Savage Sanctuary 2: Panther Moon (10 page)

open. After settling one of her feet and then the other on the ground on either side of the chaise, Hudson went to his knees between her legs, holding her steady as his mouth skimmed her inner thighs. Strong fingers dug into the flesh of her ass, flexing strongly, the action dragging a moan from her throat. Hudson bent his head, his breath whipping hot over her sensitive flesh and she wished he’d hurry, kiss higher, lick harder. And then he did, sinking his teeth gently into the soft skin he’d found, he swept out his tongue to further torment.

“More,” she breathed. “More.” The sound Hudson made was impatient, fraught

with tension, as he moved higher, finally giving her what she wanted. Cruising his lips over her throbbing flesh, he plied open her labia with his fingers before sliding them over her with wicked intent. When his tongue probed her entrance, Trea caught her

breath, held it, then let it out in a soft rush of sound as he plunged his tongue deep into her needy channel. “Gods. Gods.”

Sending her fingers into his thick hair she held on for the ride as he thrust teasingly, pulling away only to drag his tongue over her slowly, tauntingly. He had yet to touch her clit and Trea thought she’d go nuts waiting for it. Waiting. Waiting. The man was going to kill her. Then she sucked in a breath as he pulled the morsel into his mouth.

Sucking softly, he plunged two fingers, then three into her clasping sheath. Gently he pulled, sucked and drew on her hyper-sensitive flesh until every muscle in her core

drew tight, tighter. Trea pulled in a breath and held it knowing her body had reached crisis point. A scream built low in her throat as her heart thudded in time to Hudson’s seductive tugs at her clit.

Trea’s eyes flew open to stare at the wide, night sky, focusing on the stars and what this man did to her. Unimaginable pleasure caught her up then threatened to pull her

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under as he held her, quivering, on the razor’s edge. A low hum swept from his mouth

to bathe her trembling flesh and finally the scream rushed out, hoarse and long.

Hudson kept his mouth there, gentling her for long moments before building the

pleasure again.

Again?

Gods!

Her mate let loose a low growl and practically crawled up her body to take her

mouth in a savage kiss. More of a claiming, really.

“I’m done with waiting for you. I’m just not into torture, sweetheart. No more. I’m

finished with this bullshit.”

Before she could blink, much less catch her breath, Hudson reared up enough to

flip her to her belly. His big hands found her hips and lifting her to her knees, clasped her hands and folded them over the heavy wooden frame at the top of the chaise. “Hold on tight,” he whispered in her ear. “Let’s see how much power you can take. I’m going to fuck you, Trea. Are you ready for me?”

Trea nodded weakly but Hudson didn’t really expect an answer from her and she

knew it. Hudson kneeled behind her and had gone so very still, so awfully quiet but she didn’t speak. Instead she closed her eyes and gripped the warm wood tightly. She felt his fingers breach the folds of her drenched pussy spreading her wetness everywhere.

His fangs nipped the globes of her ass and then finally she noted the prodding of her vaginal entrance by the heavy head of his cock. Hudson gripped her butt cheeks and

pressed, just a little.

Not enough.

“Hudson.”

“Shh. Let me.”

“Now Hudson.”

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“Will you take power from me? It’s close to your time, honey, but I want to test

things.”

“Yes,” she whispered in a voice gone rough with desire. “Yes. Give it to me.”

Groaning low, the sound mingling with a feral growl that vibrated through his

chest, he plunged his cock deep. Along with his claiming came a thrust of power that

sizzled faster than chained lightning through her core then higher and higher. The ever swirling sensation of heat electrified her senses and vaguely Trea realized the screams that filled the air were hers.

Pounding, thrusting, he stuffed her pussy to the point she wondered where he

stopped and she began. Pistoning harder, faster, Hudson fucked her mindless. Ecstasy

blanked out every other thought in her mind. His hands found her hard nipples and

swept the trembling flesh of her belly. He strummed her clit with busy fingers, plucking and pulling until colored lights flashed, nearly blinding her. Drowning in sensation, her body seized once more as she flew apart only to be reborn again. Hudson’s cries joined her own and then her world went black as the pleasure became too much to bear.

Trea opened her eyes, her body wrecked, to see Hudson’s face. At once she realized

he’d carried her to his bed where she now lay in the circle of his arms.

He was frowning at her.

“Hudson?”

“Did I hurt you?”

She managed to shake her head, realizing he was simply concerned. Quick to

reassure him, she lifted her hand and trailed one finger over his bottom lip. “No. No, Hudson. It was amazing,” she managed, surprised by the weakness in her voice.

Relief swept his features and then her mate lowered his mouth to hers, pressing a

gentle kiss to her lips. “Good. I’d rather die than hurt you.”

“Hurt me? Never.”

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His smile was slow and the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. “Sleep now, love.

I’ll be here in the morning.”

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Sometime near dusk on the next day, Hudson stood with Trea on a quiet knoll

overlooking the cemetery where generations of their people had been laid to rest. She’d been unnaturally quiet since their arrival but considering they were here to honor the lives of her parents, he wasn’t surprised. Squeezing her hand, offering what bit of

comfort he could, he glanced down, giving her a nod of encouragement, when she

returned the small gesture. Tonight she wore a borrowed black dress and had pulled

her pretty blonde curls back into some kind of knot thing at the nape of her neck and despite the circumstances that had brought them all here, he thought she was the

prettiest thing he’d ever seen. A quick gust of wind caught a contrary curl and pulled it free where it whipped playfully around the contours of her face.

Once night officially fell, Titus would speak a few words but now the group of fifty

odd mourners was left to talk quietly together. Hudson, of course, knew them all but he didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure Trea would be more than a little

uncomfortable among these panthers who were, as of now, strangers to her. As with all cat shifters, it was their nature to be solitary and it had been the pattern of her life, up to this point, to cling only to her small family. Things were changing for her in a hurry and Hudson planned to help her through it. A sense of fellowship would be a learned deal

for her. She’d adjust.

“So many people,” she whispered as she sent a nervous gaze over the crowd.

“Good people, honey. Keep that in mind. We’re a small community and almost

everyone here knew and respected your mom and dad. They are here for more than

that though. They have come to offer their support.”

“Can you tell me what’s going to happen tonight?”

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Yet again, he realized how sheltered she’d been. Hudson put his arm around her

shoulders and bent to her ear. “Our king will say a few words and then recite the

lineage of your parents since the beginnings of our race.”

“Long list.”

“You’ve got that right, honey.” He sent his hand down the length of her bare arm

and felt her shiver despite the heat of the evening. “Then we’ll go to the main house where you’ll have a chance to meet everyone. Now don’t look at me like that. There’s

nothing to be nervous about.”

Trea rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”

Hudson grinned and started to speak when the roar of a powerful motorcycle

engine broke through the muted conversations around them. All talk ceased as a sleek

black and chrome Harley barreled up the path leading to the cemetery kicking up a

rooster-tail of dust in its wake. The rider wore no helmet, his blond hair caught up in the wind and the motion of the badass bike. He wore black leathers. Hudson instantly

knew the identity of the big, brawny man. Beside him Trea gasped, her hands going up

to cover her mouth. Tears pooled in her eyes. “Max,” she whispered.

Moving away from him as the cycle drew close and finally stopped, Trea took a

lurching step forward. Her emotions, ragged and intense, swept through him as well,

prompting him to move to help her but some intuitive something made him stop. No

doubt she wanted to share a moment with the brother she’d not seen in so long.

Maxwell Morgan got off the bike, quickly surveyed the crowd, his gaze briefly

connecting with Hudson’s before he focused in on his sister. Features that seemed

carved from granite instantly softened as he took Trea in and held out his arms.

“Max!” she cried brokenly, as she sprinted the distance separating them and leapt

into his arms.

Trea’s face had transformed in that instant of recognition and Hudson felt an

uncomfortable tightening in his gut. Max was Trea’s brother and there was no need for jealousy but he felt that nasty emotion anyway. What would it be like for her to look at 71

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him
with such love and devotion? The reality of the lonely decades of his life rolled slowly and achingly through his mind and he sent up a prayer to the gods that one day she might love him, look on him with tenderness and honest emotion.

Getting a grip on his desolate turn of thoughts, he watched brother and sister

communicate quietly. He saw Trea rest her head on Max’s chest as he stroked her hair

and brushed her tears away with his thumb. As a sign of respect, others of the

Turquoise Moon tribe glanced away, giving them the privacy they deserved.

But Hudson couldn’t do it.

He watched with unabashed fascination and barely contained worry for his mate.

Then finally Max looked up, stared him dead in the eye and listened to his sister as she spoke quietly with him. Looking over her shoulder, she gave him a smile that

completely melted his heart. So accepting. So, dare he say it, loving. He’d claimed her sexually but not in the manner that really mattered. But that time was coming soon and inwardly he relaxed as he realized she had fully accepted what was to be between them.

Max drew back, took his sister’s hand and walked up to greet him just as the sun

dipped below the Texas skyline, melting across it like a strip of fire. Titus steadfastly moved to the forefront of the assembled group and the solemn ceremony began.

Later, Hudson stood on the massive patio that connected to the living room of Titus

and Mahara’s stately home. Moonlight gleamed across the creamy colored marble

bouncing color across the bold tones of the elegant patio furnishings. He leaned against a marble railing and looked out over the richly shadowed hills and valleys of the land.

Standing next to him, Trea clutched the stem of a wineglass and took a sip of her

chardonnay. From a distance came the muted sounds of chatter as the shifter

congregation enjoyed the hospitality of their king and queen.

“I doubt I can ever repay the kindness of these people, Hudson,” Trea said, her

voice soft with emotion. “Sure they knew my parents but they don’t know Max and me.

The ceremony was beautiful.”

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Hudson straightened and pulled her against him to press his lips to the top of her

head as she leaned against his chest. “Give yourself some time. You’ve only been here a little while and before long you’ll come to see everyone as family. They’ll love you.”

“Yes, they will,” Max said as he stepped onto the patio, Mahara Declan at his side.

“And I’m determined you should get to know a few of the other women, honey,”

she said, smiling. Mahara walked up, taking Trea’s hand and pulled her away from

Hudson. “Come on. There are some really nice people I want you to meet.”

Helplessly Trea left with Mahara, smiling over her shoulder as she went. “See you

in a bit.”

When they’d gone, Hudson reached for a couple of long-necked bottles of beer that

were icing in a large copper tub on one of the tables. He handed a beer to Max and

resumed his position against the railing. Max followed suit, propping his forearms on the polished marble, the beer held loosely in one hand. “I understand from Trea that

she has found her mate,” he said, his voice gruff.

Hudson cut a glance at him. “Seems so. You okay with that?” It didn’t matter if

Max approved or not but Hudson didn’t want to enter into things with any kind of

resentment from Trea’s big brother. He was protective of his own sister, Elysse, and

wanted no bad feelings considering he’d spend the rest of his life as part of Trea’s

remaining family.

Max took a drink from his beer then gave him a narrow-eyed look. “Guess I have to

be, don’t I? Isn’t that what each of us hopes for? To find our true mate? You are a lucky man, Hudson. I’ve been looking for long years and have yet to find my lady. I’d

thought by heading to Houston to mingle with the panther tribe in that area that I

might eventually find her.”

“Hasn’t happened yet?”

“Nope.” Max straightened, drawing up to his full height of well over six-five.

“Don’t really care to discuss that now though. I’m happy for you, Hudson. Happy for

both of you. Over the years I’ve heard nothing but good about you and I’m relieved to 73