His offer tempted her, but was this Ryden’s request…or the beast’s?
“I can’t. We can’t. You’re not…you.”
“The hell I’m not. I’ve never felt more like my true self.”
She lifted her face to peer at him. His eyes weren’t glazed nor his features shrouded like someone under an enchantment.
He shifted his hips forward, thrusting temptation into her face.
“I can’t be what you need me to be.”
“Right now, I want your pretty little mouth wrapped around my cock. Let’s worry about the future later.”
He shrugged down his pants and stepped out of them, fisting his thick, full erection for her appraisal. “I’ve wanted you to feed from me from the moment I saw you. That’s never going to change.” He squeezed himself and his eyes shuttered. The muscles in his abdomen tightened, and a glistening drop beaded on his tip.
She moaned at the scent of him, her focus glued to the erotic scene.
“Lick it, Naya.” He offered his essence to her.
She leaned forward and flicked her tongue across the slit of his shaft, moaning as the flash of energy burst on her tongue. Bright and crisp. So tantalizing she wasn’t sure if she would ever be satisfied.
As she grasped for him, he drew back. “No, that’s not how this is going to work, love. I’m going to feed you, all right, drop by drop.” He squeezed himself again, freeing another gleaming bead. “And you’re going to lick every single fucking one.”
Anticipation shot through her core, dampening the wetness between her thighs. Deep inside, this was what she craved. Him in control of her gratification. She obeyed, her lashes fluttering while she sampled his offering. Kneeling back, she tilted her face to him. “More.”
“I’ll give you more, but I want your promise first.” He curled his finger under her chin. “If I feed you, no one else does.”
His words sank like weighted stones into the pit of her stomach. Why did he demand something she couldn’t offer? Why did he offer something she couldn’t refuse?
Ryden was the only male her fox spirit desired. She’d spent two months searching for another to tempt her and none had succeeded.
The only safeguard remaining was that Ryden wouldn’t always stick around. He’d venture back to his human life someday and free her from this arrangement.
She nodded and eagerly opened her mouth. In reward, he squeezed the head of his rigid shaft and released another decadent drop. He tapped the tip of himself against her lips and she moaned, decadence sparking across her tongue.
He kept his promise, feeding her pearl after pearl of succulent energy, until suddenly, he growled low in his throat. “Good girl, now you can have all of me.”
Ryden’s fist vigorously pumped his length, and after a few seconds, he tossed back his head and grunted. His cock jerked as spurts of cum shot from it.
Naya parted her lips and sucked in the energy, transforming his cum into a vaporous essence that she drank in.
He lowered his stare to watch with intense, darkened eyes. “Fuck yes. Feed from me.”
Warmth spilled into her belly, cutting the edge off her hunger as it replenished her energy stores. Her sex heated, ripples of euphoria amplifying and blasting through her. A spasm rocked her core, shattering her muscles and melting her bones.
Ryden was everything she’d pinned him to be. Strength crested off him in waves, an endless energy source…all her own.
He sank in front of her and claimed her lips, sliding those large, warm hands along her cheeks as he directed her mouth. Judging by his frenzied kiss, the tales were true. Having a fox spirit feed from a human was pure ecstasy to the male. Though it would drain him of energy, the satiation would be like no other climax.
Her release had been mind-blowing. She’d had orgasms before, but never like that. Never without even touching herself.
He wrenched his mouth from her, his chest heaving while he pegged her with that intense stare. “We should definitely do that again.” The corner of his mouth lifted.
She glanced down; his shaft was already hardening. “I think we can.”
Flinging her arms around his neck, she planted her mouth on his and swung her leg to straddle his hips as he kneeled. She ground against him, undulating and kissing him in an unhurried pace. Savoring his taste, his strength.
He wound his fingers through her hair, down her back, and trailing up again. His full hardness pressed between them, eager, but he seemed in no more of a rush to take things further than she was. This tender moment was everything she wasn’t supposed to have.
And everything she craved.
With him.
It wasn’t about satisfying her hunger or his male sex drive, not like their first encounter. This was learning about each other and attaining a level of closeness no other form of intimacy could. As his lips met her to suck, lick, and nip, his hands traced her body. Possessiveness spread through the intensity of his explorative touches. Like he was laying claim to every inch of her.
Possibly as much as she was to him. Her hands were no less greedy than his while she glided them across every firm muscle and hard plane of his body.
His lips left hers to trail down her throat, and a groan rumbled in his chest. The calm thrumming of his heartbeat escalated and his thickness between them pulsed. One glimpse of his aura revealed he’d neared the peak of his control.
She pulled back, panting. “Not now.”
As much as his readiness enticed her, she had to shove that prick Chao back to Dìyù—Hell.
Ryden’s energy sang through her veins. She pressed a kiss to his neck, breathing in his rich, male scent, and lifted her gaze to his face. His talisman was still missing from his body. “We should find your talisman.”
“No.” He swallowed, his thick neck bobbing. “I like being this way. I’m stronger.”
“You’re unpredictable.”
His lips quirked. “You mean, uninhibited? I don’t know what’s inside me, but it makes me feel alive.” He rubbed his thumb along her bottom lip. “Just like you do.”
“Your brother—”
“Can shove it. He’s not my boss. I appreciate him looking out for me, but I’m not a kid anymore.” He thumped his hand on his chest. “This is what I am.”
His beastly features—fangs and claws—had subsided. For now. She had no doubt they would rise again whenever he lost control.
Was that such a bad thing? True, he’d nearly lost it with the dragon, but with practice, he should be able to manage his impulses. She’d learned how to rein in her fox spirit. Surely, he could do the same with whatever beast had claimed him.
She’d teach him. Naya rested her cheek against Ryden’s chest and smiled. If this was what he chose—to discard his talisman—he couldn’t return to the human world until he’d mastered his darker side.
Which meant he would stay with her…for a while at least.
Ryden shifted her to his arms and rose, planting her on her feet. After tugging on his pants, he offered his hand. “Time to go?”
“Yep.” She grinned. “Time to kick some evil demon ass.”
***
Ryden sighed as he followed Naya into the water and back through the tunnel. He waited underwater while she kicked to the surface and snatched her clothes. His lungs didn’t require the extra oxygen though, so he stayed under, cleaning the portal’s surface. Once the gunk had been cleared, Naya uttered the enchantment to open the portal and the stone surface spun into an iridescent glow.
Without waiting for him, she swam through. He kicked forward, trailing her, before the portal closed on them. The gateway spewed him onto a grassy meadow. He blinked and spotted Naya, squeezing water from her long tresses.
Damn, she was gorgeous. His cock twitched, definitely ready for another round. Once he helped her settle the score with that motherfucker Chao, he hoped she would be too.
Sunlight streamed across his face. Though being with Naya had seemed far too brief, they mu
st have been at it for hours, because dawn had arrived. Hell, he could have held her like that, kissing her for a few more hours, or days. He’d never experienced that kind of intimacy, not just fondling her body, but also caressing her soul.
Shielding his eyes, he stood and stepped into the rosy sunlight. Naya swept a hand through her locks, combing them. Tiny sparkles of sunlight glinted off the drying strands, the warmth of the sun heating her skin and carrying her sweet scent to his nose.
His senses had grown stronger. Every inch of him had been transformed. Unburdened. Though his mother’s warning pinged in the back of his mind, he couldn’t deny how fucking awesome he felt. Rolling his shoulders, he cracked his knuckles and grinned. His body was strong; his mind, clear. The numbness was totally obliterated.
In the field, a rabbit hopped to hide behind a bush. His focus easily honed in on the creature he wouldn’t have been able to spot before.
“We’ll head north. It’s not far.” Naya scanned the blushing horizon. “Are you ready?”
“Absolutely.” He shot her a grin and followed the direction she indicated, hiking across the rough, rocky terrain. Already, the sun was beating down on them. Their clothes would dry in no time. “We’re gonna make a kickass team, you and me.”
“Thank you.” Huffing, she caught up to him.
Damn, guess he’d grown faster, too. He shortened and slowed his long strides, peering at her. “For what?”
“You don’t have to do this.” She cleared her throat. “Any of this.”
“Any of what?” Oh, he knew what she meant, but he hungered for her to admit it. How bloody good she had felt while feeding from him. Because it had damn sure been incredible for him. Never had his body imploded with such force. His head buzzed, his veins pumping vigorously from the burst of raw power.
Shit, no wonder Price preferred fox spirits. They appealed to him too—one in particular.
“You know what.” She elbowed him in his side.
He snatched her arm and whirled her around, flat against his chest.
“We don’t have time.”
A quirk tugged at his lips. “Should I be flattered?”
“At what?” Oh yeah, her breath was definitely airy.
“At how you’re certain I’m not a three-minute kind of man.” He winked at her.
Rolling her eyes, she shoved off him. He released her, but hell, they’d better get this mission over with. Fast.
As they approached the edge of the meadow, Naya cut toward the tree line. Thick, tropical jungle blocked out their destination. “Wait here.”
“Why? Where are you going?”
She handed him her cloak, fluffed her hair, and hiked up her skirt. Oh, hell no. “To get us a ride. Be right back.” She winked at him and sauntered toward the country road. From behind the gnarled trunks of a Banyan tree, Ryden assessed her technique.
With her hip exposed enticingly, she fluttered those gorgeous baby browns and sure enough, the first car that drove along pulled to the curb. Naya sashayed, shaking that fine ass, to the passenger door. A middle-aged man in a business suit rolled down the window. She leaned in, her breasts spilling from her tight, low-cut top. Ryden fisted his hands, the sting of claw tips piercing into his palms. Warm blood spilled across his fists and dripped onto the grass, but he didn’t care. That motherfucker had better tear his leer from Naya’s breasts, or Ryden would do the job for him.
And fucking rip out his eyeballs.
Then stuff them down his—
“Are you coming or what?” Naya’s lyrical voice chimed, drawing him back from his bloodlust.
He wiped his hands on the grass and strode out from the cover of the jungle. Behind his thick glasses, the businessman’s black eyes widened. Yeah, you’d better be afraid, jackass.
Ryden stalked toward the car, snagged an arm around Naya’s waist, and shot the driver a glare, daring him to refuse. The man stuttered something unintelligible, and Ryden opened the back door for Naya to climb in. Shutting it behind her, he shoved open the passenger door and sank beside the driver. Naya rambled off the address and the driver swallowed hard before shifting the car into gear.
Damn right, you’re not getting laid tonight. Not with her.
He rubbed his hands together and shot Naya a wink.
I am.
Every ounce of raw power that Naya had detected hidden beneath Ryden’s exterior had broken free. Without that talisman reining him in, his aura pulsed with virile energy. His standoff with their driver had emphasized that. Whatever had lain dormant inside him was awake.
And very much in control.
She flicked her tongue across her bottom lip. The taste of him had seared onto her tongue. Though she could feed off other males, she didn’t…want to.
Ugh. She fisted her hands into her skirt. How was she supposed to become Queen when she hungered after only one male?
She couldn’t. That was the answer. She couldn’t have both, and she must forfeit one. Since she wasn’t willing to renounce her race, her people, to certain extinction, relinquishing Ryden was the path she’d have to choose.
Perhaps not yet. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth. At the very least, it would be wise to feed off him—a strong male—until she claimed the throne. That way, she’d enter her reign as a powerful Queen, capable of restoring her people to greatness.
The car veered onto a highway, other vehicles crowding around them, as they passed into the city.
“Hey man, can I borrow your phone?” Ryden pointed to the mobile plugged into the car’s dash. The businessman, hands gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles, bobbed his head. “Thanks.”
Naya leaned forward. “Who are you contacting?”
“Price mentioned a couple of his friends are in town—two other Chosen. Figured it might be a good idea to have backup.”
Nodding, she eased back. The Chosen were powerful warriors—a human paired with a spirit animal of the Chinese Zodiac. Price hosted the Horse. Which animals were his friends?
“Up there.” She jerked her chin toward a concrete brick high-rise and suppressed a shudder. Images of her sisters, chained and in cages, flashed across her mind. Like her, they’d been desperate. Rumors had spread among her people—that they could become mortal. What they required was a powerful male to transition them.
Lies. Her claws cut into the leather seats. Oops. She smoothed her palms across the slits, hoping their nice driver wouldn’t notice.
In her desperation, she’d stumbled here. Delirious from the hunger twisting her insides and fuzzing her brain, she’d concluded that her best path was to no longer be a fox spirit at all.
Shame. She shook her head. Oh, the fox spirit within her could be removed, all right. Damned rumors. The truth hidden deep was that no húli jīng could survive for long without her fox spirit’s essence.
Her soul.
Hence the mortality.
Separated, she would die a slow, tormented death. Half out of her mind from the agony of being torn from the very essence that had made her thrive.
The operation they sought to take out was on the eighth floor. The car pulled to a stop, and Naya thanked the driver, who swiped sweat from his brow with a pocket handkerchief. She hopped out of the car, Ryden right behind her.
Two figures climbed out of a black car parked near the curb. A large man and a dark-haired woman.
Ryden inclined his head at them. “Thanks for coming.”
“Never knew Price had a brother.” The woman gave him a once-over, shrugged, and focused on Naya. “I’m Nat, this is Kassian.”
Naya squinted at her outstretched hand before clasping it. Snake. Her attention drifted to the male. Ox. Good choices. How resourceful of Ryden. “I’m Naya. Thank you for helping us.”
“Our pleasure.” Kassian grinned. “Let’s go check it out.”
Doubtful that Chao would anticipate her return, not since she’d divested him of his finger on their last encounter, she strode straight through the lo
bby doors. The others followed her lead, and they rode the elevator to the eighth floor. A chime rang out, the doors opening, and Ryden stepped through first. “You sure about this?”
She shrugged and pointed to the flat across the hall. “Not really, but I can’t leave them here, not like this.” Their souls had been stripped. They were dying.
Not here.
“Right.” Ryden nodded and strode toward the gated door she’d indicated. It wasn’t locked though, and as he pushed through, he tilted his head for her to follow.
The walls and floors vibrated with a thumping hip-hop beat. As she stepped inside, a rank odor stung her nostrils. Ugh. The funk resembled a mixture of rotten meat and unwashed laundry. Judging by the dozens of flies buzzing inside, that was probably true.
Trudging forward, she resisted the urge to pinch her nose. They passed the first bedroom and she peered inside. Oh, man. Her gut clenched. Chains clinked as two pairs of glazed eyes lifted toward her from inside a cage. Yet, she’d counted three fox spirits the last time she was here.
Frowning, Naya jolted around to trail Ryden. Chao was in this flat, somewhere. Probably.
“Oh, fuck.” Ryden whipped his head to the side, gagging.
“What is it?” She rushed toward him, placed a hand on his shoulder, and peered over him. “Ugh.” She slapped a hand across her mouth and copied Ryden. The two Chosen behind her groaned in unison. Chao reclined on the couch, his pants unbuckled and bloody. Collapsed at his feet, a fox spirit clasped the man’s severed—
“Is that what I think it is?” Ryden coughed into his fist.
Damn right, girl. Naya rushed to her side, sinking to her knees as she rolled the female over. She moaned, her lashes fluttering. Oh, praise Nüwa.
While Nat and Kassian searched the balcony, Naya clutched the female to her chest, smoothing back her scraggy locks. This poor creature likely hadn’t bathed in weeks. Her green silk dress was torn in several places and smudged with numerous patches of grime. Her brown hair was plastered to her forehead, the ends tangled into dreadlocks.
Match Me Later (Chinese Zodiac Romance Series Book 4) Page 6
