Binding Ties (24 page)

J
oseph had always known that the Slayers were private people, keeping to themselves and protecting their secrets with an almost cultlike ferocity, but even that hadn't prepared him for what Andreas had told him.

“You're mated to my sister now, so you might as well know how to deal with this. It's going to happen every time the moon is full, at least when she's not pregnant.” The Slayer's voice was tight with pain. “She needs sex.”

“Seriously?” said Joseph. “That will fix her?”

“Yes. If you do it right, it will. But she's fertile now, so unless you're both ready for young, wear a fucking rubber.” There was a muted groan of pain, as if he'd covered the phone with his hand.

“Is that's what's wrong with you, too?” asked Joseph.

“Yeah, but I'll live. Just take care of my sister and you'll live, too. I don't like it that you let her leave the protective walls of Dabyr.”

“Neither do I, but it wasn't exactly my decision. She tricked me.”

“Lyka is good like that.” He sucked in a sharp breath.
“Gotta go, man. Hurt my sister, and I'll kill you.” Andreas hung up.

Joseph looked down at Lyka, who was doing her best to absorb her knees into her chest. Pain trickled out of her through the luceria. She was shaking, pale.

He couldn't stand to see her like this.

“Andreas told me what to do,” he said.

She opened one eye, revealing a narrow pupil and plenty of fury. “Keep your hands off. I'll be fine.”

She looked anything but, and even if she hadn't, he could feel a little sliver of what she did.

It wasn't good. It reminded him far too much of the pain he carried around before she'd taken his luceria and freed him of it. The least he could do was return the favor.

And if it got his hands on her sweet body in the bargain, then all the better.

“I know why you're afraid,” he said. “You don't have to be. I'll protect you.” If she wasn't ready to have a kid, then he'd respect that. He didn't have any condoms, but there were other ways to take care of her. “I won't come inside you.”

She looked up at him with a feral light glowing in her catlike eyes. “You don't understand,” she said. “But you will.”

And then she pounced.

She shoved him back to the floor of the tree house in a move that was far more suited for combat than foreplay. She landed straddling his hips, her hot hands splayed across his naked chest. Her mouth covered his in a kiss so demanding, he could feel the air being pulled from his lungs. Her tongue thrust into his mouth, giving him a taste of wild need.

The mental shields she'd been using to keep him out
crumbled, and a torrent of emotions came spilling out. All the pent-up desire that had been rolling around in her for hours broke free and invaded him, becoming part of him.

He was instantly hard, aching with the need to bury himself in her over and over.

This was no gentle desire. It was all jagged angles and hot, sharp edges. There was nowhere to touch it without feeling its sting, and the only way to ease it was to give Lyka everything she wanted. This was her need, her lust. And he was going to sate it.

She was naked beneath his shirt, and so scorching hot and wet, it was a wonder she didn't burn him. Her deft fingers had his fly open in seconds, and an instant later, she was sliding her tight, slick pussy down over his erection.

He let out a rough groan and tensed every muscle in his abdomen to keep from coming right then and there.

She rode him in long, slow glides that had every inch of him sliding out and back in again. Then, when he was seated fully inside her, she rolled her hips until his cock hit a spot that made her breath catch in her chest.

“I need it,” she demanded. “Don't you dare hold back on me.”

He wasn't sure what she meant, so without thinking, he slid into her mind as easily as he had her body.

This was the first time he'd come across this part of her. It was more animal than woman, guided solely by instinct and urge. It was ferocious and hungry, unwilling to take no for an answer.

It wanted his seed. It wanted him to breed her. Give her a child.

The idea that part of her felt that way gave him a visceral thrill, but he knew better than to let it go to his
head. It wasn't what Lyka wanted. She wasn't ready. She'd been very clear. Whoever—whatever—was in charge now, it wasn't the woman he loved, the one he'd promised to protect.

And that was exactly what he was going to do. He'd waited centuries for children of his own. He could wait a little while longer—as long as it took for her to be ready.

“You can't deny me,” she said as she unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it away from her breasts. “I know what you really want—the binding tie of a child uniting us as one, a sweet little life in your arms to protect and raise to be kind, strong and noble. Your eyes looking back up at you.” She brought his hand up to her abdomen and held it there. “I know you want to give that to me. I've felt your desire running deeper than even you realize. You've waited so long.” She leaned down and slid her tongue across the outer rim of his ear and whispered, “You don't have to wait any longer.”

She made use of the luceria, sending him an image of him holding their child.

The instant, potent emotional reaction that caused in him was completely unexpected. He needed what she showed him. Craved it. He hadn't realized until now just how long he'd been rejecting the notion as impossible. Not only had there been no woman in his life, but also all of the Theronai males had been cursed with infertility. A child of his own was an impossible dream.

Until now.

“That's right,” she said, her tone coaxing as she lifted her hips and slid back down onto him again. “Give me what we both want. Give me a child.”

She began to move in earnest, riding him with purpose. He was bathed in her slick heat, and every nerve ending was lit up with pleasure.

His hands spanned her waist, urging her on. She dug her fingernails into his chest and tossed her head back with abandon. Delightful, sexy noises echoed against the wooden walls, reminding him of just how beautiful she sounded when she came.

He needed to hear that again.

Her breasts jiggled, begging for his attention. They filled his hands perfectly, her hard little nipples grazing against his palms. He had to taste, so he rose, arched her back against his arm and drew one nipple into his mouth.

Sweet heaven, and the moan his suction pulled from her went to his head. His cock jerked inside her, demanding more.

He rolled her over onto the cushions and pulled one sleek leg over his shoulder.

She let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a command. “More.”

With each stroke, he drew closer and closer to orgasm. His skin tingled, his balls drew up tight and sweat broke out along his spine.

If he didn't stop her now, he was going to lose control and fill her with his seed. And why not? It's what she wanted, what she'd begged him for. Wasn't it?

You don't understand. But you will.

That's what she'd been trying to warn him about. Whatever the full moon did to her, it was artificial—some bizarre Slayer insanity that would pass. And when it did, her life could be altered forever if he didn't protect her.

Joseph gritted his teeth and pulled his cock from her body before he lost himself in the moment and forgot what she really wanted. “I have to stop now, before I can't.”

Lyka went berserk. She screamed in frustration and came at him, launching herself from the floor.

“You will fuck me, Theronai,” she growled.

His erection was in wholehearted agreement, but he was too busy controlling her body to give in to it.

He didn't want to hurt her, but she was strong. It took all his combat ability to pin her to the floor without breaking bones or skin.

“You don't really want this,” he told her, giving her a little shake.

“I need it. Please.” Her fury turned to desperation and left tears pooling in her eyes. “It hurts.”

He couldn't stand to see her cry, see her in pain. Not his Lyka. He'd made a vow to protect her, and if that meant never coming again, then he'd find a way to do that, too, no matter what it cost him.

Her arms were pinned by her ears. His body held the rest of her down. She was squirming beneath him, but it had migrated from a way to escape to something sinuous and needy.

He didn't dare let go of her, for fear she'd attack him again. The last thing they needed was for someone to draw blood and alert every demon for miles that there was prey up in this tree. But he also couldn't simply hold her down for the rest of the night.

“I'm going to put you to sleep,” he told her. “Don't fight me. Just let go. I've got you.”

“No. Please. Don't leave me like this. The dreams . . .” She swallowed hard, and her pupils narrowed in fear. “The pain.”

He touched her mind just enough to get a hint of what she meant, and wished he hadn't. Pain had been part of his world for longer than he could remember. What she suffered now was shorter in duration, but more acute. He couldn't leave her to deal with it on her own, not when he could ease her.

She needs sex.
That wasn't exactly the kind of thing a brother would tell a man about his sister unless it was important.

Joseph wanted nothing more than to give her what she needed. All he had to do was find a way to maintain control and keep all those pesky sperm of his to himself.

She squirmed against him, grinding his hot cock against her soft belly. He nearly came right then, but managed to pull himself back from the edge.

Joseph tightened his grip on her wrists so he could hold on to her if she tried to bolt. “Spread your legs, Lyka. I'm going to make you come.”

She obeyed eagerly, writhing against him until their bodies meshed seamlessly. So fucking good. So perfect.

He closed his eyes and savored being joined to her for a moment before he put on his game face.

Joseph was a man on a mission. He used every bit of sexual skill he had to gauge her reactions and find just the way she liked it. Unfortunately, the way she liked it was also what worked for him, and he was biting his lip just to hold himself back while he pushed her toward release.

She fought against his hold, but he didn't dare let her up. Her pupils were elongated and that feral light was glowing in the depths of her golden eyes. The animal in her was steering the ship now, and he didn't trust her not to do something she'd regret later.

Her breathing sped and her heart pounded hard, making her pulse beat in her wrists. A pretty pink flush spread out across her face and throat. The little panting breaths she took became soft cries, wordlessly begging for more.

Both parts of the luceria sparked in the darkness. The tiny strands of lightning joined forces in a miniature
display in the air between them. Pale golden slivers of heat and light spread out over their skin, caressing them with tingling energy.

She arched her body beneath his, catching and holding her breath as she did. Her pussy fluttered around him, and her abdomen clenched hard as she peaked. She cried out as her orgasm rushed through her in waves.

Joseph had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. It was so fucking sexy, he felt his balls tighten in anticipation of release. He used every technique he could think of to keep from coming right along with her. Instead he kept doing what had set her off, stroking just the right spot, nice and deep inside her.

Finally, as her body relaxed beneath his, he pulled out from her silken depths and let go of his seed, spilling it onto her soft stomach. His orgasm went on for fifty years, and by the end of it, he could barely hold up his head.

He rolled to his side, keeping hold of one of her wrists in case she decided to go all wildcat again.

“I'm okay now,” she said, a little breathless. “The storm has passed.”

It took him a couple of minutes to catch his breath. “For how long?”

“I don't know. I've never gone through the need before with a man. It's hard to say how I'll be with you.”

“If it starts up again, I'm going to tie you up with my belt before you can draw blood.”

“I understand,” she said, sounding a little regretful. “Do what you think you need to do. I trust you.”

And she did. He could feel the truth of her words vibrating through their link.

He rolled onto his side to kiss her, thanking her for such a precious gift, and saw the luceria had changed. It
was barely swirling with colors, almost a solid band of shimmering, iridescent amber.

He slid his finger over the warm band. “Soon you'll be known as the Amber Lady,” he whispered, reverence in his tone.

She lifted his hand to look at his ring and saw what he did. The strangest look crossed her face. “Pretty soon there will be no getting away from me, or you're a dead man.”

He smoothed her hair away from her damp forehead as he gently probed her thoughts. “That bothers you, doesn't it?”

Her mental barriers slammed into place so hard and fast, he was practically caught in them.

“Stay out of my head,” she told him as she ripped a strip from the hem of his shirt and used it to clean away his semen.

“I thought you trusted me.”

“With my body, yes.”

It wasn't enough. He wanted all of her. All of her trust. Anything less would never be enough.

“I'll give you time,” he said, hoping he had the patience to follow up those words with actions. “But you need to learn to let me in before you'll be fit for battle.”

“You think I don't know how to fight?” she asked.

“You know how to fight like a Slayer.”

“We Slayers have kicked our fair share of Theronai ass over the years. Don't go getting all superior on me.”