by Vonna Harper
Scooting back a few inches, he studied what he’d done. Her garment was indeed up around her buttocks and her crotch was exposed. She immediately clamped her legs together so he saw little beyond her nicely rounded ass cheeks and the back of her thighs, but enough of her labia peeked out that he was hard put to think of anything else. Mostly he imagined stroking the small bit of flesh while wondering whether her pussy would ever welcome him.
If she continued to resist, could he keep his hands off her, or would he bend her knees so her ass was off the ground and the dark, mind-killing cave ready?
“Let me go!”
“Why would I want to do that?”
As mesmerizing as his current view was, he wanted to look into her eyes when they spoke, so rolled her over onto her back. With her arms behind her, her body arched toward him, he had to remind himself that there was no invitation in those curves and angles. Although a fine dusting of pale pubic hair stood sentry, he could now see more of her sex. His hands burned, and his erection grew.
“Don’t look at me like that. You’re an animal, a beast.”
“An animal that has captured a weak human.”
If he placed her legs on his shoulders and lowered his head, her female scent would slip into his nostrils. Helpless to do anything else, he’d draw the hot smell into his lungs and brain.
“I’ve done no harm to Puma Mountain,” she said, jolting him free of the unwise thought.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes. What I came for will barely fill my pouch. Free me so I can get what I need. I’ll be gone before night.”
Although he was intrigued by what she’d just said, he didn’t ask her to explain herself further. Determined to regain the feeling of power, he told himself he could free her and follow her to ensure that she’d come alone. He might even offer to help her find what she’d come to the mountain for, but if he did those things, he wouldn’t sleep tonight.
Perhaps the spirits had sent her to him as reward for the countless days and nights he’d spent as Beast Master. Granted, his role within the clan was a great honor, but it set him apart. Instead of spending his time at the Puma compound, he only infrequently went there because the Beast demanded his presence. What if the Beast had been watching and judging him and now considered him worthy of this reward, this woman’s body?
“What brought you here?” His hands still burned, and he wondered how much longer he could go without touching her.
“A fern, that’s all.”
A fern? “What for?”
Instead of answering, she tried to sit up. He watched her struggle before planting a hand on her chest and pushing her back down.
“I hate you!” she shot at him.
“Of course you do.”
Her gaze immediately went from his face to where his hand lay between her breasts. The soft, swollen flesh cradled his fingers and fed the flames in them.
Take her. Make her yours.
Chapter Two
Run!
Shake off this strange weakness caused by the powerful and potent body surrounding yours. Deny what still burns every place his hands have touched.
As a member of the Deer clan, Luann had spent her life running from danger, not confronting it. Enemy attacks were fortunately rare and if flight wasn’t possible, her people would stand their ground, but that wasn’t their first instinct.
What was her instinct telling her now, that’s what she couldn’t comprehend as she stared into eyes so deep she half believed they went on forever. Although he was no longer sitting on her, her nerves and muscles remembered the press of his thighs and excited cock. He’d known she couldn’t shake him off, but he’d challenged her to try by grinding his cock against her buttocks. Or had it been more than a challenge?
Her captor must be a Puma. After all, his clan had long ago laid claim to this vast and imposing mountain. Pumas were predators, fighters and attackers as witnessed by what had just happened. How had she allowed one of them to grab her and why was it so hard to shake off his impact on her senses?
Hot pressure from the hand nestled between her breasts made concentrating difficult. She’d been unbearably thirsty, and when she’d spotted the small creek, satisfying her thirst had become all-important. That done, she’d studied the beautiful world beneath the surface. Now she was paying the price. Not only that, before long her mouth would dry out, and she’d crave more water.
Her arms didn’t ache, but they soon would. She had a basic understanding of the ways captives could be restrained, but having her elbows roped together was something she’d never considered.
What she was beginning to comprehend was that helplessness could be as much of a drug as the one she’d been seeking.
She again tried to sit up only to have her captor increase the pressure on her chest. Although she fell back, he continued to hold her in place. Her legs were weak, and every time she breathed, she smelled male heat.
“Don’t try,” he said in his take-charge tone. “You can’t overpower me.”
“Let me go. I’ve done nothing—”
“How do I know that? Perhaps you’ve stolen something that belongs to the Pumas and are carrying it in your pouch.”
“I’m not.”
His look said he wasn’t about to take her word for anything, not that she expected him to. If she gave away too much, her people would be in jeopardy and she’d rather die than be responsible.
She might die anyway.
Easily holding her down, he reached for her pouch and shook it open. Out fell a small pile of nutritious camas root, carrots from the Deer clan’s garden, and dried berries. Just seeing her stockpile of food made her hungry. The last time she’d tried to eat, her stomach had rejected the offering, but in part that had been because she was nervous about coming to Puma Mountain.
“Something to sustain you on your journey,” he observed in that low and rumbling tone of his. “There isn’t much. You weren’t intending to stay here long?”
“No. I’d never want to do that.”
“Of course you wouldn’t.” One-handed, he placed the food back in the pouch and tossed it away.
“What are you doing?” She jerked her head at the pouch. “I need that.”
“That’s for me to decide. What’s your clan?”
Should she tell him? But if she didn’t, he had ways of forcing the truth out of her. “Deer.”
A nod made her wonder if he’d already guessed. The world was populated by more clans than she could guess. Most of them lived isolated lives, but the predator clans were known for their unexpected and deadly attacks. How had she been so careless to let a Puma capture her?
Because acknowledging her role in what had happened would only demoralize her, she filled her lungs with his essence. She’d seen Pumas from a distance and been shaken by how sturdy they looked, but that hadn’t done enough to prepare her for reality. Her captor weighed much more than she did, and she guessed his height at nearly a foot more. Muscles the likes of which she’d never seen on a Deer man spoke of a strength beyond her comprehension.
Except for a loincloth that failed to disguise his erection, he was naked. Too much of him was exposed, all of it primal and powerful. His long black hair added to his fierceness as did his large hands, and strangely beautiful eyes.
True to his heritage, his eyes were a mix of black and yellow with one or the other color prominent depending on how much light or shadow reached them. She’d been told that the Puma ancestors all had black eyes, and his hair made her believe that. But generations of Pumas had lived in the same mountain as the four-legged creatures of the same name. According to her elders, the animals had blessed their human counterparts with eyes that glowed yellow, in addition to deadly stalking and killing skills. In thanks for those skills, the Pumas protected the mountain from all invaders.
Undoubtedly her captor saw her as a threat, albeit one he had no trouble controlling.
He hadn’t said anything after s
he’d revealed her clan, forcing her to ponder what he was thinking. If his intense gaze and the hand on her chest spoke the truth—and she had no reason to think otherwise—he was thinking like a man with a woman under his power.
It was as simple as that, wasn’t it? She’d become his possession and prize, but because she was female to his male, perhaps nothing else needed to matter. If her arms were free, she’d be fighting the urge to slide her hands over his warrior body. He might stand in place while she laid claim to shoulders and forearms, belly and buttocks. Not content with having her fingertips do all the exploring, she might touch her lips to his chest and catch a nipple between her teeth. She’d be the one pushing her pelvis at him, the one forcing his arms behind his broad back so he couldn’t end her journey. Maybe she’d sink onto her knees and open her mouth and stretch her neck—
“Let me go, please.”
“No.”
The single word, which she’d expected, hit her heart like a blow. Panic enveloped her, compelling her to roll onto her side. As she did, his hand slid over a breast followed by her ribs and then her useless arm. The touch was light and distracting, but then, thank the gods, it was gone. Afraid he’d continue his exploration of her body, she forced her knees under her and sat up. Having her arms behind her had her off balance. Although she put all of her strength into the effort, she couldn’t stand.
“You hate not being able to run, don’t you?” he said. “Knowing you can’t get away sickens you.”
I’m already sick. “Are you afraid of me?” she challenged. “Is that why you’ve tied me?”
She thought he might punish her for her words, but how could she determine how much danger she was in if she didn’t test him? Still, when he grabbed the rope holding her elbows together and hauled her to her feet, fear lodged in her throat. She stared down to where his much larger feet bracketed hers. Behind her, his strength and heat seeped into her spine.
“What do you know about the Pumas?” His breath on her scalp made it tingle. “Do you know how few girl babies are born to the handful of women?”
“I’ve heard stories. Is it true?”
“Yes. It has been like that for generations, the number of Puma women becoming less and less.”
“I’m sorry for the women who have to put up with men like you.”
“Be careful what you say. You don’t want to make me angry.”
“What could be worse than what you’ve already done to me?” she asked and immediately regretted the words.
Before she could anticipate, he slid a powerful arm around hers. Then he pulled her back against his chest and wrapped his other arm around her throat so she was forced to rest her head against him. His breathing was long, slow and deep. His heartbeat reached her.
He smelled male and of the forest. There was something else, a wild aroma that made her think of his clan’s namesake. She might have focused on the wildness if the man in him hadn’t made a greater impact.
Deer men took pride in their speed and keen senses, and when her body cried out for satisfaction, she offered it to her clansmen. Until now she’d been content with long limbs and slender albeit passionate cocks, and believed she was ready to choose one of them as her life mate. But none of her clansmen’s bodies had ever touched hers the way her captor’s did.
She didn’t want to fuck with this man, nothing like that! As for the crazy thought she’d had about examining his entire body, undoubtedly, she was reacting to being his prisoner. He was so big and powerful that she couldn’t fault herself for fantasizing that he’d protect her with his predator’s body. Puma Mountain had cast a spell over her, that’s what it was. Maybe the water she’d recently drunk was responsible.
“Did you hear me?” he asked and his breath slid over her scalp, making her shiver. “There aren’t enough Puma women, but now I have you.”
I have you. “Are you proud of yourself?” she managed despite her increased heartbeat. “What a great warrior you are to have overpowered a woman.”
“Overpowered? You aren’t fighting anymore. In fact, I think you like this.” He increased his hold on her. Her legs threatened to give way, and she had no choice but to go on leaning against him. It was like letting a boulder support her, a living boulder that breathed and had a beating heart. Most of all, her captor’s cock spoke to her. To her disbelief, her core softened. Maybe he’d prepare her core for him by first sliding a finger into her and stroke her inner walls while her muscles tightened around him.
Stop it! That kind of thinking is dangerous.
“The Pumas have long been led by Ashlyn the Ruler,” he said, his words pulling her back to reality. “A royal woman with wisdom no Puma man questions, but her voice has fallen silent. Now Puma men are making their own decisions.”
“What does this have to do with me?”
“I’ve decided to keep you. To make you into what I need.”
“You can’t.”
“Don’t say what I can or can’t do.”
Something had changed in his tone over the last few moments. It was almost as if the man who’d captured her had slipped away to be replaced by someone or something even more overwhelming. Discovering what that person or thing might be could determine whether she’d live to see tomorrow.
And surviving to take the precious ferns back to her people was all-important. Nothing else, especially not her need for sex, mattered.
The arms anchoring her to him let up enough, but his impact remained just as intense. Thank goodness her dress’s hem had slid back into place so her sex was no longer exposed, but she had no doubt he’d taken note. Not only that, she couldn’t stop him from lifting it again, higher this time if he chose. She tried to take solace in the fact that he couldn’t completely strip her as long as her arms were tethered the way they were, but the lie lasted only until she imagined him taking his knife to the fastening at her shoulder.
He’d expose her breasts one inch at a time, drawing out the moment of ultimate vulnerability while she stood helpless and trembling before him. She’d try to run because simply accepting his rule over her was as foreign to her as not fleeing a predator was to a deer. But too many times the predator brought down the deer.
Only would she fight or embrace what came next?
Grunting low in his throat, he planted a hand at the back of her neck and forced her to lean forward so the arm around her elbows was all that kept her from falling. “Stay like that,” he ordered.
“What are you going to do?”
“I told you. Whatever I want.”
Blood rushed to her head, and it took all her self-control not to try to straighten. Much as she wanted to ask why he was doing this, she no longer wanted to talk to him. With the barrier of silence between them, hopefully her insane thoughts would stop.
She was still debating how she hoped to accomplish that when she realized he was doing something with what had once been her belt but was now part of her captivity. The pressure that kept her elbows close together slackened and then let up completely. Her relief lasted only a moment because he had hold of her hands and was bending her arms so one wrist lay over the other.
“You call yourself a warrior?” she challenged. “No Deer man would do something like this.”
“I’m not a Deer, remember.”
Although she again struggled, he held her in place with a single hand while the other quickly and expertly wound the leather rope around and around her wrists. Only then did he bring her upright again.
He’d secured her so her elbows were deeply bent, and her wrists rested against the small of her back while her hands reached impotently for nothing. This new position did nothing to change the fact that her breasts pushed against the leather she’d spent days softening and fashioning into a summer garment.
Planting one of his take-charge hands on her shoulder, he turned her toward him. Then he released her and stepped back.
“Incredible,” he said. “You’re a trophy, my trophy.”
; A denial died in her throat. All her life she’d taken pride in her healthy young body. Pitting her speed against the men and women of her clan made her feel close to the deer her people had been named for.
More than that, speed and freedom spawned other sensations that rivaled what she felt during sex. This man had robbed her of her freedom and yet, for this moment she didn’t hate him. How could she when she was standing before the most powerful man she’d ever seen and his loincloth was being tested?
He gave his hidden cock a bold look, undoubtedly in acknowledgement of her having just done the same thing. “What is it?” he asked. “Do you fear that part of me or want it?”
“Want? Never!”
“I don’t believe you. The fever in your eyes doesn’t lie.”
“You think too highly of yourself. The last thing I’m interested in is that.” She indicated his cock.
“Aren’t you?”
Perhaps in reaction to his comment, a rush of heat raced through her veins. He was magnificent. Frightening and fierce but magnificent just the same. Unlike her, he’d never run from his enemies. Instead, he’d stand strong and confident, ready to do battle. And he’d win his battles.
“What is your name?” he asked.
“Why would you care?”
“Maybe because I don’t know all I intend to about you.”
“You can’t mean that.”
“Why don’t you believe me?”
“Because I’m nothing to you, just your captive, a body you control.”
“And you hate that?”
Tugging at her bonds, she nodded. Securing her this way might have taken him only a few seconds, but he’d done such a thorough job that struggling wouldn’t accomplish anything. It wasn’t only her arms that were worthless, in many respects, the rest of her body had been tethered. She might be able to run but much of the speed she’d long relied on would be denied her, and she’d become awkward. Just the same, if the opportunity arose, she’d flee. She might even bury one or both of their knives in him.
