Price of Love

by Shelley Munro

  The noise stopped and Kersen tensed.

  “That’s it,” one of the men said. “That’s as much as we can manage.”

  “Yeah, pity we had to sneak in and everything is so bloody primitive. Give us a couple of months and we should have it easier,” another said.

  Not if he could help it.

  Jarita nudged him, and when he ignored her, trying to work out what action to take, she swiped her paw across his nose. A growl rumbled low in his throat and his top lip curled back to display his fangs. With her superior eyesight, he knew she’d see his displeasure. Jarita repeated her action, jerking her head in a manner that told Kersen she wanted him to follow. Damn it, he couldn’t walk away. His lip curled up again in an effort to communicate this to her.

  Jarita retreated and Kersen was glad she had the sense to keep safe. He couldn’t concentrate if Jarita was in danger. Cocking his head, he listened, moving closer to the exit of the cave when he heard the men stagger in that direction.

  A hand on his back had him spinning with a hiss, his front quarters gathered, ready for attack.

  “Kersen, it’s me. There’s only three of them. We could take them.”

  Furious, Kersen shifted. He stalked across the rocky ground, fury pumping through him. Wisely, she remained silent but backed up until the rock wall at her back foiled retreat. He loomed over her, breathing deep to control his agitation, his fear.

  “Dammit, woman.”

  “I refuse to hide while you take care of things. I’ve only just found you. I don’t want to lose you now.” Her eyes met his directly, without artifice. Her nose lifted in the cute way she had when she’d set her mind on something. Despite his anger, he had to work hard to hide his amusement.

  “How can you help me? These men will have guns. They have help coming. You heard what they said about the elephants.”

  “They’re stealing rubies that could go into making my bride price. Besides, they won’t be expecting us. If we time things properly and take them by surprise, we’ll gain the upper hand.” She paused. “It was Simi he was talking about. I’m sure my friend wouldn’t talk about the mines if she didn’t believe he loved her and intended to take her as his mate. You know her. She’s shy and quiet, not the type to betray her people. I like her.”

  “The clan leaders will punish her.” Damn, Aran for his gossip. His other two friends had kept quiet about their find.

  “I know. Please can we just do this before they escape?”

  Kersen stared at Jarita, scanning her face for any trace of fear or doubt. All he saw was implacable determination. But she wasn’t overconfident, which was good. “It’s dangerous. I don’t want to lose you.”

  “Life is short. You’re just as vulnerable as me. I want to know you trust me in all things, that we’re a team.”

  For a drawn-out second they stared at each other. Finally he nodded. “Okay. A team. We need to take them out before the elephants arrive. If there are elephants, they’ve probably hired local mahouts, and you know how superstitious they are.”

  “When they hear us they’ll run a mile,” Jarita said.

  “Yeah, and the elephants won’t like our scent much either. If we try hard enough, we should be able to scare them off.”

  Kersen sucked in a deep breath and smoothed his hand over the curve of her head, moving it lower until he cupped her smooth cheek. She leaned into his palm, nuzzling him in total trust. Awe filled him.

  His mate.

  He leaned forward and brushed a kiss over her lips before stepping back. The loss of contact rocked him, as did the knowledge they might not make it through this alive.

  “Let’s do this.”

  They shifted together, equal partners. Kersen led, picking his way carefully across the scarred floor of the cavern where the men had gouged rocks from the wall and floor. He listened carefully for the three men in case they returned. Another scenario they hadn’t discussed was the possibility of more men being present outside.

  Footsteps made them both hesitate. The rattle of an empty bucket striking the wall of the dank cave signaled the return of at least one man. The flash of a lamp flickered, scanning over the cave wall and giving away their presence.

  “Shit.” The man fumbled for the gun tucked into the waistband of his jeans.

  Kersen sprang before he could clear his weapon. The bucket he’d carried crashed to the ground, clanging in an eerie echo. He was vaguely aware of Jarita standing on guard but had his attention claimed by the man. He thrashed beneath Kersen, screaming in a panicked shriek. A sickening crunch filled his ears. The cry cut off and the man stilled.

  Kersen backed away, stepping up beside Jarita. She rubbed against him, offering silent sympathy and the tension loosened inside him. They never took a life lightly.

  “Max?” The tentative voice brought renewed strain in Kersen. Both of them waited, watching the bob of the approaching light and listening to the cautious footsteps. “Max? Are you okay?”

  Kersen crept forward and Jarita slinked at his side. The cavern widened and they parted, each hugging a rock wall.

  The man stepped closer. “Max?”

  Kersen waited until he stood between them before letting out a sharp bark, a signal for Jarita to show herself. The man turned toward him. Seconds later, he was on the ground with Jarita crouched over him. The man fought and stilled. Jarita moved away with scarcely a backward glance. She knew as well as him that death was the only way they’d survive. In the past they’d tried scaring the intruders away, but greed always made them return, hence the hard line by their species.

  Kersen stepped out into the light with Jarita at his side. Elephants. He could hear their slow, measured steps. He also heard Jarita’s low bark of surprise to find herself standing in the temple surrounds, the partially ruined main building over to their right.

  The third man appeared, large and rough with his skin tanned to dark brown, from behind a plant-choked stone wall. On seeing them, he froze.

  “Fuck. I didn’t realize she spoke the truth. I thought she was drunk.”

  Jarita let out a shriek of rage. The man’s hand went to the weapon at his belt, but the gun never cleared his holster because Jarita sprang before Kersen could intervene. She snarled. The man screamed. A shot rang out. Both fell to the ground.

  Blood.

  He could smell it. Panic struck, a sharp pain in his chest. Kersen shifted. The acute tang of fear lent him extra speed. Unconscious, she shifted back to human form. He lifted Jarita off the man and saw the blood oozing from a wound on her shoulder, spreading in a widening splotch on her blouse. He cradled her in his arms, anguish twisting his face. Hell, he couldn’t lose her, not when they’d only found each other.

  With a trembling hand he checked her pulse. It was there. Praying fervently under his breath, he shoved aside the turquoise fabric to check the wound. His arms tightened when he saw the furrow caused by the bullet and the hole in her shoulder. Her beautiful skin—marred by a thief’s hand. He closed his eyes, sick to his stomach. He should have kept her safe, made her stay in the clearing.

  “Kersen, don’t hold me so tight. Can’t breathe.”

  “Jarita?”

  “Yeah. My shoulder hurts so I can’t be dead yet.”

  In the nearby valley a tiger roared. The sharp bark of a leopard answered. Help was almost there.

  An elephant trumpeted, the sharp note full of fear. A man cried out. Another shrill trumpet and sounds of an elephant thrashing through the undergrowth in clear panic allowed Kersen to relax, secure in the knowledge the on-duty security force had arrived.

  “What the hell have you done to my sister?”

  “Kersen hasn’t done anything to me,” Jarita said before Kersen could answer.

  “And he’s not about to do anything—not if he can’t keep you safe. I’m taking you home.”

  Garack scooped Jarita up and hustled his sister away. Kersen watched them depart and sighed before helping the rest of the security force deal wit
h the bodies, the terrified elephants and the buckets of gravel taken from the mine. Garack was right. He hadn’t kept Jarita safe and didn’t deserve her as a mate.

  * * * * *

  The look on Kersen’s face said it all. It was the same expression mirrored on her brother’s. But Kersen hadn’t failed her. It was about time the stupid man realized they were a team. Although knowing he wanted to care for her made a warm tingle flow through her heart, he couldn’t protect her all the time. He needed to know that, realize life wasn’t always easy. It was a gamble. Jarita sighed. A gamble all right—because if she didn’t knock some sense into his stubborn head, they’d both end up alone and miserable.

  Back at the village, in the safety of her room and with her mother in attendance, she refused to talk about what had happened, merely telling her family it wasn’t Kersen’s fault.

  “You love him,” her mother said once her brothers had stormed out.

  “Yes.” And in a sudden moment of clarity, she knew exactly what she was going to do about it. Kersen didn’t stand a chance.

  In a fever of impatience she waited for night to fall. Thanks to her shifter genes, the bullet had pushed out of her wound and although her shoulder ached and the skin appeared pinker than normal, she felt well enough to put her plan into place.

  A mosquito whined, searching for a food source when she left her bedroom and padded quietly down the carved wooden staircase to the rear door near the kitchen. The faint scent of turmeric and ginger filled the air, remnants of the evening meal. Jarita slipped outside into the dark street and headed for Kersen’s house at the other end of the village. She put her foot on the bottom stair leading to his front door.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Jarita jumped, surprised by his voice coming from the dark verandah. Finally she saw Kersen seated on a wooden chair. Bother. Her plan to slip into bed with him foiled before it even got off the ground. “I came to see you.”

  “Your brothers won’t like that.”

  “Too bad. I want sex, and you’re just the person to deliver.”

  “Garack warned me off.”

  Jarita snorted. “And you’d listen to him over me? I want you and I intend to have you. Tonight.”

  “Brave words, little girl. I should have spanked that curvy ass when I had a chance.”

  A shiver sped through Jarita. Please. She loved the idea of him touching her bottom. “Yes please,” she said finally. “I’ll be in your bed when you’ve finished with your sulk.” Jarita glided past him, trying to quell her excitement, and opened the carved wooden door to enter his house. Guessing the location of his bedroom, she only made one wrong turn before she found it. Taking a deep breath filled with his masculine scent, Jarita undressed, her clothes making a faint clunk when they hit the floor. She peeled back the silken covers and slid beneath.

  “Does your family know you’re here?” He wore only his longyi, his chest and feet bare.

  Jarita exhaled slowly, relief allowing her tense muscles to relax. “My mother knows.”

  “You should go home.”

  “I need sex. Do you want me to go elsewhere?”

  He cursed, a rapid string of harsh words that made her brows rise. “Damn, what am I going to do with you?”

  Impressive cursing. “Love me,” she said.

  Kersen scooped her out of his bed and placed her over his knee before she had time to blink. She stared down at the wooden floor, flinching slightly when she felt his calloused palm smoothing across her bare butt.

  “Not so brave now,” he said in a silky voice. He rubbed his palm back and forth across the curve of her buttocks until heat spiraled from the place of contact to her core. A shiver worked through her limbs and her breath caught while she waited for his next move. “Such a sweet ass.”

  His hand lifted, but heat continued to bubble inside her. She shifted her weight, intending to wriggle away and put her seduction plan into action.

  The tap on her ass stung. The two blows in quick succession made her cry out.

  “Ow. That hurt.”

  “Maybe next time you’ll listen before jumping into action. You shouldn’t be here.”

  Jarita turned her head to glare at him. The heat in her ass trickled downward and she shivered. Unbelievable. How could punishment give so much pleasure? “I’m here,” she said, going on instinct. “And I’m not leaving unless you physically throw me out.” This time she turned her head to catch his expression. One of anguish with a hint of yearning. “That all you have? I don’t scare easily.”

  The pain faded, replaced by pure sensual hunger. He slapped her ass with a sharp tap. “That a fact? Hell.” His hand smoothed across her heated flesh, one finger following the valley between her buttocks. “Your ass looks so pretty. Pink and luscious.” His finger drifted across her puckered entrance, dragging a gasp from her. “You like that?”

  “Do it again.”

  A secret smile bloomed when he petted her again. Gotcha. He slipped a hand beneath her chest, the fingers of one hand rolling a nipple while his finger pressed firmly against the skin between anus and her damp entrance. All at once twin sensations throbbed, moistening her folds. She swallowed, hips canting in a silent demand for more. She wanted the slow thrust of his fingers in her pussy, his hard cock. Jarita huffed out a sharp breath and swallowed again at the change in her heartbeat.

  “Your brother will kill me, but I can’t walk away.”

  Anger hit her as she spun on his lap and slithered to her feet. “Garack has nothing to do with this. You told me you wanted me as a mate. You can’t change your mind and walk away. You can’t pretend there’s nothing between us. I want you so badly my body aches. I’m wet for you and you know it. Dammit, you want me too. You want to shove that hard cock into me, feel the hot, wet slide when you push inside.”

  “I put you in danger.” But he let his longyi drop to the floor.

  “Maybe I like danger.” She grasped his cock, pumping it roughly. It pulsed and thickened in the firm grip of her hand.

  Kersen grasped her shoulders and pushed her away, his chest rising and falling in visible agitation. “You could have died.”

  Jarita stalked him, knowing she couldn’t let him get away with this, not if they had any sort of future together. “I didn’t. I’m alive and incredibly horny.” She ran her hands over the bare skin of his chest, savoring his warmth and the pulse of hard muscles beneath her fingertips. His pectoral muscles flexed under her touch. She clutched his biceps, her hand meeting the cool silver of his ruby armband, and bent to lick across his ridged abs. His cock reared and she smelled his arousal. A bolt of pleasure shot to her clit. Heady power. It filled her knowing she pulled a reaction from him.

  “Jarita.”

  She smiled against his flat stomach and knelt to nuzzle his cock. It left a damp trail on her cheek. “Do you want me to stop?”

  His hands tunneled into her hair, holding her head in place. “Hell no. That’s the last thing I want.”

  After pressing a kiss to the veined underside, she mouthed one of his balls, glorying in his soft curse.

  “I don’t want you to have regrets.”

  “Then you shouldn’t have taken me in the clearing. One taste and I want more.” Jarita licked his cock and finally took him between her lips. The tang of pre-cum danced across her taste buds. His hands released their tight grip on her head, massaging it instead. She sucked, head bobbing, intent on giving him pleasure before she took hers. By the time she finished, he wouldn’t have a single doubt they were perfect for each other.

  Without warning he yanked his cock from her mouth, his chest heaving. “On the bed.”

  “My pleasure.” Jarita stood and crawled onto the bed, placing her hands under her head as a pillow. She parted her legs, leaving herself open without shame.

  Kersen pounced, his strong arms caging her against the mattress. A delicious spiral of heat filled her lower belly and her breathing became shallow. Hurry, she urged him silently. As i
f he heard her silent plea, he lined up his cock and entered in a seamless thrust. Fully seated, he paused, allowing her to adjust to his girth.

  “More.”

  Kersen barked a laugh and set up an easy surge and retreat, his shaft dragging against her sensitive inner tissues.

  “Harder,” she demanded, arching her back to prolong the pleasurable sensations.

  He nuzzled her neck beneath the curtain of hair, the warm, wet suction of his mouth bringing a buzz of sensation and a whimper. Their lips met in a gentle kiss while his fingers plucked at a single nipple. Sounds of fucking filled the room. He lifted his mouth from hers to stare deep into her eyes. A needy cry escaped as he filled her with fast digs, each stroke brushing her clit. The pressure built. She gasped again, her eyes closing to better enjoy the feel of his body pumping into hers, the power and strength of him. He was so much bigger, yet he treated her with gentleness. Her mouth curved—apart from when he smacked her ass, and even that had brought pleasure rather than pain. This was right where she belonged. Kersen thrust again and starbursts exploded against her eyelids. She groaned.

  “Come for me, Jarita. Now,” he said in a firm voice.

  His husky voice pushed her over the precipice. Another moan squeezed past tight lips as she shattered, sensation racing down arms and legs, throughout her entire body. She was vaguely aware of Kersen’s rough, hard strokes into her softness and the freezing of his body buried deep in hers. Her pussy pulsated in aftershocks, gripping his cock.

  When Jarita opened her eyes, she felt like one of the limp noodles from her favorite breakfast dish. She smiled up at Kersen and gently brushed the damp hair from his face. The recent injury in her shoulder made itself felt, protesting her exertion with a faint ache. Nothing she couldn’t live with. The twinges were worth the reward.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, noting Kersen’s faint frown.

  “I don’t have the bride price, even if your brother changes his mind about the two of us.”

  “Is that all?” She pushed at his shoulders, one hand slipping down to touch the fiery armband. “When we’re together, will you make me a matching armband?”