took only one of his large hands to hold both of hers. The other began a leisurely search of her body. Slowly it roamed, exploring the flesh stretched beneath him. Every inch from her ears to her ass was stroked, caressed and aroused. Nilana sucked in breath as she fought for control, twisting side to side in his grasp as she tried to move away from his hand. Her body was betraying her. She quivered under him as her hungry flesh began to respond. Her focus narrowed down until all she heard was his heartbeat, strong and steady in her ears. All she felt was his skin, hot and aroused pressed to hers. And all she smelled was him, his musk, his desire. The scent was so heavy in her nose she could taste it. It tasted like need. She didn’t want to feel his need. Escape! a voice inside was screaming. The voice did not offer a plan on how. “You’re hurting me.” It wasn’t exactly true. Her wrists did throb in his grasp. Not as much from pain, but from the touch of his skin on hers. “Could you let me go? I can’t exactly fight back in this position anyway.” “You may be down, but you’re not helpless, Wildcat. I think I’ll hold your claws out of range for now.” The hand stroking her ass seemed fascinated with her roundness. Top to bottom, it stroked the shadowed line, following it down between her thighs. Desperately she willed her body to lie still and not respond to the sensual shockwaves rippling through her. She might have been able to hold still if he hadn’t eased his weight up, his leg rolling her with him just enough to slip his hand under her hips. Nilana fought the battle against the rising desire, grinding her teeth together. Always, she was in control—of her life, her pleasures, her lovers. She wouldn’t admit even to herself this was turning her on. For an instant she had a vision of what it would be like to loosen the leash she held on her control, to have a man, this man, ruling her flesh and its needs. Nilana creamed harder at the thought.
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She banished the image from her mind. Clenching her eyes shut, she willed her body to fight the traitorous impulse to give in. Continuing its exploration, his hand came up to cup one breast, molding the fullness to fit his palm. Then it found her nipple, rubbing until the pressure built, radiating down to her core in a blinding stroke of need. She remembered her dreams from the night before, how he had moved his hands on her nipples, first rubbing, then pinching, pulling, teasing her to arousal until she could scream from her need. Her heart began to race as his actions now mimicked those of her dream. Need curled through her body like smoke rising from a newly lit fire. Her only thought was of his hand and what it was doing to the stiff crest. The instinct to rub against him in enticement warred with the urge to resist until she had nothing left to fight with. Pleasure won. Her body went stiff, then melted beneath him as he moved on. She arched her back when he reached the other breast, caressing the quivering peak with demand. His chuckle raised the fine hairs behind her ears. “I think you like my hands on you.” “Maybe I do.” She hissed the words, torn between wanting him to touch her and wishing she was anywhere but there. “Then let’s find out what else you like.” His hand slid down her front, making a path between the cool earth and her heated skin. Deliberately he stroked across her flat stomach and past the tight, ebony curls at her core. One finger brushed lightly against her bud before slipping down to tease her wetness, bringing a cry from her throat. She bit back the moan of hunger but it was beyond her to stop the thrust of her hips. Tate whispered encouragement as she rocked against him. His hand slid fully between her thighs, one finger entering her intimate folds. Her body heated until she felt on fire from his touch. The world had shrunk until there was nothing but his hands on her flesh and the need swelling in her core. “That’s it. Come for me.” His satisfied whisper was harsh in her ear.
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Sudden anger swept through her at the sound of his voice, so smug and sure he had won her. Anger at him for having caught her, and at herself for not fighting harder. She welcomed the rush of emotion, using it to push back the climax before it could sweep her away. A growl erupted from her throat where seconds before there had been a pleading whimper. “Fine. Just do it then. Have your fun, and we can finish this.” “Just do it?” His voice held amusement. Every nerve already alert, she faced the gutwrenching fear this was more than a game. “This isn’t just a fuck, Nilana.” The laugh she forced out sounded more like desperation than humor. “What is it then?” His hand tightened around her wrists. “Let’s see if you can figure it out.” His teeth nipped at the nape of her neck, finding the nerves hiding there. Licking, tasting, and finally closing his sharp teeth lightly on the sensitive flesh. “Damn you.” She gasped as a wave of pleasure rolled through her. “Can’t we get this over with?” “That mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble.” His fingers danced along her slit, two fingers slipping easily into her wetness. “You’re ready for me, Wildcat. Your body knows it, even if your mind has decided to fight it.” His hand withdrew and she heard the pleased hum he made as he licked his fingers clean. “You would wish!” Her laugh held a ring of hysteria now, but she was beyond caring. “You are a flea-ridden son of a valley dog! You may have overpowered me for now, but you will never be able to know my mind.” The sharp words flew from her lips. He grew still. Alarm skittered across suddenly tight skin. “I already know you, Nilana. Your dreams, your desires, your fears.” The hand he moved to hold her chin still smelled of her need. Firmly he turned her face until their gazes locked “Before I’m done, you’ll be screaming for me to take you. Pleading with me to make you mine.” The words were delivered with promise. “I beg no one, you—” His mouth on hers ended the words before they were finished. His tongue thrust in, bringing with it his taste, dark and demanding her surrender.
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The kiss changed everything she knew about herself. Hungry, carnal, demanding, it shook her to her core. Some part of her knew she should be fighting him, but the reasons slipped away and it became important only that she quench the fire he had brought to life. She moaned into his mouth and recognized the sound for what it was. Need. His answering groan rumbled from his throat. Lost in his kiss, she barely noticed the movement behind them, or the shifting touch on her wrists. When his lips lifted from hers, she sobbed at the loss. The world spun around her, the shadows of the full moon rotating before she realized she was the one in motion. She came to rest with her head cradled by firm thighs. Nilana looked up, seeing the man now sitting behind her still-spinning head. Cheveyo. The shaman’s hands held her wrists, his lap supporting her head. His naked chest was above hers, muscled and scarred. And his gaze was on hers. Nilana froze. His gaze held power. This man spoke with the spirits. Her breath caught in her chest. There was more than power in his gaze. There was hunger as well. “Wildcat.” Tate’s voice held a husky note she had not heard before. Strong hands spread her thighs, stroking the smooth flesh as he held them firmly apart. His head lowered to hover over her core, determined lips heating her already burning flesh. His tongue came out to tease her curls, then traced a path to the sensitive nub hidden within. “Stop!” It was too much. How could she fight him, when her body was already arching up to meet his touch? “I don’t want this!” It had been hard to fight before. It became impossible with his lips and tongue arrowed in on her pleasure. “I don’t think she meant that.” Cheveyo murmured the words. His fingers remained locked around her wrists, his gaze following the motions of the warrior between her legs. Tate hummed his agreement. One large thumb began to press down her drenched slit, spreading the moisture leaking from within while his lips coaxed her higher. Her hips bucked again, desperate to feel more. Higher she climbed, hovering on the peak. Waves of sensation washed over her until her world centered on the unbearable
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crest of need. His lips sucked her nub firmly and took her to the edge of climax. Then they released her flesh, leaving her body craving a release he wasn’t ready to give. “Don’t stop!” She tried again to thrust her hips higher and cried her frustration when hard hands held her still. His lips still moved, but they had shifted higher to tease the sensitive skin of her belly. She felt the climax slipping away, and howled her frustration. Tate’s voice called to her, demanding her attention. “Nilana. Look at me.” Her gaze snapped to meet his. His eyes were watching her, his resolute features stamped with hunger. “You can’t fight this, Wildcat. Your body knows it even if your head won’t admit it.” His finger slid inside, stroking her from her heated core. Her body convulsed around him on a gasp. Release hung just a breath away. She didn’t want to fight him right now. She wanted to come. Her body quivered on the edge, teased by the dreams of last night without fulfillment, tortured by his stroking fingers and talented mouth. When his thumb brushed lightly against her nub, her body bowed in pleasure. When his head lowered to taste her essence, she bit back another moan of longing. And when he sucked her flesh between his teeth, running the sensitive fold between his lips, sucking deeply, she felt her remnants of control fly away. “No! I don’t want—” As the mindshattering, aching pleasure ripped into her soul, she screamed his name. “Tate!” “That’s it, Wildcat.” His head came up, those brilliant eyes watching her with a gaze hot enough to scorch her. Nilana twisted against the hand still busy between her legs. “Don’t stop! Please!” Tate smiled, his gaze flickering from her to the shaman who held her wrists. “We’re not stopping. We’ve barely even begun.”
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Chapter Three Tate’s hands had slowed their movements, the strong fingers teasing her with light caresses. Now his lips lowered again, leaving a trail of damp kisses across her belly and thighs. He seemed determined to slow the pace, and drive her to insanity in the process. Nilana bit back another moan, pressing her mouth closed to hold back the pleading words that threatened to break free from her lips. She was a huntress—she was strong. She would not beg. Cheveyo’s grip loosened long enough for him to transfer both wrists to one of his large hands. The move drew her attention away from Tate and she found her gaze locked onto that of the powerful shaman. He made a low growling noise in the back of his throat, a sound of hunger. Nilana shivered as the whisper of sound slipped through the still darkness. Behind her head, she felt his hardness and knew he was as aroused now as he had been when he had called her from her cougar form. It hadn’t mattered to her before; her thoughts had been only for the warrior who held her beneath him. Now she had Cheveyo’s thick hardness only inches from her lips, and she wondered what it would feel like to take him deep into her mouth. She stilled at the thought. She wanted to taste him. As much as she wanted to feel the warrior take her again with his mouth, she wanted to turn to take Cheveyo between her lips and feel his heat within her. His eyes were watching her, narrowed with desire. He used his free hand to brush back the hair that had tangled around her neck while they subdued her. Long, black, silky strands slipped through his fingers to reveal her sensitive flesh to his heated gaze. Nilana opened her mouth, not sure if she was going to argue or beg. She didn’t get the chance to do either. Cheveyo’s lips covered hers, firm and hot against hers. The jolt of lightning passing through her at his upside down kiss shocked her, and her lips opened beneath him. His tongue entered swiftly to wage an intimate battle with her own. www.samhainpublishing.com
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The suddenness of the kiss robbed her of all but the desire to respond. Back and forth his tongue swept, first licking at her lips then thrusting deep to possess her. His position above her left her completely at his mercy, unable to do anything but respond to his motions. Her nipples hardened as his taste, the sweetness of desert honey and the smokiness of the pipe tobacco filled her senses. She strained towards him, aching to surround herself with his essence. His mouth slipped away, licking its way down her throat to the sensitive skin at the base. He was using his hold on her wrists to keep her body stretched taut. Even as his lips slid lower down her body, he held her arms higher, thrusting her breasts high into the air. She heard his voice as he whispered soft words of blessing against her skin. And then the worlds spiraled away, swept into the vortex of need his lips had created against her flesh. Her already-hard nipples pebbled into aching points of need as his breath warmed them. Then his hot, moist tongue circled one peak, delicately laving the sensitive skin. When his mouth closed around her, teeth biting lightly into the surrounding mound, she couldn’t hold back her cry. “More,” she pleaded. His hand moved to her other breast to tweak the stiff nipple between his fingers. It wasn’t enough. She felt the sudden chill between her legs where seconds before there had been heat. Her eyes opened, slowly focusing on the man who was kneeling between her upraised knees. Tate watched with approval as his friend feasted at her breasts, sucking the nipple and flesh into his mouth and letting it slip free from between his careful teeth. Tate’s fingers slid down the sensitive seam between her legs. “Wildcat, you are so wet.” One finger slid in again, then another, drawing a ragged moan from her lips. “And tight.” His fingers withdrew, and at last he moved to fill the space that had been left for his body. She ached with the need to feel him and he seemed to read her mind, fitting his hot hardness against her entrance. Nilana felt a fissure of uneasiness stab through her at his touch. He was large everywhere, and her quivering nerves focused on the shaft now pressing against her core. She shivered at the thought of being filled by his length. It wasn’t going to be an easy fit.
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Then the fear washed away as his flesh stroked hers and drew a wave of hunger from her core. She needed him to take her, to possess her, as she had never before needed a man. She’d been empty for so long. Suddenly she knew that once he had taken her to the heights of passion, she would never be empty again. With an eager cry she pressed her hips up, inviting him in. His hands cupped her hips, holding her open before him. “Look at me, Nilana.” The hard plum-shaped head of his cock was rubbing against her, spreading her wetness along his length. Their gazes met. His dark gaze flashed with his intent. Then he would wait no more. Firmly he began pushing inside, moving into the tightness surrounding him. And she writhed against him, finally done with fighting the losing battle against her desires. A moment of stillness caught her as she felt him stretching her from the inside out. He was big, too big. He wasn’t going to fit, she thought. But bit by bit her flesh ceded ground, stretching as it adjusted to the girth filling her with such incredible tightness. His finger was rubbing her clit, setting off a slow moving ripple of pleasure. “Relax, Wildcat. Let me in.” As she convulsed around him he drove into her, finding room where there had seemed none. His flesh forged a path through the clinging wetness. The harsh sound of his breath as he fought for control rasped across her ears, pushing her to the limits of her control. Every inch of her was filled with the exquisite pressure. It pulled her towards the edge of a darkness filled by an eternity of possibilities. He leaned forward, using his weight to complete the joining, until he finally was sheathed completely in her core. For a long moment, he held still while her body clenched around him. Finally he began to move, pulling out a bare finger’s width before pushing in again. Slowly in and out, each thrust finding a bit of depth that had not yet been plundered. Nilana gasped at the sensation, grinding her hips upward in a dance of lust. Heat coursed through her in ever-growing ripples. She bucked against him with a desperate sound and urged him on with cries of hunger. Whimpers of need. Demands for fulfillment.
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He smothered a laugh that ended in a groan and used his hands on her hip to slow her sensual movements. “Not so fast. We’ve got all night.” He exchanged a glance with Cheveyo. “We’ve got forever.” She didn’t want slow. She’d fought this hunger, fought them, for too long. Now that she’d stopped fighting, her needs had escaped and were rocking through her body in delighted shivers. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pulled him hungrily closer, urging him to move harder, faster. She needed his fullness, ached to feel his flesh stretching hers, joining hers. Possessing hers. The exquisite feel of her body adjusting to accommodate his cock drove her on. “Not yet, Wildcat.” Tate growled low in his chest, pulling back to kneel between her legs as he battled her for control. She reached for him, elated at the knowledge she could push him to the edge, and determined to strip away the restraint he held over himself. The shaman moved in response, taking one of her hands in each of his and holding her upper body still before bending over Nilana again. “Be still now, fierce one. Your body isn’t quite there yet. Give it time.” He crooned into her ear, his voice both soothing and demanding. Heat rolled off him in waves and warmed her where he pressed against her naked flesh Cheveyo’s mouth found hers again. He gazed deep into her eyes as he caught her in his embrace. For now, he seemed happy to leisurely nip at her lips, his tongue slipping past them to tease her. His slow, lingering caresses did what Tate had wanted. Her passion eased, from the raging fire of an inferno to the flickering flames of a well-tended blaze. Calmer now, she welcomed him in, stroking the velvety softness of his tongue with her own. His lips moved in fluid brushes over her moistness, soothing and arousing with the same caress. He released her lips, content to whisper against her ear as he watched the man between her thighs. Nilana’s gaze followed his. Tate had kept up his slow, steady movements while she was calmed by the shaman, pressing forward as her body opened around him. For long moments they rocked in the rhythm they had found, But now his patience ended.
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There was no more waiting, no more holding back. Tate lunged forward, his body blocking out the sky above until all she could see was him. His hands held him above her as he angled himself to drive into her, pounding into her wetness with his hard thrusts. Possessed as she’d never been before, Nilana cried out beneath him. She needed release. Her body, so recently calmed, soared to new heights as it drove relentlessly in search of its peak. Some part of her had been waiting for this moment since he’d ridden into camp, had been yearning for his possession since his gaze had watched hers across the fires. As his cock delved deeply into her core she arched beneath him, blind in her desperate need for release. Tate panted above her, his voice raw with mindless passion. As he thrust into her over and over, she felt the snap of her control and knew she had just opened a part of herself she’d always kept closed away. “Wildcat—” The word was ripped from his throat. Euphoria rippled across her skin and she felt his release deep within her. She came, her climax hitting in a scream of pleasure that echoed through the night and pulled her into the darkness of unknowing.
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Chapter Four Tate paced restlessly around the perimeter of the small canyon. A chilly wind blew down the dry riverbed, carrying the far-off sounds of the night hunt to his alert ears. The scent of an approaching early winter storm hung in the air, heavy with the promise of bitterly cold days and long, snowy nights. The smell was faint yet, and instinctively he noted the shifting air pressures and the dropping temperature. It would be long hours still before snow began to fall, sometime around the onset of what would be a cold and white dawn. He lifted his face to the glow of the moon, letting the tension slide away, before looking back through the shadows. Studying the naked couple still entwined together where they sprawled on the ground, Tate fought the urge to join them again. He was too restless to lie still. Nilana had fought them hard, running herself to near exhaustion, and her body needed this brief rest to recover. She slept deeply, her lean curves a dark shadow against the lighter skin of the shaman. Not one to be watched unawares Cheveyo threw him a rare smile, but his hands continued stroking soothingly through long waves of midnight hair that flowed across his chest. With a deep breath, Tate allowed himself to relax fully. The long journey here had finally reached its end. And hopefully, a new beginning had arrived as well. It was a journey that had started nearly ten winters ago, when his father had fallen in a raid. Tate had led out the tribe’s warriors the next morning, leaving camp as a vengeful son and returning a battle-proven chief. The people of the Meskwaku tribe had followed him without question. The years since their rout of the Jurunga had seen his tribe grow in size and wealth. Many warm buffalo skins lined the lodges of his people, and each year saw the tribe grow with its bounty. Plentiful amounts of food were put aside each summer and fall to fill the cooking pots until the spring thaw.
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He’d taken no woman as mate. Even in the coldest, darkest nights of winter, he felt no temptation to join his path with another. Cheveyo had advised him well during those years, teaching him the history of the great warrior chiefs before him. His relationship with the older shaman had grown from one of a surrogate father and son, to a deep and enduring friendship. There was no one he trusted more, no other he would consider sharing his mate with. Yet sharing Nilana with Cheveyo had felt every bit as natural as the instinctive urge to possess the huntress. Proud and determined, she was everything he’d hoped for, every bit the treasure Cheveyo had spirit dreamed. As a huntress, she was one of the best he’d ever seen, coming close to matching his skills when she hunted as a cougar. Nilana had strength and spirit, and had used both during the chase. Several times, she had almost lost them as they raced through the night. Her beauty was that of the proud cougar she channeled, all elegance and sleek muscles that flowed with her graceful motions. Those long, slender legs were now draped across those of his friend in sleep, but he remembered well how they had felt pulling him closer at the peak of her climax. Her ass was deliciously rounded, with muscled curves and shadowed delights. His cock hardened, his balls drawing tight with need. Watching her as she slept, thinking of the pleasure just shared, was enough to bring him to aching hardness. Tate reined in his hunger. He’d been fighting it since the moment she’d caught him in her obsidian gaze. He wanted her like he’d wanted no other. From the night Cheveyo had come to him to share his spirit dream, he’d carried in his mind a vision of what the future for his tribe could be. The shaman had dream walked, and in his vision had seen a future which could have the Meskwaku become one of the most respected, most powerful of tribes. That future depended on finding the rarest of mates, a woman strong enough to bind the physical power of a warrior chief to the spiritual strength of a great shaman. Cheveyo’s dream had led them far south to the hunt. As soon as he had laid eyes on Nilana, he had known she was the one. This great huntress could stand at his side, fierce enough to defend his tribe in battle, passionate enough to come eagerly to his bed and
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give him the children his tribe depended on. Children he suddenly yearned for, almost as much as he craved the feel of her flesh welcoming him into her heat. His tribe needed her. Cheveyo, often solemn but now relaxed with her in his arms, needed her. And he needed her, body and soul. He had to convince her she needed them every bit as much. She had fought them with all the strength she had. He’d recognized a desperation in her that puzzled him. Her body had eagerly responded to their touch, opening like the great, golden flower unfurling its petals as it rose to meet the summer sun. But her mind had refused to give in, even as her voice had echoed with fear. Cheveyo spoke softly. “She is more afraid of herself than she is of us.” Tate had long since given up being surprised when the shaman read his thoughts. “But what is it she fears? We offer her greatness—mate of both warrior and shaman, mother to our sons and daughters.” “At what price comes greatness? For our huntress, it would mean leaving behind the friends, the land she knows. The life she knows. Fear is not an unreasonable response.” Tate stalked over to tower over them. “It is the way of our people. She will learn to love her new tribe, and her new life.” He crouched down, one hand reaching out possessively to stroke the smooth skin of her cheek. He’d never thought to feel this way for a woman. To crave the feel of her skin under his and the thrill of the sound of his voice on her tongue. Now he had found her, there was no chance he’d let her go. She’d already captured his heart. He just had to convince her to keep it.
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Chapter Five Through the darkness she ran. Looking down, she saw her body was a translucent wraith of smoke. She ran not on the earth but across the moonlit sky. Beside her came the thud, thud, thud of a steady-beating heart. It echoed loudly in the dark and drowned out any sounds of the world below them. Turning her head, she found she ran alongside the specter of the Great Spirit, he who watched over the earth and her people. Awestruck, she stopped to face the spirit form of the totem. Greetings, Great Father. She bowed her head in respectful welcome. Her lips of mist did not move, yet the words hung in the air between them. Greetings, my huntress. His head nodded briefly in return. He studied her for a long moment. Run with me. While the night wind swirled across the skies, she found herself again stretching her legs with the mighty spirit. For long moments, they raced through the night. As their shadows rushed across the ground far below, she saw the Great Plains fall away behind them and the northern hills begin to form ahead. Soon they were crossing them, and ahead stretched the vast length of the Rock Yellow River. Along its banks, she could see a large camp settled on the edge of the river. It was near winter this far north, and she knew the people here had begun the trip to their winter lands. The Great Spirit stopped above the sleeping tribe. His voice carried both compassion and hope when he spoke again. Look closely at my people, Huntress. Tell me what you see. She studied the lodges carefully. They seemed well-formed, and well-cared for. Several fires smoldered in the dark, the flames keeping pots simmering throughout the cold night. She could see guards on the outskirts, keeping watch over the families that slept in their care. www.samhainpublishing.com
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The whimper of a baby came from one, quickly soothed by a loving whisper. Outside the door of that lodge sat a small, wooden frame, designed to carry an infant during the long walk. Her back itched, imagining what it would feel like to carry the precious burden. I see your people, Great Father. Sleeping secure in the night under your watchful eye. He sighed gently. Look closer, my daughter. Look with the eye of a huntress, the instincts of a warrior. She studied it again, this time looking as a huntress. And then she saw it. The great lodge of the chief, their leader, was dark. Its skins were pulled back to show the emptiness inside. And beside it, the lodge of the shaman was also dark and still. Together they formed a deep shadow instead of being the center of the vibrant life of the tribe. The other sleeping lodges were set closely a slight distance away, as if gathering strength by their nearness. It was a strength that should have come from the presence of the tribe’s leaders. This is the tribe of Tate and Cheveyo? She knew the answer even as she asked. Come. Our time is near an end. He spun on shadowy paws without answering and began the return run, forcing her to follow. Why have they left the tribe leaderless on the winter journey? They have not abandoned their people, Nilana. They travel to strengthen them. To find a mate who will share their hearth. One who will complete them. Who will bring new life and new possibilities to their tribe. A shiver of denial shuddered across her fur. Why have you shown me this? Look inside, Nilana. Your spirit knows the answer to your question. He stopped running again to stare into her eyes, his gaze full of love and expectations. She looked away, unable to hide her fear. I cannot give them what they seek, Great Spirit. Are you truly sure? His wise voice, full of compassion, soothed her heart.
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I know nothing of being a mate, of tending and caring for a family. I am a huntress. It is where my future lies. Tears filled her eyes as she whispered the words. Why are you so quick to deny the possibility? I do not ask for this! Why was this being thrust on her? But now that the possibilities had been shown to her, it was harder than it should have been to banish the images from her mind. The small pack, leaning outside the lodge. The sounds of passion in the night. The feel of her body, caressed and pleasured by two men who had followed her where none before had dared or desired. The crack that had opened in her soul when she joined with Tate spread wider, and for the first time she questioned her chosen path. Was a life as a huntress all she wanted? Would it be enough to fill the long days and longer nights ahead? You have run for many days as Nilana the solitary huntress. For six years, no man has claimed you in the hunt. Word of the huntress has spread far among the Chimaga, little one. His rich voice rolled over her, deep with loving approval. Nilana felt the rush of pride sweep through her. It was a good thing, to have pleased the Great Spirit. Your approval warms me, my Father. But you have allowed your gifts to cage your life, when they were only ever intended to enhance it. He began running again as he spoke, and she was forced to follow. Ahead she saw the dark shadow of the dry canyon, and she knew their spirit run was coming to an end. Now you have a choice to make my daughter. Look in your heart. Let your strengths guide you, not cage you in a life you were not meant to live. They slowed to a stop, and she felt the gentle caress of his spirit as it stroked her own. Choose wisely, brave huntress. And then he was gone into the night, leaving her to think of the future that she’d always thought awaited and a future that she’d not dared to consider.
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Chapter Six Nilana rolled sleepily to her side, burrowing into the hardness behind her. It felt amazingly warm, almost alive, much better than the furs that filled her sleeping lodge. Sudden alertness rushed through her, and her eyes snapped open. She definitely was not in her lodge. The words of the Great Spirit slid away, leaving a reassuring knowledge in her heart where there had been nothing but doubts and fears. Tate’s ebony gaze stared back at her from inches away. His large body covered the hard ground beside her. One strong hand lay under his head, the other rested firmly on her hip. Smiling with satisfaction, he said, “Welcome back.” His slid his hand up to cup her breast, rubbing the nipple lightly between his fingers. She sucked in a startled breath. It felt more than good, his fingers on her skin. It felt right. Arousal flooded through her veins. As awareness returned to her, she recognized the heat against her back as Cheveyo. Nilana looked over her shoulder, finding the deep green eyes of the shaman only inches away. Steady and measuring they watched her for a reaction. Shadowed with restrained passion, they burned into her. He still smelled of hunger and need. Lying between the two men, cradled in their heat, she searched inside for the panic she’d felt earlier. It was gone. Serenity dawned in its place and she turned back to face the warrior. “You did not force the spirit mating.” Her voice sounded husky from the desire that was again winding its way through her body. She took a deep breath and pushed the heat aside, determined to focus on the answer. “We would not force on you what you did not welcome fully.” Tate’s gaze flickered from hers to meet Cheveyo’s. “No matter how strong our desire.” His hand continued its caress. Her stomach clenched as her need swelled anew.
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They had not forced her. Her totem roared inside her, proud and unbeaten. And hungry. Their bodies had joined, but their totems had not mated. The cougar spirit paced inside her, wanting more than it had been given. The beast yearned for the completion of joining with its mates. Nilana knew the primitive urge would grow until the moon had crossed the sky and passed beyond the horizon. She felt a touch of awe knowing they had held off what must have been an overwhelming urge to complete the joining under the pull of the harvest moon. She was yet a Chimaga huntress, free to run alone. No decisions had been pushed on her this night. But they had awoken a part of her she did not know lived before she had run with them under the moon. Wants she had never thought to fulfill had been brought to life. She had reveled in their hunt. For every spurt of fear coursing to life, there had been an answering excitement. This night she found not one, but two men who had made her feel alive in a way she never thought to find. The flames they brought to life burned brightly under their attention. And without that attention, the fire would settle down to mere embers, burning in the ash. “I am a huntress,” she whispered. “The Great Spirit’s gifts are not to be taken away by whim. I will let no man take that from me with a mating.” Cheveyo spooned tighter against her from behind. His hard cock pressed tight between them. The impulse rose inside her to wiggle against him, freeing him to slide between her legs from behind. She fought the urge. “We will not take what is not offered. No matter how sweet the prize.” The shaman whispered the words over her shoulder, soothing her with his voice. “We would never demand from you more than you give to us willingly. But tonight, if you choose it, we will be your eager partners, sharing in the light of the moon.” Nilana froze in confusion. Cheveyo’s words were a balm to the rawness that had sprung to life inside her. She fought once more the warring impulses of her spirit as a voice inside urged her to flee, while another pleaded with her to stay. If she said no to
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what they asked, they would release her. Or she could remain, join with them both, and know a passion like she’d never experienced before. It was the urge to stay that had her nipples drawing to tight beads beneath Tate’s knowing fingers. It was the urge to flee that held her still in their grasp. “Will you be with us tonight, huntress Nilana?” The shaman’s words were a mere whisper in the shadows of the night, but they arrowed their way into her core. Why was she was fighting this? Fear or no, she had never felt this need to stay with another before. They had proved their honor. They would not bind their totems without her agreement. There was nothing to hold her back from one night of pleasure. It could be a chance to create memories that would feed this new flame of life, long after they had gone. She met Tate’s gaze again, saw his eyebrow raised in question. He had been waiting, watching. Now he spoke softly. “We ran the harvest hunt as Chimaga, and the pleasure was sweet. We joined with you under the light of the full moon, offering ourselves to the Great Spirit as tradition demands. Now we ask you for this one night. Will you stay with us?” Shaken by her desire to stay, she lowered her gaze. If she stayed, would she be able to walk away? Would they be able to let her? With a deep breath she took the leap of a lifetime. Nilana pushed the words of the Great Spirit aside and gave into her desires. Raising a hand, she brushed her fingers across Tate’s lips. He sucked tenderly at the sensitive pads, encouraging her to slip one into the dampness of his mouth. His teeth and tongue awoke every sensitive nerve from tip to base when she did. She remembered that same mouth as it had ravished her, and felt her body melt at the thought. “I offer only tonight.” Nilana forced the words from her lips, lips that were burning for their kisses. Fear still coiled in her stomach at the thought of losing her freedom forever. “But if one night is all we can have, let us make the most of it.” She turned her head to find Cheveyo’s lips waiting a breath away. She swallowed and nodded, allowing herself a small smile of anticipation. “Yes.”
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He nipped her lower lip, licked at its upper twin. Nibbled his way along them, soothing the stinging flesh with his tongue. Then he took possession of her mouth with thorough control that had her gasping his name. She pressed back into him and settled her body along his until she felt his heat all along her backside, enjoying his sounds of arousal as his cock pressed between her buttocks. His rigidly hard flesh all but burned against her skin. “Nilana.” He groaned, the sound of feral hunger. “Oh, yes.” She lifted one leg, leaving him no doubt what she was offering. She wanted him inside her, needed to feel his hard length pushing into her. “You’re even more beautiful here in my arms than you were in my vision.” “Vision?” She managed to squeeze the word out past the rumble of pleasure building in her chest. “I had the most incredible spirit walk last moon.” His hand was hot on her stomach, rubbing in exquisitely delicate circles across her skin. “Of a powerful huntress, running with us under the harvest fullness.” She felt the pattern he was weaving on her flesh as if it were being drawn with live fire. She wiggled against him, not wanting him to stop either his words or his hands. “A huntress?” She forced the words through a throat tight with need. “A great huntress, full of passion and strength. She led us on the hunt of a lifetime. The entire tribe celebrated great success with her in our circle. With her by our side, my vision showed we will have many seasons of fruitful hunts.” Cheveyo’s hand slid between her thighs. His fingers found her already drenched in anticipation. “Our children will grow strong and be many with such a mate.” “Children.” The image of a tiny child in her arms, his eyes as brilliant green as the shaman who spoke to her, filled her mind. “Many children.” His head bowed over her shoulder as he slid two fingers into her wetness. “Your body is wet for us.” Tate’s voice picked up when Cheveyo’s trailed off.
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“The spirit told us we would find our huntress at the harvest hunt. And so we came. And found the most exquisite of all Chimaga did indeed run with the hunters of her tribe. We had hoped our vision would come to be true.” Tate took her mouth, claiming her lips as his. Her belly tightened in fierce hunger, echoed by the moisture gathering between her thighs. His lips curled up into a smile as he pulled away. Then his hands were on her shoulders, firmly urging her to roll in the slight space between them. When she came still again, she had reversed direction, and she was staring at the broad, scarred chest of the shaman. Cheveyo’s gaze captured her as he continued his seduction with words. “In my dreams, she danced the maiden dance, her body bringing us such pleasure as she moved to the drums. And her spirit followed us through our dreams.” Cheveyo cupped her head, bringing her mouth back to his. His tongue swirled around hers, slow, sensuous and tasting of the night. His erection pumped against her thighs and belly, reminding her he had only watched while she and Tate had joined earlier. He had enjoyed no satisfaction, other than what he gained by watching. Nilana leaned into his kiss. She was ready for him. Behind her, Tate had cuddled close as he spoke. She was vaguely aware when one hand slipped around her waist to hold her tight. She gasped in surprise when his free hand raised her knee, then slipped behind her to caress the line from ass to clit. He was holding back now, watching as his friend brought his body to hers. But she sensed he was not going to be the passive onlooker the shaman had been. Tate’s words flowed over her like the warm, summer wind, seducing her spirit as surely as the shaman’s hands were seducing her body. “She was a woman like no other, generous in body and spirit. She faced our foes without fear, and brought joy to our lodge. And the mating of warrior, shaman and huntress was blessed by the spirits as a time of bounty.” She moaned as Cheveyo’s exploring fingers traced her clit. Stroking, rubbing, he took her quickly to the edge of climax. She arched into his hand demandingly, her eyes drifting shut as she fought towards release. Her body wanted him inside her. She burned
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to feel him stretching her, filling her. With Tate’s words still echoing in her ears, she longed to feel the power of joining their bodies, if not their spirits. Cheveyo’s voice rumbled softly. “Open your eyes. I want to see you when we come together.” Great Spirit, yes. She looked up to see him watching her with hunger curling his lips. Their gazes locked, and he whispered her name. “Nilana.” He entered her, the first few thick inches caressing the walls of her passage. He paused when she moaned, concern reflecting in his gaze. “Are you—” “More. Don’t stop.” She whimpered softly. “I’m burning inside for you to fill me. Please, Cheveyo?” Her hips undulated against him, trying to gain more of those long, hard inches for her hungry body as she sensed him holding back. He groaned against her. “You are ready for all of me?” He drew back, thrust forward, and gained another inch for his efforts. “Yes!” Her body was moving hungrily against his now. He lifted her in one smooth movement and rolled until she was atop him. Pushing her thighs wide, he held her upright and groaned as her weight pushed her further down his shaft. “Then take me, Huntress. Take me in your heat.” His hips shifted beneath her, and he began a slow, rocking motion that thrust him into her core with each powerful push. Nilana arched her back. Her body opened above him, eager dew sliding from her nether lips and trailing down her thighs with each rise and fall. She let the weight of her body pull her down over him, inch by thick inch. The control was in her hands, and she abandoned herself to the sweet agony of her need. Up and down she rose and fell, relishing the feeling of fullness as he was sheathed within her. It felt good. It felt perfectly right. Her body began to dance atop his, following a sensual rhythm as free as the night around them. Her head thrown back, she felt the rise of the climax as it swelled inside her. Straddling his hips, she rose with the surging peak and rode it to ecstasy as release rushed through her in a long, hot wave. She collapsed above him as the climax hit her, shattering her with its force.
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As she trembled against him, he rolled, holding her tight around him. And then, kneeling between her legs, he called her name. With his gaze locked to hers, he began to thrust, harder and faster. From beside her, Tate’s warm hands covered her breasts, pinching and rolling her nipples into sharp buds of delighted sensation. His shaft jutted from his thighs, the broad head inches from her lips. She turned her head until her breath washed across him, and a drop of clear fluid appeared at the tip. Wanting to taste him, needing to bring him into their pleasure, she raised her head and stroked the swollen flesh with her tongue. “Ahhh, Wildcat.” Tate pulsed beneath her tongue. “Lick me. Taste me as I tasted you.” Opening her mouth, she gave him an invitation he could not refuse. In an instant he knelt over her, placing his cock within reach. His shaft filled her mouth. She sucked him deeper as he groaned and pressed into her throat. Sucking firmly, she closed her lips around him. His hands cupped her head and urged her to take him deeper, an invitation she couldn’t refuse. Greedily she pulled him into her mouth, sucking his hardness until she felt her throat close around him. Matching Cheveyo’s thrusts, she began milking the warrior with her tongue, urging him to find release. When the shaman’s thumb arrowed in to press against her clit, she closed her eyes and sucked harder. The air around them grew scented with their passion and echoed with their cries. Cheveyo tensed between her legs, his breath caught in his chest. It escaped on a long delighted growl. His orgasm shuddered through him, and his thumb squeezed her nub against his finger. With a groan she shuddered with ecstasy and dissolved beneath him. Tate grunted above her. His body quivered, and with a final thrust, he surged deep into her mouth, his hot seed spurting into her eager throat. The sounds of their climax followed the watchful moon as it traveled across the autumn sky.
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Chapter Seven “We need to head back, my friend.” Cheveyo spoke softly, holding to the delicate sense of balance the three had reached. He wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the night here with the woman they had come so far to find. But the night air was growing cold, and the scent of snow now filled the air. Tate had risen again moments before to pace restlessly around the canyon once more. The harsh lines of the warrior’s face were set in the commanding mask Cheveyo had long since grown accustomed to. Behind the self-assured front, he could see the worry that weighed on his friend’s heart. The source of that worry lay quietly in his arms. Not sleeping, but deliberately avoiding their gazes. Knowing she had much to think about, he left her to her thoughts and enjoyed the moment. Her hot, exotic scent teased his senses. The smell of sex was ripe in the air. The reminders of their combined pleasure rode his senses, keeping him aroused even after the incredible climax she had brought him to only moments before. She was perfect. Her face was delicately formed, even more striking in person than in his dreams. The slim cheekbones and long nose were in perfect balance with her deepset eyes. Full, lush lips were perfectly fitted for him. Her life had shaped and honed her body, until it became both weapon and tool. Tonight it had been a tool of pleasure. Cheveyo stroked a hand down the curve of her back, relishing her warm flesh against his. She was a strong woman. Every line in her body was carved of muscle. Smooth skin covered her strength, lending grace to the power. Watching her dissolve into climax with Tate had been like watching two great storm fronts collide over Yellow River Peak—two beautifully formed forces of power, coming together with a rush of wild energy and booming command.
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Yet as much as he was aroused by her physical strength, he respected the quickness of her mind. It took great skill and an intelligent mind to become a huntress in a world where men were the providers. More than that, it had taken determination to keep the males of her pack from forcing her submission. He’d seen her sharpness in action as she tried to elude them during the hunt. Only the early scouting that Tate habitually did before a hunt had allowed them to force her into their trap. He murmured a quick thank you to the Great Spirit for the blessings she had been granted, both in body and intellect, and added a quick prayer for guidance. A shadow passed before the moon as the gathering clouds thickened. He met Tate’s gaze as the warrior came to stand beside them. “Let us head back before the snow catches us here unprepared.” Tate spoke with an ease of command, and Nilana nodded her agreement even as she slipped from Cheveyo’s arms. Cheveyo fought the impulse to hold her tight and rose to his feet. Quickly they shifted and headed out into the darkness of the night. Cheveyo ran behind the other two as they ran back towards the gathered tribes, using the time to study Nilana with Tate more closely. She moved with a natural grace, every motion a fluid dance. Her delicate ears lay close to the fine bones of her skull, flickering to follow the sounds of the night around them. Tate ran shoulder to shoulder with her, his muscular body a perfect frame for her feminine shape. Already they had found a rhythm, one guarding the other as each searched the darkness for danger. With wordless communication they veered in perfect harmony up the shallow side of the dry canyon, feet moving in synchronized harmony. She wouldn’t admit it, but her spirit had already made a choice. Now they just had to convince her heart. The memory of the fragile smile that had too briefly graced her lips was forever seared into his heart. For that one moment, she had sparkled with more than beauty. He had wanted nothing more than to make her smile again and again, and keep that look of utter fulfillment on her face forever.
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It had been barely over a month since he’d first dreamed her face. In many ways, she was still a mystery to him. She was a woman who would confront danger with great courage, yet right now she hid the source of her fear—even from herself. Having watched her with the gathered people of the southern tribes, he’d seen how easily she talked to the oldest warriors or the youngest of maidens. With a sympathetic ear or a helping hand, she found a way to put those around her at ease. Yet for all her grace with others she held herself back, not allowing herself to engage on a deeper level with the people around her. At night she had gone to her lodge alone, sharing her furs with no other. For a woman whose spirit called to the people around her, she lived curiously removed. In his deepest dreams, she had captivated him. She’d been a light in the dark, and he had spent many nights in spirit walk to find her. When finally he had stared into her eyes, he’d known he had found his soul waiting for him there. And it had taken only that one smile to complete him. Love surged through him, fierce and protective. He would find out what she feared. And he would show her that together they had the strength and courage enough to face any battle.
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Chapter Eight A mating. Nilana had never thought the choice would come to her. Now she lay in her lodge sheltered between the two most captivating men she’d ever met, filled with a fierce longing for the very thing she feared most. “It’s hard, isn’t it?” Tate’s voice washed over her with the warm heat of smoke from a fire. “Having to face the possibilities.” “I can’t be what you want me to be. Who you need me to be.” Her words were strained. “I am a huntress. I can’t be your mate.” She buried her face in his broad shoulder, wishing she could stop the night from slipping away. Cheveyo sat up beside her, his hard body leaning over hers. “You are a huntress. No one has denied that. Why do you keep saying it as if it is what holds you back?” Filled with frustration, Nilana met his gaze. How could he be this dense? “I could never understand how the other women can be content, happy waiting at the camp for the hunters to return. Cooking, tending the lodge, cleaning the kill. That is the life of a woman once mated. I have no skills for such a life! I would be a failure as a mate.” “You could never be a failure at anything you put your heart to. But no one is asking you to become a cook.” Tate added his voice to that of his shaman. “Wildcat, we need a mate who is our partner. Someone to bring her strength to our pack, and to our lodge. If we looked only for a cook, or a woman to bear our children, we would not have had the need to travel the long weeks to the harvest hunt.” She remained still, listening to what they said. Wanting to believe them with all her heart—a heart they had opened to desires she had never thought to discover when the mating hunt had begun. They surrounded her, Cheveyo sitting on one side, Tate still
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cradling her close from behind. And she felt the beginning of hope spread through her veins. “We can go back to our tribe unmated.” Tate spoke the words, his voice tight and unhappy behind her. “And our lives will go on. Although they will be darker without you. Our spirits will miss what they have found in you, the piece that completes our whole. But we don’t want to. We don’t want to live without you beside us. We want to mate, to join our spirit totems to yours as our flesh merges and binds us into one. We would choose to build our tribe, our future, with you—Nilana, great huntress, who could be our mate.” “Is it truly hard to accept that you could find happiness with us?” Cheveyo asked at last. “Have we been that unpleasing to your body and spirit?” His lips curved up in a small smile with the last, but his gaze was steady on hers. Staring into his eyes, she felt the first buds of acceptance come to life within her. She smiled at him, admiring him in his scarred perfection. Reflected in his eyes she could see herself, held tight by the muscled arms of the warrior behind her. Her heart beat fast in her chest, filled with a joy she’d never thought to know. She held her hand out to him in invitation, surprised at its steadiness when she faced such a momentous decision. But then in her heart, she was sure. “You have certainly been pleasing my body. Now it’s time for you to please my spirit as well. Let us mate.” Tate’s roar of satisfaction filled the air. Nilana laughed, knowing the lodges near them would certainly have heard the sound and known the reason. With a smile for Cheveyo, she pulled him down by her side. He came to her willingly, eagerly, his lips latching onto first one dusky nipple then the other with a deep groan of hunger. Her back arched as arrows of heat ran through her veins. Turning to Tate, she met his mouth with hers. His tongue entered her hungrily, and she leaned into his kiss. His cock pressed against her hip, and she wiggled teasingly against him.
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In her spirit, she felt her cougar begin to stir. Her totem wanted this with a hunger that rapidly spread to consume her body. A welcoming dampness grew between her thighs. She needed them. Needed them both, her warrior and shaman. She moaned into Tate’s mouth and rolled to follow him to the ground. Twisting his hips, he settled on his back and pulled her over his shaft. His musk rolled off his skin now in waves, and she wanted to wallow against him until her body was marked with his scent. His large hands cupped her breasts, fingers massaging the nipples into tight points of fiery pleasure. Cheveyo licked her neck, sucking the sensitive flesh into his teeth and biting gently. Releasing her, he moved down her back to lick gently at the curve of her hips and backside. His lips left a trail of fire down the cleft of her buttocks. His hand moved between her thighs, and a pleased sigh came from him at the moisture he found there. His fingers dipped into her channel and pulled a gasp from her with the thrust of one finger deep inside her. Stroking deeply, he allowed her dew to coat him heavily. Then a finger was there at the rosebud of her ass, pressing firmly past the tight outer ring. Nilana gasped, arching her body away from him. Not in denial, but in shock at the unknown pressure. Tate had paused expectantly beneath her, waiting at the entrance of her core. Now he surged forward, using her instinctive movements to work his way deep inside her heat with a single thrust. And there she poised, balanced on the pinnacle of pleasure, with delight stroking hot across her core. She whimpered, hanging still and motionless between them. Then she felt the spirit inside her spring to life and began to move with the desires of her beast. Leaning forward into Tate’s hands, she lowered her chest to press against his. Her bottom was thrust high in the air, clearly offering her submission to their demands. The cock that filled her began to move, and she reveled in the sensation of her flesh stretching to adapt to the thickness within. “Ride with me, Wildcat. Let our spirits show you what pleasure we can find together.” Tate urged her into sensuous motion atop him, while he thrust into her deeply.
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The burning pressure behind her grew, and she felt the stretching as a second finger joined the first. Finally a third, and she began to moan low in her throat. Her hips rose and fell. Each rise took her into the sweet, burning pain behind her. Each fall onto Tate’s hardness raked her across the edge of ecstasy as nerve endings inside she’d not known existed were treated to a fiery pleasure. Cheveyo groaned as he at last allowed his control to break. His cougar came forth in a growl of demand, and she felt him move to cover her. His front curved around her back as he positioned the broad head of his cock against her buttocks, and pushed. Nilana experienced the huge pressure, but this time she was ready. She pushed out eagerly, welcoming the harsh fire of his entry, letting his thrust fill her at the moment she settled fully into the rigid staff that filled her womb. Their double penetration strummed across her body in a wave of consuming pleasure. Tate’s knees rose, and he began a rapid thrusting that kept her in a state of constant movement as he pushed her up, then allowed the weight of Cheveyo to force her back down. Burning ever higher, she felt the pull of climax as it raced towards her. As she screamed out her pleasure, she heard her lovers growl their possession in return. She felt the beginnings of a piercing pain , as the two cocks that filled her began to develop the barbs that would bind them through the mating. Every nerve screamed to life while her body adapted, agony mixed with an ecstasy she’d never dreamed existed. Eagerly she embraced both the pain and pleasure of the physical binding that would echo the spiritual bond of their mating. Throwing back her head, she caught sight of the moon through the smoke hole as it spun across the heavens. With a final growl, she released her cougar and let it possess her body, eager to merge her spirit with those of her chosen mates. Tate roared beneath her. His eyes clenched shut, then opened to stare at her with the slitted eyes of his cougar. Midnight black, they captured her in their commanding gaze. His hand lifted to stroke her core, circling the bud that ached for his touch. Once, twice he rubbed before she exploded in release against him, feeling her cougar scream a welcome along the tie that bound their spirits.
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Nilana bucked wildly as the climax swept through her. She felt Cheveyo’s teeth close around her neck again, holding her tightly between strong jaws. Then his spirit swept into her as well, and the three beasts came together in a rush of sensation that scorched her to her soul. Their minds joined together with their spirits, and she felt the bond growing stronger. She wallowed in the glorious and intoxicating joy of the moment, the dark, carnal delight they shared from their mating. Their minds began to race in tandem, thought and feeling springing from one to another until there was no telling where her body stopped and her spirit began. Every moment of their ecstasy became hers, driving her up higher until she could swear she touched the sky itself. Great Spirit, what did I ever do to deserve this? She couldn’t tell where the thought came from or whose heart had first felt it. She only knew it was now a feeling that lived and grew in all three of them. Every breath deepened their bond until she thought she sensed eternity down the long link, a melding with no beginning and no end, only the certainty of forever. As one, the men tensed, swelling inside her. Front and back, their bodies tied to hers in a physical joining that would hold them locked together. She felt the orgasms sweep their bodies, and her body began to quiver in response. On and on it went, her passages clenching as her body milked the fluids from their shafts. “Wildcat.” Tate’s mouth found hers with a soul-searing kiss. Thoroughly, lingeringly he possessed her, claiming the right to bind her to him for eternity. She pulled away at last and turned her head to meet the gaze of Cheveyo. She was not surprised to see his eyes had taken their animal shape, deep green gems that glittered with satisfaction. His tongue was more demanding as he staked his equal claim, warring with her until she sighed her submission. We found you. Nilana heard the words come through the bond, two very satisfied male voices speaking as one. The warmth of their love filled her.
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She knew she had found not one, but two men to call her own. Men who would never ask her to be what she was not, and who treasured her for what she was. She could taste the bitter remnants of their fear she would not mate, and she rejoiced in their overwhelming bliss at having gained her acceptance. Cuddled between them, she found her home. As they lay joined together and relished the bond of their mating, she slid into sleep hearing a final loving thought make its way through their joining. Welcome home, brave huntress. Welcome home.
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About the Author To learn more about Ember Case, please visit www.embercase.com. Send an email to Ember at
[email protected] or join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other readers as well as Ember Case http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EmberCase
Dragons. Just the word conjures visions of a dreamworld filled with magic. Fiery passion. Love without boundaries.
I Dream of Dragons Available Now In Bianca D'Arc's Wings of Change, one young woman could be the miracle that heals a dying dragon—and supplies the missing piece to his family. At the risk of her own heart, a knight issues a challenge to quell a troublesome dragon in Summer Devon's Knight's Challenge. Eve is a master manipulator, but two brother dragons catch her off-guard and turn her resistance to putty in Marie Harte's The Dragons’ Demon. In Kathleen Scott's Dragon Tamer, Serrah and Darion race against time to find out what is killing the precious dragons of Cambry. Nina Mamone's Hard to Guard forces two dragon guardians into a reluctant partnership to track down a kidnapped wyrm. Are you ready for this world? Get ready to be swept away on the wings of dragons.
Their love knew no shape, no limit, no boundary. Until someone destroyed their trust.
Trinity Broken © 2007 Jamie Craig Scientist Joshua Ames committed the unforgivable sin. He fell in love with his research subjects, shapeshifters Cameron and Sara. Despite the taboo against humans mingling with shifters, Josh left his life behind and moved into theirs without regret. Then Sara disappeared. When Josh and Cam finally find her, she is unconscious, emaciated and shackled. They thought the hard part was living without her. But as soon as Sara wakes, they realize the hard part will be putting their lives back together. Sara barely remembers life with Cam and Josh. All she remembers is a monster, a shifter who wore Cam’s face, who tortured and tested her for two long years. Without a home, conditioned to fear her own abilities, Sara struggles to start over. Solving the mystery behind Sara’s kidnapping is the key to her recovery, because whoever destroyed their relationship is hunting her, intent on getting her back. The truth could bring the three lovers peace—or send them spiraling apart. Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex including m/m and m/m/f, graphic language, violence. Enjoy the following excerpt for Trinity Broken:
Sara sat up against the headboard. Without looking away from Cam, she slowly shut her eyes and inhaled. “That’s good,” Josh said. “Now, we want to clear your mind. When you exhale, focus on how you feel when you breathe, what your lungs are doing. With your next breath, just focus on how it feels to inhale.” Cam’s voice sounded softer with her eyes closed, like the caress of a warm summer wind. Following his instruction was frighteningly simple, and when she took in a second
breath, she loosened the fingers she’d had crushed around Josh’s, the sensation of her chest rising and falling hypnotic. He coaxed her through the breathing exercise for what could have been several minutes. His voice was lulling, even soothing, and soon, she could feel Josh’s breath begin to echo hers, like he was following the same directions. “Now I want you to think about the first form you ever shifted into. I want you to think about every single detail. What did it feel like to shift? What did you look like? Recreate it.” It was a memory she had relived more than once. Josh had been fascinated by the stories of her childhood, and even Cam had been amused and more than a little impressed when he heard how early she’d done her first shift. She was two, and the world was a loud place, with laughter and the television blaring in the background and her father playing Santana’s ‘Abraxas’ over and over and over again. And there was Tofu curled up under the coffee table, her long black tail swishing around the wooden legs. It was easy to crawl over, easy not to get stopped, not so easy to actually catch the cat’s tail before Tofu woke up and leapt out of the way, jumping to the window ledge and glaring down at Sara with narrowed eyes. Her mother went out into the kitchen, and her father trailed afterward, and all Sara could see was the cat’s black tail, sweeping along the wall beneath the ledge. The weight of Josh’s arm disappeared, and the mattress moved beneath her bottom. It took Sara a moment to realize that the bed hadn’t shifted. She had. Sara immediately backed into Josh’s body, trying to wedge herself in the space between his back and the bed. “Sara.” Cam’s voice startled her, and she ducked against the pillows. “Hey,” Josh murmured, lifting her and repositioning her on the bed. “Be careful there.” “Sara, don’t tense up and be frightened. You’ll lose your concentration. Look.”
Her nose quivered as Cam’s distinct smell faded, replaced by the scent of another cat. Opening her eyes felt odd this time, especially with her perspective unexpectedly altered. Josh’s legs were mountains in front of her, while on the chair sat a large ginger tom. With blue eyes. Her tail flicked. Cam only blinked. She should have been terrified. Just because she couldn’t see his face didn’t mean she didn’t know it was Cam sitting there. And her captors had made him—the other him—shift in front of her all the time. That was his whole purpose for being there, she’d reasoned. However, they’d never had him shift into an everyday, normal housecat. This wasn’t scary. She’d seen him, fought him, even flown with him, in guises more dangerous than this one. Her tail flicked again. Cam dropped to his haunches, wiggled his back legs, and then sprang across to the foot of the bed. He walked up Josh’s legs, coming to a rest on Josh’s stomach. “Thanks, Cam. You weigh a ton,” Josh said, but didn’t push him away. From his perch, Cam looked down at her and blinked. He chattered softly—a sound not quite a meow—then dropped his head to rub it against Josh’s chest. Sara tilted her head. It looked appealing, especially when Josh lifted his hand to begin scratching Cam behind the ears. But his lap looked small, and there would be no avoiding Cam if she attempted to get any closer. There would be the warmth of their bodies, yes, but even as that called to her, it also raised an iota of fear, and she began to back away, her paws awkward as she navigated the soft terrain. The side of the bed came sooner than she anticipated. Her back paw met open air, and she tumbled over the edge of the mattress. By the time she hit the floor, she was back in her human form.
Josh was beside her in an instant, giving her his hand to help her to her feet. Cam the cat watched her from the bed inquisitively. The serious look on his face was almost enough to make her smile; she had never seen an expression like that on a cat before. “What happened?” Josh asked. “Did you hurt yourself?” “Only my ego.” She rubbed at her bottom. “And maybe my ass. Falling off the bed is not my favorite way to get rug burn.” “It’s not mine either.” He sat on the edge of the bed, and Cam immediately nudged his arm. “Did Cam startle you?” To Sara’s surprise, Josh scooped him up. Cam did not like to be handled when he shifted, especially when he was so small. But Josh cradled him easily, rubbing his ears. “You have to admit, he’s not very scary like this.” He wasn’t—hadn’t been. And he was even less so now that she was five feet taller than him. “I lost my concentration,” she said. “I can probably do it again.” She sat on the floor, unwilling yet to go up onto the bed. There was no room for flight up there, at least, not without falling on her ass again. It also brought her down to the level of Josh’s lap and Cam’s steady eyes, and for a long minute, she gazed at him. “You never used to like to be petted,” she said to Cam. He chattered again, his eyes drooping as Josh continued to stroke him. “He’s not always a big fan of it, but after you…when he shifted, we both ended up being pretty lonely. He didn’t have anybody to shift with, and I didn’t want to just pretend there wasn’t an animal roaming through the house. So, we gradually worked out a compromise.” It wasn’t a concept Sara was familiar with. She had always had shifters around her, always had somebody she trusted to share it with, from her family all the way up to Cam. Until she’d been abducted, the notion of being alone had been a foreign one, especially when she took another form. Slowly, she stretched out an arm, fingers skimming over the ruff of Cam’s neck. “I never thought about how Cam was coping being alone,” she confessed quietly. “Well, I did in the beginning. Before I stopped trying to think of Delta.”
Cam closed his eyes blissfully as they both petted him. “He wasn’t entirely alone. I helped when I could. People were constantly coming over, and they offered to help in any way they could, but he just sort of shut down without you.” The coarse hair at her fingertips brought back other, stronger memories than the ones that had driven Sara away. Nights spent under the desert moon, curled into the body heat of his chosen spiritual form, his tongue rough against her skin when he would absentmindedly lick her. Or soaring high above the dry earth only to come diving down at a breakneck speed to land on his outstretched wrist. Cam had always said she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. In any form.
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