The Diamond Heartstone (6 page)

She woke, shooting straight up in bed. "What? What? I'm up. I'm

up."

"I need to introduce you to my crew." He stepped over to a wall.

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The Diamond Heartstone by Leila Brown

"Water room." The wall slid open to reveal a bathroom with a tub that

looked more like a pool. "Tell me your name and you may wash yourself

while I gather you a hanin."

He watched her face light up even as she tried to scowl at him. Be

mad at him. He knew how to take care of that. He would keep her so

satisfied she wouldn't have time to do anything but purr her pleasure to

him.

‚Alycia.‛

He turned his back to hide his smile as she scrambled off the bed

and ran into the watering room. Alycia. He liked it. It rolled off his tongue.

It felt right.

"Close." The door to the watering room slid shut, locking her in. He

walked over to another wall. "Open," he commanded. The wall slid open.

Row after row of his body conforming pants and soft shirts greeted him.

He reached back behind his clothing and pulled out an even sheerer fabric.

The fabric was so thin there was no doubt his crew would be able to see

right through it. But if he clothed her in anything else they would all

wonder why he hid her from them. That kind of curiosity would lead to

nothing but problems. Fucking problems surrounded him.

He crumpled the fabric in his hand as he issued the command to

close his clothing room. He entered the watering room just as she dove

under the water. Her form sliced through the waves. He clenched his fists

as he fought the urge to join her. Her long limbs were graceful. Too

graceful. More problems. She would never be allowed to bathe in mixed

company.

"Alycia," he said with more force than he intended.

Her head popped up through the surface. Her hair streamed down

her back. "I haven't been skinny dipping since I was a kid.‛

She laughed as she leaned back and floated on the surface, her body

displayed to him in all its perfection. He was at the edge of the pool before

he realized he'd even moved.

"It is time to get out." He held a hand out to her.

She moaned. "Do I have too? It feels so good."

"Yes." His voice brooked no further argument. He was holding onto

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his control by a thin thread. When they completed the task at hand, he

would teach her a lesson about teasing.

Her fingers touched his and tore through the shreds of his control.

He wrapped his hands around her damp body. So soft. So warm. He led

her over to one of the benches lining the wall.

"Tell me this isn't why you made me get out."

"You talk too much," he said pulling her lips into a silencing kiss.

She tasted new and fresh. There was no lingering anger or bitterness.

Good. She needed to accept that this was her new home.

"Well, I wouldn't have to if you stopped touching me." She huffed.

"Do you really want me to stop touching you?" He slid his hand

across the tip of one of her nipples. The tiny bud beaded up against his fur.

Alycia sucked in a breath. "No… I mean yes. Stop touching me." She

tried to jump up from the stone seat but he was too fast for her.

He pulled her back down. "Did I say I was done?"

"No, I did." She tried to pry his arm from around her. "Let me go."

"No." He pushed her down into a horizontal position. "Don't move."

"You're not the boss of me." She pushed against his hand. "I don't

want you."

"Really, then why are you so wet?"

"I just got out of the bath, stupid."

"Don't call me that." The fur of his coat stood on end. "I've killed for

less."

"Sorry," she said, looking down at the rippling water.

"Besides I'm talking about right here." He dipped his finger through

the flesh covering her clit. He rubbed up and down. The slick sound of his

finger kneading against her nub echoed in the room.

"Are you sure you don't want me touching you?" he taunted.

Alycia moaned and closed her eyes. Her hips bucked up and down

in time with his fingers. The delicious aroma of her excitement mixed with

the heavy mists in the watering room made each breath a taste of her.

Barrick licked his lips and bent down. Just one taste and they would leave.

One taste.

He bent down and ran his tongue through the valley of her sex. The

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sweet taste of her exploded in his mouth. Better than that damned cream.

He needed more. Getting down on the floor, he used his hands to push her

legs open wider. He spread her nether lips open and swiped his tongue up

and down the length of her. With each stroke he rolled the sides of his

tongue in forming a 'u' and stabbed it into her core.

Her juices coated his tongue over and over again.
Mate. Mate. Mate
.

The beast in him pushed at him to fuck her again but he needed to stop. He

needed to introduce her to his crew. Get the formalities out of the way.

Otherwise he wouldn’t be getting around to that task any time in the near

future.

Barrick sat back on his feet and watched her twist and turn in

frustration.

"No," she cried. "Why'd you stop?"

"I told you we have something to do." He stood up slowly,

determined not to show her how shaky his legs were.

"Why did you start it?" she asked, swinging her legs over the bench

and standing up in front of him.

"Because you're mine." He grabbed her hand. "You will remember

that."

She snatched her hand back to her side. He laughed at her and

grabbed it again as he led her through the wind chamber.

"Close your eyes."

She immediately closed her eyes, scrunching her face up in the

process. He turned on the drier. Five seconds later, the wind stopped and

the door opened. She held her hands up to her hair. It fell around her

shoulder straight and untangled. She looked up at him, clearly intrigued

with the machine.

"You could make a fortune with those things where I come from."

The anger from earlier was gone. Or if not gone, well hidden. He

hesitated to ask her if she’d accepted her fate, not wanting to ruin the small

slice of happiness they were sharing.

‚Here.‛ He handed her the gauzy garment.

‚What is this?‛ She held it up to her face and looked through the

fabric.

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‚This is the normal dress of our women when they are not in their

other form.‛ He grabbed the shoulder straps and held it up, as it should be

worn.

‚Tell me you’re kidding. This thing will barely cover my breasts and

let’s not even mention my ass.‛ She held it as if it were something she

loathed to touch. ‚And I’m supposed to wear this out?‛

‚If you want to get out of this room, you will.‛

‚Maybe I will just stay in this room forever.‛ She stepped through

the open door to the bedroom.

‚That’s fine with me.‛ He moved in close behind her. His erection

pressed against her. She snatched the stupid excuse for clothing from him

and pulled the silky top piece over her head. It fell to her midsection like

the top of a belly dancer’s outfit. Her breasts looked humongous. She

narrowed her eyes at him.

He held up his hands as if he had nothing to do with this, which

wasn’t exactly true. If he hadn’t ripped her clothes to shreds, she’d have

something decent to wear.

She held out her hand. ‚Just give me the other damned piece.‛

He gave it to her without breaking a smile. And he was lucky he

didn’t. She was ready to kill someone and he was the only one in the room.

She stepped in the sheer fabric and slipped it over her hips. The

fabric fell away from one of her legs. A slit. A freaking slit all the way up to

her waist.

‚Okay. Did you forget to mention this?‛ she said, thrusting her leg

forward. She might as well not be wearing anything at all. ‚Let’s just do

this.‛ She could barely refrain from tapping her foot in irritation.

He opened the door and stepped through. She peeked her head out

of the door before following him. She hid in his shadow, hoping no one

could see her.

He navigated the maze of hallways without ever slowing down.

There were no doorways. No telling how many rooms lay behind those

walls. He stopped. She was looking over her shoulder to make sure no one

came up behind them and stumbled into his back.

"Don't say anything. Let me do all the talking and this should go

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smoothly. And keep your eyes on the floor. I don't want any of the men to

think you are trying to attract them."

Like she would. Was he trying to convince her or himself? He didn't

have anything to worry about. She tended big cats, knew them inside and

out. But big cat/men... That was a whole ‘nother story.

He turned and opened the door. She followed him inside and was

amazed. There were at least fifteen big furry men standing and sitting

around the room. And every single one of them was staring at her. Their

markings were a lot darker than Barrick’s. Well, all of them except one.

"This is my mate." His voice thundered through the quiet room.

‚She is off limits.‛

Was he going to tell them her name?

"So you unchained her from the bed?" One of the men walked up to

him and slapped him on the back. ‚Are you going to introduce us?‛

‚No,‛ Barrick said, baring his teeth at the man.

That was it. All of them were white. And not just white but pale.

Pale white. She tried not to stare at any of them. But their white and black

markings were so distinct, almost like tattoos. Only one of the men’s

stripes flowed in the same direction as Barrick's but they weren't as wide

and covered more of his face.

The man circled her three or four times, continuously sniffing her.

"She is definitely carrying your scent. What'd you do? Douse her in it?"

She didn't like the nosy stranger. He asked too many questions.

Personal questions.

"Or did you drown her in it?" The man bent down and smelled her

crotch area.

Alycia stepped away from him. She didn't know what passed for

manners here but she imagined smelling someone's crotch was offensive

no matter where you came from.

"I can still smell her, brother. And now that I've smelled the source I

think it actually smells better than Belusian cream. Shall I taste it just to be

sure?‛ He took a step towards her, invading her personal space.

"Touch her and I'll break your hand." Barrick bent his head and

growled the words at him. But it seemed he should have roared to the

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room at large.

Her eyebrow rose. ‚Brother?‛

More of the cat-men were coming forward. Alycia pressed against

Barrick's side. He clasped her hand inside of his and gave it a reassuring

squeeze. He would protect her or he would try.

"Where'd you find this one, captain?"

"Captain?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

"And she speaks our language? How'd you manage that?" his

brother asked, stepping out of the way as the men moved in closer on the

couple.

"Don't let them touch me," she whispered up to Barrick.

She had no doubts the men heard her but she really didn't care.

Some of them were looking at her as if she were their final supper. A few

had dropped down on hands and knees and were nosing around her

exposed leg.

"I told you, Belusian Cream." Mr. Twenty Questions shook his head

and laughed.

"Fuck. I thought it was just you being an ass," he said, pulling Alycia

behind him.

She looked through the space between Barrick’s arm and body.

None of the men in front of him were on their feet. The thin hair covering

their bodies thickened as the muscles on their legs and arms popped out

like popcorn. Within seconds, two white tigers, three white lions, and what

had to be two white jaguars surrounded them. Every one of the beasts was

intent on her.

‚You’ve got to get her out of here,‛ his brother said, baring his teeth

at the approaching animals.

"We’re both going to have to shift to keep them off of her.‛

One of the tigers roared as it leaped at them. Barrick caught it by the

neck and deflected it into the wall.

‚When we shift, you need to get out of here. Go back to our

chambers.‛

‚I can’t open the door.‛ She crouched down behind the brothers.

The roars of the beasts were getting louder. She covered her ears with her

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The Diamond Heartstone by Leila Brown