Immediately, there was a reaction, both in her body and mind, but there was also a very strong hesitation. Fear. He had hoped they had dispensed with that emotion between the two of them, but he was making new demands of her each rising. She wanted to please him, to meet his every expectation, and even looked forward to his “lessons,” but she was terrified of letting him down, especially when it came to anything physical between them. Elisabeta had a talent for soothing everyone around her. He had to be the one person who could soothe her.
I have a surprise for you, piŋe sarnanak. He used a coaxing tone. Still sensual. He wanted her to feel the sexual pull between lifemates. Anticipation. But no pressure. Once you have fed, we will go together into the forest. It is so beautiful there, and I have made certain no one is around, nor can they disturb us. I have a long cape for you to wear while you practice your walking to get there.
He would have to forgo seeing her feminine form, but she would feel too vulnerable naked. He wanted to build her confidence, not make her feel helpless. Once there, we will practice shifting into any form you wish. If it pleases you, you can truly become a little songbird and fly. You do not have to go high into the sky, but go from branch to branch, if seeing through the eyes of a bird is still too difficult.
Her heart rate accelerated as she opened the earth above her. He was extremely proud of how smoothly she was able to move the dirt. He doubted she even noticed because she was concentrating on floating out of the soil and freshening her body at the same time. He noted that she paid particular attention to her hair. That required even more concentration. He had been coming up out of the soil clean and fully clothed for so long the action was automatic, but Elisabeta hadn’t been allowed to do the simplest task for herself.
Ferro noted that she had no problem floating, or removing the fine particles of soil from her body, but was extremely frustrated with freshening and braiding her hair. He was tempted to help her, especially as she tried several times without success. Still, she had achieved two of the three tasks easily, and he didn’t want to take those accomplishments from her. She didn’t look to him for aid so he stayed quietly merged with her, aching to do her hair but knowing she needed to feel as if she could be independent when she wanted to be. He found that watching her struggle was one of the most difficult things he’d ever done—and he’d fought countless battles with master vampires.
Feminine triumph burst through his mind when she managed the thick braid on her own. Elisabeta’s joy was worth the agony of stepping back and witnessing her battle for so small a victory, and yet it wasn’t small. For Elisabeta, it was an enormous accomplishment. He let his pride in her swamp both of them.
My amazing lifemate. Believe me, I wake each rising knowing what a miracle I have been given. Come to me, sívamet.
This was another hard chore, and he had struggled with whether or not to push her out of her comfort zone so quickly on these smaller tasks. Every Carpathian child was taught as a toddler to open the soil, float, clean and clothe themselves, as well as get from one place to the other easily. He knew Elisabeta felt inferior to others because she didn’t know how to do the things she regarded as simple—things she knew children could do. The knowledge that a child could do more than she could made her feel ashamed. He detested that. She was a brilliant woman and just needed a little time to catch up.
How do I find you?
Fear swamped her, but she didn’t falter or refuse. He felt her determination. The woman could bring him to his knees.
Do you feel me close? We share a mind merge yet you do not seek my knowledge. Reach for my location. I will shield you from the battles that would distress you, Elisabeta. I know a woman as compassionate as you would have difficulties viewing the things I have seen and done over the centuries. Unlike the vampire, I do not wish to expose you. He was cruel and enjoyed watching you suffer. I do not. Trust me. Share my mind the way I share yours.
He knew he was asking for a huge leap of faith. He was centuries old and Elisabeta had already heard the rumors of Ferro from the Malinov brothers, the relentless Carpathian hunter feared even by other Carpathians for his renowned skills. He felt her hesitation, heard her pulse jump and then begin to race. His woman had serious trust issues and yet she still wrapped herself in him.
He simply waited, giving her the choice, knowing that more than anything else this was difficult for her. Elisabeta preferred Ferro to make the choice for her. She wanted him to command her to look into his mind rather than leave it up to her.
Ferro. Her voice shook. Is this what you desire of me?
He was silent, turning over and over in his mind the various reactions to her trembling query. He wanted her to start making her own choices for her sake and know they were her own.
Minan piŋe sarnanak, only you can decide whether you feel you are able to trust me enough to shield you. If you cannot, I will not be angry or disappointed in you. We will simply try it another day. You have only to look into my mind, see where I am and come to me, or call to me and I will come to you. There is no wrong decision. He kept his tone as gentle as possible, giving her the sensation of his palm stroking caresses down the back of her head to soothe her.
Elisabeta paced back and forth on the grounds beneath the house, wrapping her arms around herself, unaware she was walking better and better. On the uneven ground she didn’t stumble. Already, when she wasn’t thinking about it, she automatically cushioned the soles of her feet so she didn’t hurt herself on the rocks. He would point these things out to her later, just not now when she was desperately trying to force herself to make a choice.
Ferro found it agony to feel her mounting terror. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to stop himself from taking the decision from her hands. He felt like he was torturing her rather than helping her. He was feeling his way with her, trying to guide her without pushing her too fast, but perhaps he was guilty of the very thing he had warned her female friends against doing. It was just that she was so confident when she came to the aid of those in need. Just as she was cushioning her feet automatically while she paced because she wasn’t giving it thought, while she was using her gift to help others, she made decisions and gave her opinion with conviction.
Then suddenly, before Ferro had made up his mind, he felt that first tentative touch, a seeking. She was so timid, her fear filling him, and then she found the images of his location, of him quietly waiting for her. He knew the moment she felt his overwhelming pride in her and his feelings that had fast gone from affection to love and passion intertwined so strong and tight, the feeling would only keep growing for her.
He felt her gasp. She went still. At first afraid to trust what she saw. The emotions he felt for her. He couldn’t blame her. Sergey had tricked her repeatedly over the centuries. The vampire enjoyed playing elaborate, cruel jokes on her. Ferro felt her move in his mind, daring to search further. Looking for truth. Needing to believe but terrified to do so. He held himself equally as still as she had, silently willing her to take the next step, but aware she might not quite get there this rising. She had already come so far. His Elisabeta, so courageous.
She found his location. She merely had to cross the ground that led out from under the house where he waited to give her blood. The building was situated so that one entire length of the house had views of the thick groves of trees. A pathway led through gardens of flowers straight into the cooler forest. Already, his lifemate had taken so many new steps that he was grateful he had thought to change his ideas of what they would share this rising. His body wasn’t as happy with him, but for him, everything he did was about Elisabeta and her needs.
I am coming to you? She tried to pour confidence into her voice, but it still came out a question, as if she feared she had made the wrong choice.
Ferro wrapped her in love. You are so brave, minan piŋe sarnanak. I do not know a single Carpathian hunter more courageous than you.
He watched over her as she walked slowly, hesitantly, bolster
ed by his confidence in her as well as his admiration. He kept her attention on him, not on what she was doing.
I have explored the forest, and although it is much different than what we are used to, it is beautiful. I believe you will find it a place of serenity, as I have. I did not have as much time to investigate as I would have liked, but now I am glad. That gives us places to find together. It will be an adventure. I do know there are streams and mini waterfalls.
His breath caught in his lungs, stayed trapped there as she came physically into his sight. She was tall, like the women of his people, but because of his stature, he still dwarfed her in size. She was still on the thinner side but beginning to fill out nicely, losing the starved look he detested so much. Her skin glowed now. Her bone structure was beautiful. She had faint white scars from Sergey’s careless treatment of her. Scars were very rare on Carpathians unless wounds had been mortal. The master vampire had a lot to answer for—far too much for Ferro to dwell on when his beloved woman was coming to him of her own free will.
You are the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth. He meant it. To him, she was and always would be.
Her dark eyes met his a little shyly. Her smile was slow in coming, but when it did, her face lit up and then her eyes. It was as if the moon had risen in all her beauty, glowing bright for those on earth, shining down, spilling her silvery beams everywhere. Ferro held out his hand to her as she neared him.
She placed her hand in his without hesitation and his heart stuttered. More and more she was giving him her trust. A priceless gift, one he would forever treasure and guard carefully.
“Hän sívamak. My beloved. You must know how fast you have learned to do so many things. I will confess”—he bent to brush a kiss along her high cheekbone and down to the corner of her mouth—“that I will miss fixing your hair for you. It is a task I greatly enjoyed doing.”
Although he knew it was self-indulgent of him, he couldn’t stop his hands from drifting gently from her throat to the curve of her breast.
“I like you fixing my hair,” she conceded shyly. “It was . . . difficult.”
“And yet you were so persistent and accomplished the task. I found that very sexy.” His palm slipped to the back of her head and urged her face into his chest.
Her tongue stroked a caress over his skin, tasting him. He closed his eyes, savoring the feeling. Already she was sensual in her every touch on his body. Her hand skimmed down his chest over his abdomen, lingering on the muscles there, feeling the way they came alive for her, rippling under her palm. She sank her teeth into him and he threw back his head, letting the bite of ecstasy carry him away.
You said I am to practice the things you teach me each rising, is that not correct?
He could barely think straight with her mouth on him. Who knew the simple act of feeding could be so sensual?
Yes, he managed to get out. If you so desire.
In the ritual binding words, it says that my body is in your keeping and your body is in mine.
He heard that loud and clear. He became very aware of her palm, hot now, very low on his belly. His entire being centered there. Yes. My body is yours.
Her hand slipped lower to find the hard, thick girth of him. She smeared the leaking drops of his essence over the broad head and then down his shaft, fisting him in the way he had shown her the rising before. When her fingers tightened around him, pumping in a slow, lazy slide, and her lips and teeth moved, drinking from him, he felt the burn of flames along his spine and the roiling in his belly settle deep in his groin.
When she slid her teeth from his skin and licked at the wound, she kissed the twin holes before she began to kiss and lick her way down his chest and over the hard muscles of his abdomen. Ferro caught at her thick braid, wrapping the length around his fist, widening his stance to give himself a strong platform when she was already threatening his self-control. Just knowing his woman had enough trust in him to take what she wanted was sexy to him, let alone seeing or feeling her do it.
She was naturally sensual with great instincts. She kissed her way to his groin, but instead of going straight for his cock, she dropped slowly and very gracefully to her knees and slid her hands up his inner thighs, ratcheting up his anticipation until he couldn’t think straight. Her hands moved over his skin possessively, stroking caresses up toward his groin, her mouth following the path her hands blazed. She placed tiny, barely there kisses up his inner thigh to his heavy sac, her silky hair sliding along his left leg, teasing the nerve endings almost as savagely as her mouth and fingers were.
Nothing he had ever seen, read about or imagined had prepared him for the pure sensuality of that moment. He thought passion would be uppermost as his body reacted, the flames licking up his legs and dancing along his thighs, but as he looked down at his woman—the complete concentration, that loving expression—passion combined with overwhelming love for her shook him. The two emotions were so strong and couldn’t be separated.
Ferro knew he would have this time etched in his memories for all eternity. This one moment looking down at her. Those long lashes, the softness of love and ache of tenderness she didn’t try to hide from him. This was all for him. That was her secret. She had a growing awareness of sexual hunger, but what she was giving him had nothing to do with her. He was merged in her mind and he felt her joy at giving him pleasure. To her this was a gift, and in giving, she felt pleasure as well.
Elisabeta could bring him to his knees every time. She kissed and licked her way up his thighs to his heavy sac and then so gently breathed warm air over him before rolling and jiggling in between kissing, licking and sucking with exquisite tenderness. His breath hissed out of him and his hands tightened in her hair. He wanted desperately to pull her head over his cock but he knew the anticipation led to a mind-blowing orgasm. More, she needed to explore and know she had equal rights in their sexual world together. She needed this confidence in herself as his woman. He wasn’t going to take the power from her, no matter if he thought the top of his head might blow off from sheer pleasure.
Her tongue moved up his shaft in a long, slow lick that sent heat rushing through his veins. She did that several times, getting him very wet until he thought he would have to command her to take him into her mouth. There was no choice. He might die if she didn’t. Then her mouth settled over the crown, her lips stretching wide, the sight of her like that making his heart beat wildly. He wanted her eyes on his, looking into his as she took his cock deeper.
Immediately, her lashes lifted and Ferro found himself looking into the dark well of tenderness as her hot mouth drew him in. Her tongue curled around him, dancing and teasing, stroking the vee under the crown, flicking there, and all the while she practically purred, creating a vibration that raced up his cock.
Everything about that moment came together in a mad combination. The sight of her, the sensations pouring into him, her hot mouth surrounding him, the fireball burning out of control until his hips were thrusting almost helplessly into that impossible wet heat. That tight suction that threatened to carry him somewhere he’d never been. Stars burst behind his eyes. His entire being was focused on his cock. On the sensation her mouth and hands created. That vibration shaking his balls and running up his shaft.
No matter what he needed, the slightest little thought in his mind— tighter— deeper— don’t stop— swallow— keep swallowing—she did it. She gave that to him. His cock erupted with a fury, jet after jet of relentless hot seed pouring into her. He couldn’t release her, couldn’t leave that exquisite perfect haven she offered him so selflessly.
When his body calmed and relaxed, sated beyond imagining, slipping out of her mouth, she sank back on her heels, looking up at him with that same look of pure tenderness. “Thank you, Ferro. I really wanted to be able to give you that pleasure. I needed to.”
He framed her face with both hands, his heart beating out of control. That was his lifemate. His Elisabeta. That was the treasure he had. “You
gave me a gift priceless beyond words, sívamet.”
He could read in her mind that, although her body ached for his, she really didn’t want to pursue sexual satisfaction for herself. He held his hand out to her and when she took it, he pulled her to her feet, in close to his body.
“Are you afraid of me, Elisabeta? Of the intimacy between a man and a woman?”
She didn’t look at him but pushed her face into his chest. He could hear her heart accelerate. Her arms crept around his waist and she leaned her weight into him as if seeking solace.
“There is no wrong answer, minan piŋe sarnanak. We are having a necessary discussion. Simply that. You have become braver every day. We are getting to know one another. Still exploring. We can enjoy the journey along the way. There is no hurry.” His hand came up to massage her scalp and ease the tension from the nape of her neck. “I do not want to take information from my lifemate. I prefer that she freely gives it to me.”
Purposely, he didn’t couch his words in a command. When others were close and she was afraid, he would do that for her, but now, when they were alone, he wanted her to be able to get to a place where she wasn’t afraid of talking to him. He wanted her to have confidence in giving him her opinion. Voicing her fears. Even simply teasing him. He needed those things from her, but more, he knew she needed to give them to him in order to begin a healing process.
It wasn’t until they were all the way past the first grove of trees and the darker shades of the forest surrounded them that he felt that first intake of breath that told him she was going to answer him.
“I thought so much about what we did together. Your mouth on me. I loved it so much, Ferro.”
Her voice shook. Her body trembled. He felt her nipples grow hard and scented her arousal at just the mere remembrance. She’d been aroused when she was attending to his body, yet she definitely didn’t want him to give back to her. He continued massaging her scalp and neck, staying silent, letting her work out what she wanted to say even though his own body responded to hers. He didn’t try to hide his reaction from her. He refused to. He wanted only truth between them, even if that truth might frighten her.
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