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  She could feel little else. He was thick and long, filling her to capacity.

  “This is where I belong; the only place I want to be.” He brushed his thumb across her clit, making her start and shiver. “Are you ready to stop running from your destiny? Haven’t you kept me waiting long enough?”

  Chapter Four

  Dyauna knew what Maddox was asking. The last time they’d been together, he’d wanted to mate with her, to form a bond that would link their minds and spirits. “Nothing has changed,” she cried. “I can’t mate with you.”

  His eyes narrowed and his features tensed. “You won’t mate with me. The only thing preventing our union is you.”

  He pulled back and she held perfectly still. Would he pull out and leave her wanting? He hesitated for a moment, his expression inscrutable. Then he thrust deep and leaned forward, pressing her thighs against her breasts.

  “You feel so damn good.” His tone was harsh and muffled as he drove into her again and again.

  More than ready for the steady rhythm, her body raced toward completion. She couldn’t move with her legs folded and her arms bound. All she could do was accept what he gave her. Tension gathered, rippling along her inner muscles. She closed her eyes, reaching for the climax with determination.

  He thrust inward and stopped. “Not yet.”

  Her orgasm fizzled, and she whimpered, clutching her hands into fists.

  “Look at me.” He settled back on his knees, still buried to the hilt inside her.

  She knew what she’d see, all the hurt and disappointment, the anger and frustration. “I’m sorry.” The words slipped from her lips of their own volition.

  “Why are you sorry?”

  “Because I can’t be what you need me to be.”

  “I love you, Dyauna. That’s not going to change, no matter how many times you deny me.” Her heart flipped over in her chest and she slowly opened her eyes. His gaze burned with golden intensity, his lion barely contained. “If you won’t trust me with your heart, at least surrender your pleasure.”

  His gaze bore into hers, burning, demanding. Her nipples tingled, and liquid heat rolled through her core. She bent her knees and angled her feet behind his neck, allowing her to relax and concentrate on the pleasure gathering between her thighs.

  He pulled back just a bit then drove inward with a sharp, shallow thrust. The impact sent sensation radiating through her abdomen. Then his thumb resumed its rhythmic orbit, building the pressure, propelling her toward release.

  Her lashes began to drop and he growled. “Don’t close your eyes.”

  It was so stark, so intimate with his handsome face looming over her. He watched her and commanded her with his touch and his expression. She dove into his gaze and surrendered to his fingers, caressing him the only way she could. Her inner muscles gripped his shaft, holding him, hugging him.

  “Now.”

  He caught her clit between his fingers and thumb, gently pulling on the tender bud. She cried out sharply and arched off the bed as pleasure burst inside her. His fingers prolonged her climax, encouraging each deep spasm with careful pressure and subtle motion.

  She trembled and tears blurred her vision. Regret rushed in on the heels of her orgasm. What they wanted was impossible, so why did he continue to pursue her? He lowered his head and claimed her mouth, rewarding her surrender with a lingering kiss. The sweet tenderness only compounded her conflict and made her chest burn.

  Her legs slipped to his elbows as he began to rock strong and steady between her thighs. His mouth moved over and against hers, but the kiss was bittersweet.

  His groans and throaty cries ignited the embers of her arousal. It felt so perfect to be beneath him, filled by him. By limiting her ability to move, he encouraged her to submerge herself completely in the pleasure. Sensations washed over her and spiraled through her.

  Regret and uncertainty disintegrated as the power of their joining drove rational thought from her mind. No past and no tomorrow. They were together as they were meant to be.

  Harder and deeper, his demanding thrusts filled her completely. He threw his head back, momentarily breaking their kiss as a savage cry tore from his throat. He ground against her and released his seed deep inside her body. She savored each hot jet as her core rippled around him.

  He lowered her legs to the mattress and brushed her hair back from her face. “I’ve missed you.”

  He whispered the words against her lips and her control snapped. She turned her face away, sobs building within her.

  Maddox watched her chin quiver, surprised by her reaction. “Why are you crying?”

  “Get off me.” Her tone was sharp and insistent, so he reluctantly obliged. He freed the cuffs from the bed frame, but left her wrists bound.

  She turned away from him, curling on her side and covering her face with her hair. Unwilling to abandon the intimacy they’d just created, he lay down behind her and wrapped his arms around her trembling form. His hand ran up and down her side, comforting rather than arousing.

  He’d hoped to break through her emotional reserve, knew that was the key to moving forward. Still, he’d expected anger not tears. “Sweetheart, you’re making this much harder than it has to be.”

  “No” -- she sniffled -- “your optimistic view of the world is not realistic. I’ve seen the cruelty firsthand.”

  Keeping his arm beneath her neck, he rolled her onto her back and brushed the hair back from her face. “What happened to your mother was inexcusable, but I won’t let anything like that happen to you.”

  “How will you prevent it? My father tried to protect my mother from the prejudice, but he couldn’t be with her night and day. Whenever he left, she became ‘that leopard’s whore.’ Your pride shunned her, and father’s clan ignored her. Do you honestly think they will be more accepting of me?”

  “Those antiquated attitudes are what I’m trying to improve.”

  “They aren’t attitudes; they’re instincts. You can’t change the nature of the breed.” Sadness bled through in her tone.

  He shook his head and pressed his hand against her cheek. “We aren’t slaves to our instincts. We’re able to make choices and change behavioral patterns. It might feel more natural to cling to our individual clans, but the situation is dire. Our survival depends on cooperation. No one breed is powerful enough to take on the handlers alone. We must unify.”

  “The problems with our relationship have nothing to do with unification.” He started to object, but she raised her hands and touched his lips with her fingertips. “No, listen to me. The breeds can work together to resist the handlers without becoming one large clan.”

  “Don’t you want to be with me?” Her obstinacy was wearing him down. He couldn’t fight the expectations of his pride if Dyauna resisted him every step of the way.

  “You know the answer to that. This has never been about what I want.”

  “Then say it.” He brushed his thumb over her lips. “Just once, let me hear you say that you love me.”

  “My feelings are irrelevant,” she snapped, anger flashing in her eyes. “You are pride leader. You must be able to pass on your bloodline.”

  He drew his arm out from underneath her and rolled onto his back. There was an obvious solution, but he knew she wouldn’t like it. “Pride leaders are allowed to have more than one --”

  “I don’t play well with others, and you know it.”

  “So I’m just supposed to let you go? Let you fight your rebellion while my heart breaks?”

  She shifted to her side and propped herself up on her elbow. “The longer we allow this to go on, the harder it will be to end it.”

  “I don’t want it to end.” He caught her hand and pulled it to his mouth. The cuffs dragged across his chest, the cold metal shocking against his skin.

  “Fate doesn’t care what we want.” Her wistful tone only incited his determination. “We’re meant for different paths. That should be obvious.”

  “I don
’t accept that. If you didn’t love me, I’d move on. But I know that’s not the case.”

  “I enjoy being with you, but this isn’t love.” Her gaze darted away as she made the claim. “It’s lust, pure and simple.”

  * * * * *

  Grant paced in front of the fallen log on which Sasha sat. It had taken longer to reach the small clearing in human form than it would have if they’d shifted into tigers, but he didn’t know Jizette, wasn’t comfortable enough with Maddox’s sister to converse with her in the nude.

  “If you don’t stop pacing, you’ll wear a rut in the ground.” Sasha smiled at him and patted the log beside her. “Come sit down.”

  A rustling in the darkness announced someone’s approach. Grant inhaled deeply and verified that the visitor was a lion. After a long pause, a tall blonde woman walked out of the surrounding trees. She wore a simple cotton dress and held a backpack in one hand.

  “Thanks for coming,” he greeted. He’d spent enough time in the village to know who Jizette was, but this was the first time he’d spoken with her.

  “What can I do for you? Your message was rather vague.”

  Sasha stood and moved up beside him, slipping her hand into his. “Do you know where your brother is right now?”

  Jizette’s guilty smile confirmed their fears. “Not exactly.”

  “But you know what he’s doing?” Grant persisted.

  “I have a pretty good idea.”

  “Dyauna went on a perimeter sweep a couple of hours ago, and she never came back.” Grant spelled it out so there would be no confusion. “Is she with Maddox or should we be searching the forest?”

  She closed her eyes for a moment then slipped her hands into the pockets of her dress, trying not to let her amusement show. “They’re together, and they’re safe. There’s no reason for concern.”

  “I’m not sure I agree,” he said. “Does Maddox actually think he can coerce her into… What exactly is he trying to do?”

  “This has been brewing for a long time. The proposed unification is just the catalyst that motivated Maddox to act.”

  “I told you they were a couple,” Sasha said, and the women exchanged knowing smiles.

  Grant shook his head. “Talk about opposites attracting.”

  “I’m not sure where he took her,” Jizette went on, “but if they were in danger, I’d sense it.”

  “What’s going on outside the colony?” Sasha asked. “Has DOMA managed to suppress the vid or discredit us completely?”

  “Not for lack of trying.” Jizette finger-combed her hair back from her face. Like everyone in Barbary pride she was tall and striking. “The fallout from the vid has surpassed our most optimistic projections. Coverage has been all over the news feeds. There have been demonstrations and numerous calls for a full-scale investigation.”

  “Is my grandfather safe?” Grant asked.

  Jizette offered him an encouraging smile. “I spoke with him this morning. He was questioned and released. I think they know he’s involved, but they can’t prove it.”

  Grant nodded. He hated the passivity of his role, but there had been no other way. Separation was their best chance of deflecting danger away from his grandfather. “He was supposed to keep me updated through Maddox.”

  “Maddox was unavailable, so I convinced him to update me. I was going to come see you in the morning, but your message beat me to the punch. Your grandfather’s contact will release the test results sometime tomorrow. Hopefully that will keep the momentum going.” She rolled her shoulders and glanced off into the distance. “If Maddox shows up in the village, I’ll send word to you.”

  “We’ll do the same if they return to our camp,” Sasha promised.

  Jizette nodded and melted into the darkness.

  * * * * *

  Dyauna watched emotion erupt in Maddox’s gaze. Tenderness was consumed by something hotter, more intense. He rolled off the bed and grasped her bound wrists, pulling her to a sitting position.

  “All you feel for me is lust?” He was definitely angry, but she heard challenge and longing in his tone as well.

  If she admitted how deeply she cared for him, all it would do was postpone the inevitable. No matter how much she loved him, he would always be bound by pride obligations. Obligations she couldn’t help him fulfill. “You’re by far the best lover I’ve ever had, but what does that mean in the long run?”

  His nostrils flared and golden light burned away the green in his eyes. He pulled her off the bed and dragged her toward the center of the room. “You’re always encouraging me to indulge my cat. Would you like to know what my lion is urging me to do right now?”

  She shivered and licked her lips. Knowing how desperately he wanted her filled her with a sense of power. “Why don’t you show me?”

  A low growl rumbled in his throat, and he lifted her arms above her head. With a deft flick of his fingers, he released a length of chain connected to the metal beam supporting the ceiling and fastened it to the center of her handcuffs.

  “That’s convenient,” she muttered, looking around the sparsely furnished room. “What is this place?”

  “When the handlers upgraded the power grid last year, this relay station went offline. They’ve more or less forgotten about it. We find it useful from time to time.”

  “So I see.” She could have struggled, probably should have put up some sort of fight. In the end it wouldn’t have mattered. Her body had reawakened the moment aggression flashed in his eyes. She could claim not to love him, but she wasn’t a good enough actress to convince him she didn’t want him.

  She wasn’t sure how long he’d keep her captive. Until morning? Perhaps a day or two? Eventually, he’d accept her decision and turn her loose. He had no other option. He couldn’t keep her in chains for the rest of her life. Not that she’d mind being his captive. Passion always tasted sweeter when he commanded her.

  He trailed his fingertip down her upraised arm, across her collarbone, and into the valley between her breasts. “If you’re determined to walk away from me, I better take my fill of you now.” His fingers curved against the underside of her breast, his thumb lightly rubbing her nipple. “I suspected you wouldn’t make this easy for me, so I brought along some of your favorite toys.”

  Her gaze shot to the backpack he’d left on the floor beside his chair. “How long are you going to keep me here?” Desire sank through her abdomen and settled between her thighs. Male morphs were dominant by nature and Maddox was no exception. He’d patiently taught her how to trust him with her pleasure, how to abandon herself to the security of submission.

  “Until I’m tired of you.” His tone was raw, almost harsh, and she could no longer decipher individual emotions. Cupping both breasts, he bent to her nipples, sucking one and then the other. His lips were firm, his mouth hot. His teeth carefully scraped against her sensitive flesh, launching sparks into her belly. He caught one tip with his teeth and the other between his fingers, squeezing until she moaned in pleasure-pain. “Too much?” He raised his head and looked at her when she didn’t reply. “Maybe you’ll like this better.”

  Lifting the backpack to a chair, he riffled through its contents. She couldn’t see what was inside and wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Anticipation sizzled along her nerves and made her nipples tingle. He knew just how to touch her, how much she could process before intensity turned to pain and extinguished her enjoyment. They’d discovered her limits together.

  He returned with two thin golden bands. “Remember these?” Not waiting for her answer, he sucked one of her nipples until it was tightly puckered. Then he slipped the band over her erect peak and slowly squeezed the adjustable ring, forming a snug circle. The band didn’t pinch like a clamp. It created a constant pressure that made her nipple tingle and burn.

  She fidgeted and tossed her hair, her clit twitching as if protesting the attention he was bestowing on her breasts. He anchored the other band then kissed each breast, hunger making his eyes shine.


  Grasping her hips, he pulled her forward and rubbed against her belly. “I should have made you suck me off before I restrained you.”

  “If that’s what you want, sir, unhook the chain.” His hard length bucked against her belly, obviously agreeing with the suggestion.

  “Later. I have something else in mind.” He returned to the backpack momentarily then moved behind her before she could see what he’d retrieved. “This is more fun when the oil is hot, but we’ll have to make do.”

  The spicy scent of sandalwood and cinnamon reached her nose a moment before his slick palms skimmed across her abdomen and over her breasts. He was careful not to dislodge the nipple rings as his fingers drew lazy circles around her breasts.

  “Your skin is soft naturally, but this feels amazing.” He rubbed against her, his oil-slicked chest sliding against her back. Their skin quickly warmed the oil and intensified the scent. She wiggled back against him, wishing her hands were free.

  “Part your thighs, Dy. Let me touch you.” His hand skimmed across her belly and slipped between her legs. He groaned against her ear. “No need for oil here. You’re still slick from before.” His fingers parted her folds and slid over her clit. She rotated her hips, rubbing against his fingers. Tingling heat gathered beneath his touch and spiraled up through her core. “Does that feel good?”

  “Yes, sir. Gods, yes.” She pressed her lips together, trying not to cry out. He shifted suddenly, pulling away as he pushed his other hand between her legs from behind. His long fingers thrust into her core while he lightly strummed her clit. She trembled, instantly on the verge of orgasm. “Please, may I come?”

  “Yes. Squeeze me hard, show me how much you like this.”

  She dropped her head back and surrendered to the urgency. His fingers drove deep and her passage compressed in tight, rhythmic spasms.

  He didn’t allow her to come down completely. His mouth fastened on to the side of her neck, sucking and biting. Heat streaked from her neck to her core and she yelped. Holding her firmly with his teeth, he positioned himself between her thighs and entered with slow, steady pressure.