by PJ Schnyder
He switched back to long, hot strokes with his tongue. Before she could catch a ragged breath, he slid a single finger into her. And then he sucked on her clitoris again.
On a wordless cry, her inner muscles contracted around his finger. His mouth continued to kiss and suckle as he gently pumped in and out and teased around the clenching muscles of her opening. By the time he slid two fingers into her, she rode high on a wave of pleasure. The wave crested higher and higher with every stroke and every caress of his tongue. The water fell across her skin, and incredible sensations pooled deep inside her lower belly, tighter and tighter until she cried out again, flying apart.
Adam held her as the orgasm took her, stroking and nudging her clitoris, prolonging it. When Mackenzie finally came back to herself, he disengaged his hand and kissed his way back up her body. He paused to play with her generous breasts again, loving the weight of them in his hands and the deep rose of her nipples as they tightened under the attentions of his mouth.
He wanted to kiss and suck every inch of her, savor the taste of her skin and drink in the scent of her arousal in the steam of the shower. The water teased him too, keeping him primed for the time when she’d receive him.
And she was, the awareness returning to her eyes as she wordlessly watched him. He kissed those sweet lips again, loving her taste, all honey and fresh wild mint. His hands couldn't stop roaming over her warm curves, memorizing the feel of her. She was his. If only for the one time, she was his.
“Mine.” He whispered it against her lips.
“Yes.” The soft, feminine agreement threw open the final lock on his control. Crouching just enough, he caught her behind in his hands and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist in automatic response, her hands coming away from the shower walls to wrap around his neck.
He held her there, the tip of his erection nudging at her entrance, as he looked deep into her dark brown eyes and made sure no hint of fear hid in their depths.
“Mine,” he said again, almost a growl. His inner cat wouldn't wait any longer, needed to claim her. He struggled for control, unwilling to hurt her.
“Adam.” She pleaded with him. “Please. Please take me.”
He couldn't hold back any longer. He entered her, slowly stretching her as he fit himself inside her moist, tight heat.
She cried out as he filled her, her head falling back so he could see the beautiful contours of her face traced by water. She felt so good in his arms, with him buried fully inside her.
He paused then, listening to their tattered breaths. As their breathing rose and fell, coming into synchronization, he gathered himself under her and began to move.
“Oh!” she cried out. “Adam!”
He murmured the only coherent thought he had left. “Mine.”
He drew out and pressed back in, going crazy as her tiny inner muscles clenched all around him. He picked up tempo, driven wilder and wilder as her breasts bounced before him and her fingers dug into his shoulders. Her strong thighs locked around his back, helping him and urging him to give her everything she needed, everything he had to give.
She bucked against him, her inner muscles tightening around his cock as she came close to cresting again. He strained forward and set his teeth against the curve where her shoulder met her neck and cried out as he felt every muscle of her body convulse around him. One more desperate stroke deep inside her, and he came in a hot rush, buried to the hilt in her heat.
For the second time, Mackenzie slowly came back to herself, leaning her head forward until her forehead touched Adam's. They were both breathing heavily in time with an inner rhythm their hearts had found in the midst of their lovemaking.
After a moment he withdrew, and carefully set her back on her feet.
“Can you stand?” His voice sated and mellow, his arms still encircling her in gentle support.
“I think so.” She gave a shaky laugh. “That was…”
A thread of anxiety ran through his eyes, tugging at her heart. “Did I hurt you?”
She couldn't tease him, not as he seemed strangely vulnerable, as if it would kill him to have hurt her. She laid a hand on the side of his cheek. “No, no. That was just … incredible. Honestly.”
The smile he gave her was slow, pleased, and unadulterated male.
She stood up on her toes and gave him a kiss. It was long and slow and …wet. She glanced up at the shower heads, still going strong with hot water. “The hot water generators are pretty generous in this place.”
He chuckled. “Good environmental engineering.”
He reached over to a discreet alcove tucked in the corner of the shower and dispensed a small amount of shampoo into his hand. His other hand guided her to hold on to his waist. As they stood there, he gently dug both hands into her wet hair and began to lather it up.
“All of the houses in the territory access power from a centralized source. Most of the power is generated from windmills. Each individual home also has solar panels to run from in case they are cut off from the main power source. We've got very high efficiency water heaters that begin running when the house sensors indicate someone moving around inside the house. They heat water up quickly and the reserves last a good amount of time.”
She closed her eyes, trusting herself to his ministrations as he gently massaged the shampoo into her scalp and then tilted her head back to rinse her hair clean. “The hot water in the city doesn't last nearly as long, especially at certain times of the day when everyone is getting ready for work.”
He picked up a natural sponge and poured shower gel over it, working the gel into the sponge. He began to carefully but thoroughly cover her in lather.
“And, the water smells sort of metallic,” she added. A little beat of heat started to wake in her again as the texture of the sponge rubbed gently across her skin.
He looked at her with knowing eyes, but kept his ministrations ever so gentle. “In the cities, they treat their water with chemicals to dose the population with low levels of supplements. Acts as a preventative for a lot of the health issues and potential outbreaks that can happen in high population density centers. Shapeshifters have stronger immune systems so the water doesn't need to be treated to protect against what's in the water, and we don't introduce supplements to our population, so the water is going to be different.”
She thought on that for a bit as Adam helped her rinse thoroughly in the streams of water.
“My turn,” she said once he was done, holding her hand out for the sponge.
He seemed slightly surprised, but very pleased as he handed over the sponge with a fresh addition of gel. Working it into a lather, Mackenzie set to washing every inch of his body.
Some prompting within, perhaps her cat, maybe simply her, wanted to know every part of Adam. Built so beautifully, every part of him lean and muscular with the kind of definition she hadn't even known to dream of before she'd left the city. Human males were usually less defined in their physique, fit only to stay healthy and not shaped by the physical challenge of wild environment outside the cities. To her eyes, even his skeletal structure was more solid, more dense. By comparison, human males seemed easier to break.
She smiled a little wickedly as she paid particular attention to cleaning a certain part of his anatomy. As his penis stirred under her care, his eyebrow rose and his hands wandered over her body to give a little teasing back.
“Hungry for another round, Kitten?”
She gave him a rueful smile. “Maybe. I'm a little sore, but kind of thinking it'd be worth it.”
Adam dropped a kiss on the bridge of her nose. “We'll wait a little so we won't have to debate whether it's worth it.”
And his consideration made a big difference from her past as well. In fact, whether in training or lovemaking, he made sure every experience came out as positive as possible. Fine-tuned to her moods, he left no room to himself for selfishness, matching every nuance of her needs over the last couple of days, sensitive in a way
no man had ever taken the time or effort to be. It was as intrinsic a part of him to care for her as it was to protect and defend.
“We're clean,” she pouted. “Maybe we need to go play in the dirt so we have an excuse to take another shower.”
He chuckled as he turned off the water.
Adam's mood became significantly more serious by the time they reached the bedroom. He finished dressing before she did, and stood in the doorway.
“And we've run out of time.” He broke it to her as gently as possible. “I need to get to the Circle.”
“I'm coming with you.”
“No,” he snapped. His eyes flashed, and a rumble built in his chest.
“This,” she indicated the whole of her body, “is all because of him and me. I have the right to face him.”
“You aren't going to fight him.”
She studied him, her eyes taking in the strength of his jawline and every curve of cheekbone and brow ridge, memorizing the topography of his handsome face.
“No,” She agreed slowly as something primal spoke to her deep inside. “You are. I need to see it.”
His jaw clenched, the muscles visibly jerking under the skin of his cheek. “This fight is serious. I'm not holding back. It's not just might—you will see the worst side of me.”
“I've already seen evil.” She let the memory of it creep into her eyes. “I'll stand witness while evil is turned away, whatever it takes.”
“This isn't some fairy tale in a storybook, Kitten. I'm not a knight in shining armor about to vanquish an evil monster.”
She didn't flinch. “And I thought we'd made the point that I'm not a child. Dramatic as it sounds, it is what it is. You said if I chose you, there are no other choices. It goes both ways, Adam.”
He watched her stalk towards him, his brows drawn together in a scowl, but his eyes smoldered as they tracked her.
“You're not going to tuck me away for safe keeping,” she insisted.
Silence stretched taught as he evaluated her resolve. One heartbeat, two, and then he gripped her upper arms and gave her a firm shake. “If you're going, you do what the Sentinels tell you, hear me? You're not a kid, but you are still new. You need to follow our lead.”
She gave him a quiet snarl. “I hear you.”
He let out his breath in a gust. “Even if I tried to make you stay here, you'd find a way to follow me.”
“Basically.” She wasn't going to make any pretenses about it either.
“Let's get going.”
As they headed out of the aerie, he grumbled.
She batted at his shoulder with a loose fist. “Let's get this done, Adam, and go on living.”
Chapter 13
Mack slipped out of the surrounding forest to walk beside them as they neared the Circle. Adam appeared to sense his approach since the two of them only exchanged nods. Mackenzie heard something before Mack appeared, but still couldn’t recognize the hints her shapeshifter senses gave her.
Besides, she’d been distracted. Soon after they left the aerie, she’d experienced a subtle tug, a mild anxiety driving her to get to the Circle quickly. Something new, outside of herself, clawed at her, telling her she needed to be there even though she’d already decided she would be.
It irritated her, made her want to shake her head and rub her eyes to clear them. Her inner cat batted at the imperative, growling inside her mind. And yet it continued, persistent, and strengthening as she drew closer and closer to the Circle.
Suddenly, the obvious hit her in the back of the head. She stopped in her tracks.
Always aware of her emotions, Adam turned to her immediately. “What's the matter, Kitten?”
“You said Van might have made a partial bond with me.” She said the words slowly, testing the notion and finding it more and more plausible.
Adam and Mack both looked at her sharply. Adam reached out to caress her cheek. “Do you feel something?”
She scowled. “The most annoying, irritating urge to be at the Circle, which is stupid because I'm already heading there.”
Adam eyes scanning her face in careful scrutiny. “Did you insist to come because of it?”
“No!” She shook her head, decisively slicing the air with one hand. “This started after I hashed it out with you.”
Mack reached out and touched her shoulder. Meant to be a fleeting, comforting touch, Adam's lip still lifted at the sight of even the minor contact. Mack grinned at Adam but directed his question to Mackenzie. “The stray had a taste of your blood or flesh, huh?”
Adam growled. “Blood only, no scars, so he didn't take flesh.”
“That's a relief.” Mac maintained a matter-of-fact tone about it, his eye on Adam's increasing temper. “Could have been worse.”
“He's calling her.” Adam worked himself up to a fairly impressive rage, his lips drawn tight and his eyes going jaguar. The promise of violence gathered around him.
“Hey.” She tapped his shoulder with a light punch. “I know it for what it is, and I can ignore it. What if he's only screwing around with me, or you? What if he's trying to get you all worked up and hotheaded before the Challenge? He's insane, Adam, but he always knows exactly what he's doing and plans something like ten moves in advance. Get your head straight and don't give him an opening. I'll keep myself in line.”
They must have been close to the Circle, because Adam glanced through the trees and then gave a single, sharp nod in acknowledgement.
She still observed him with caution. “So, I'll stick with Mack, and you keep your head in the fight.”
“You got it, Kitten,” Adam said, his smile sudden, and unexpected.
She slipped her hand in his, as much for comfort as affection, and they began walking again. In minutes, they left the trees behind for the clearing containing the Circle.
Despite her brave words, Adam monitored her body language as they entered the clearing. Her heart rate increased and her breath quickened before she managed to force a steady, conscious rate. He could hear it, then smelled her fear as it rose up from her in a barely perceptible whiff of metallic tang. Her hand tightened in his, but she made no move to answer her maker's call. She fought the blood bond, and, he thought proudly, her will overcame the blood bond she’d unwillingly taken.
The Sentinels of the pride were all present, their posts and patrols covered by Enforcers and soldiers during the Challenge. A representative from the Conservation stood in the center of the Circle, aloof and absolutely objective.
A huge man, his arms clearly scarred by the claws of many opponents, the representative watched the gathering of the pride impassively. No one knew for sure what other form he took, he always oversaw Challenges in human form, but even then, the man was formidable. His scent spoke of an uncommon species of large feline. Called Orson, he had to be the oldest shapeshifter Adam knew.
The Conservation provided oversight for formal Challenges. Such a third party observer held a special place outside pride or pack structure, standing equal to the alpha in status with the right to preside over the proceedings. Adam welcomed the representative's presence. It meant the outcome of the Challenge would be final, with no later questions.
A minute behind their entry into the clearing, Van arrived across the Circle.
Adam paused a few steps from the edge of the Circle. Lifting the small hand holding his, he dropped a soft, lingering kiss on the inside of her wrist where the pulse beat strong under the silken, delicate skin.
“For your freedom to choose, Kitten, no matter who it is,” he whispered.
The flash of temper he loved so much sparked her eyes. “I already chose. Come back to me in one piece.”
They’d spoken quietly, yet the clearing had been absolutely silent, andtheir voices caught the ear of every shapeshifter more effective than if they’d shouted.
A high pitched growl came from the other side of the Circle.
She fixed her gaze deliberately across the Circle, looking Van full in the eye, c
hallenge and dominance in every line of her body. She’d made her choice clear, and in the eyes of the pride, Van had already been defeated.
Marcus stepped to her and guided her away to stand by him. Mack took up a solid position on her other side. Several of the Sentinels moved in behind her, surrounding her in the strength of the pride, making a statement of their own.
Assured she would be protected, Adam turned to focus on his fight.
He looked over his opponent as they faced each other. The southern peninsula panther didn’t have the same appearance as the panthers found in the jaguar prides, panthers like Adam. It had been known in the days prior to the Cataclysmic Wars as a Florida panther or cougar, close to extinction, surviving only in reserves and zoos prior to the wars. The population remained small, but the Conservation had brought the species, and the shapeshifters, back from the brink. Adam knew Van wouldn't yield, and it would be a shame to kill one of a species struggling to gain a new foothold in the world.
It would be a blow to the species, but it would be a favor to mankind.
Orson gave Adam a nod, then turned to Van. He waited until Van quit growling, and nodded as well. No more ceremony, Orson stepped out of the Circle. The Challenge had begun.
“Mackenzie is mine, jaguar,” Van shouted across the Circle.
Adam shrugged, baring his teeth in a wide grin. “She chose different.”
Van let out a scream of rage. That was all it took. The dark man charged straight across the Circle, and Adam surged forward to meet him.
They clashed close to the center in a flurry of movement. Van had partially shifted, wielding fur covered claws for the first strike. Adam had anticipated it, remembering Mackenzie's description of her Change. He avoided the first swipe, ducking under the other man's shorter reach and landing a few rib-cracking blows as they passed each other.
His opponent only smiled, blood thirst shining in his eyes.
