I nodded, remembering the culture shock I experienced when he first brought me into this world.
Solomon continued, “What happened last night was driven by the mating frenzy. It was purely physical need and that’s why I stopped you from taking it further. And I will continue to stop you until I am sure your mind is on the same page as your body.”
I knew he meant to reassure me, but his words had the opposite effect, leaving me with a hollow feeling in my chest.
“How can you be so strong Solomon? For a man who’s used to getting what he wants, when he wants it, you are showing remarkable restraint. Is that because you don’t really want me?” I asked, searching his eyes.
“Hell no, don’t even think that,” he replied vehemently, reaching out to cradle my head between his strong hands. His eyes bore into mine, underscoring his words. “I love you Renee, and I want you so badly that sometimes I think it will drive me stark raving mad if I don’t have you. But mating isn’t only about sex. It’s about friendship and trust, and taking care of each other. Right now I believe the best way to take care of you is to protect your emotional wellbeing. And I don’t give a damn how frustrated that decision makes me in the short term, because I know that this choice will make our relationship stronger in the long run.”
I tried to shake my head but he tightened his hold and leaned forward to kiss me. His lips were so warm and soft, so tender as they moved against mine. My hand came up without any thought from me to caress his rough jaw and burrow into his hair. How many times had I dreamed of kissing Solomon just like this? It was still so hard to believe this was all real, that we were mated and we would spend the rest of our lives kissing each other like this.
His tongue slid across my lips, asking for entrance and I opened for him, welcomed everything he had to offer - his warmth, his tenderness, and his love. His love was like a ray of sunshine warming me from within. The blanket slipped from my grasp and my other hand joined the first, luxuriating in this wonderfully perfect moment in time.
Long moments later Solomon ended the kiss with a growl and I rested my forehead against his chest. “We’re going to be late if we don’t get going, and besides, I can’t take much more of this without pushing you too far. Why don’t you meet me in my suite when you’re finished dressing and I’ll tell you all about the meeting last night. Then we can get some breakfast at The Outer Rim.”
“We could do that.” I lifted my head and grinned at him. “Or you could join me in the shower here and we could knock one out of the park.”
“Tempting,” he admitted, kissing my forehead, “but I think it’s better if we let the heat simmer for a while. Let the sexual frustration build, then channel it into every swing and thrust of your sword. You’ll be absolutely unstoppable.”
Knowing he wouldn’t budge I let him go and headed upstairs for yet another cold shower. After breakfast, we made it halfway to the arena before I lured him from the path for a rousing pep talk. By the time the sword fights began, I was so hot and bothered that my first opponent was down in three seconds flat. The rest of the afternoon continued along those lines and I had to give Solomon credit. Sexual frustration turned out to be better fuel for combat than rage or hate or any other emotion I’d ever felt. Maybe if he kept denying my needs until the tournament was over I’d actually come in first place. That was of course, if I didn’t spontaneously combust before the final match even began.
Chapter Sixteen
~ Renee ~
“I heard you put on quite a show today,” Katerina complimented me.
She wouldn’t have seen my matches because she was busy fighting her own, but the gossipmongers had obviously been doing their jobs. We’d just finished lunch and were sitting on a couple of tree roots at the edge of the forest. Solomon was supposed to meet me after he was finished setting up his first maze but he seemed to be running late.
“Thank you, I’m feeling very motivated this year.”
Katerina gave me a knowing smile. “Motivated is one way to put it, but a ticking time bomb might be a better way.”
“I don’t know what you mean Katerina.”
“Oh I think you do.” She laughed softly. “But if you don’t want to talk about it that’s fine by me. I personally have no interest in mating and will fight it until my very last breath.”
I was surprised Katerina felt that way. Most shapeshifters looked forward to mating as if it was the answer to all life’s questions. “I think you’ll be surprised if and when you ever find your mate. I used to think mated people were all brainwashed by whatever magical force brought them together. Then I felt Solomon through the bond for the first time and everything changed.”
“You felt him?” She sat forward, watching me intently. “He told me about the spell you used to keep him away and he said it had lingering effects - one of which was the inability for either of you to feel emotions through the bond.”
“That was true until this morning.”
I explained about the bases and everything that happened last night and this morning. By the time I was finished, Katerina was laughing uncontrollably. When she finally settled down she asked, “Who would have thought Solomon would be the one refusing to have sex and not you?”
“No one, not even me, and I believe that’s why the spell finally broke and I’m starting to feel his emotions. He told me the spell would break when I let go of my fears. Last night he proved to me that I’m more than a sexual conquest to him. He showed me that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to earn my trust and I finally let myself believe in him.”
I closed my eyes remembering the perfect kiss from that morning. When I opened them again, I told Katerina, “I don’t know if I can explain what it was like to feel his love through the bond for the first time. It was only a moment, but it was a moment I will never forget. He kissed me this morning after we realized the spell had been broken. While we kissed, his love for me flowed through the bond like warm, glowing sunshine.
You may not remember what sunshine feels like, maybe it’s been too long since you felt it, but I remember. I used to sit on the beach for hours soaking up the warm rays, especially in early spring when the chilly wind would blow my hair into a tangled mess. Spring was always better than summer because the sun wasn’t blazing hot, it was warm and inviting. It had a way of seeping into my soul and chasing the cold away. It was the kind of warmth that held promises of new beginnings and better things yet to come. That was what Solomon’s love felt like when it came through our mating bond for the first time.”
“That sounds beautiful Renee,” Katerina told me with a strained smile. “I’m truly happy for both of you.”
“Thank you Katerina.”
I wanted to ask if I’d somehow upset her but had to let it go when Angela approached us with Liliana and Josephine in tow. “Do you mind if we sit here with you?”
“By all means, make yourselves comfortable,” Katerina told them with a bright smile on her lips, hiding whatever emotions had been peeking out a moment ago. She indicated a nearby tree root with an elegant sweep of her arm.
Angela and company made themselves comfortable and dug into their food.
“You’re pretty good with a sword Renee,” Liliana complimented me after a few bites of her chicken wrap. “Do you think you could teach me how to sword fight?”
“I could try, but I’ve never taught anyone before. You might want to talk to Solomon or Katerina. They’re the ones who taught me.”
She glanced at Katerina nervously. “Perhaps I could learn a little from each of you. That way I won’t take up too much of anyone’s time. You’ll have to slow things down for me though; I can’t keep up with supernatural speed just yet.”
“Why haven’t you let Lucien change you over yet?” I asked, and then added, “If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Because she thinks she’s too good for us,” came the snide response from Charlene, a lion shifter with an appetite for trouble.
She�
��d brought a few of her cronies who were lurking behind her, and standing by her side was none other than Monica.
Liliana ground her teeth together before replying, “As I’ve already told you Charlene, I need to get my business sorted out before I give up the sun. I don’t have anyone else to oversee location shoots for the magazine. Once I find someone that I can trust, Lucien will make me one of you.”
“You will never be one of us Liliana,” Charlene told the other woman with a sneer.
“She might not ever be one of you,” I said with a casual shrug of my shoulder. “But who wants to hang with a bunch of bullies anyway? I mean really. What do you think this is - high school? Besides, she’s already one of us because she’s your clan leader’s mate.”
Charlene sucked in a breath but Monica cut off whatever she’d been about to say. “Renee is just feeling the effects of the mating frenzy Charlene. Aren’t you Renee? Only you’re not giving in to it, are you?”
I narrowed my eyes on her. First Katerina and now Monica; was it really that obvious that me and Solomon weren’t having sex? “What makes you say that Monica?” I held out my arm. “Obviously we’re having sex, or I wouldn’t have his mark on me.”
Monica laughed. “I know you’re still holding out on him Renee. We all do. We know him well, and that deranged look he had in his eyes when I saw him earlier was a clear sign of sexual frustration. How long will you string him along before you give him back to us?”
I’m not really sure what happened next but Monica was suddenly on the ground clutching at her throat while blood gushed and spurted everywhere and I was holding her larynx in my hand. Everyone was a bit stunned, especially the three newbies, but at least Angela didn’t look like she was about to vomit.
“I think we’re done here Monica,” I said, tossing her voice box onto her chest.
Charlene and another lion shifter picked Monica up and carried her away. No one made direct eye contact with me as I stood there trying to process what just happened.
I felt him coming a moment before his rough hands smoothed down my arms. Solomon pressed himself against my back and I could feel exactly how happy he was to see me. “Do you have any idea how much that turned me on?” he whispered in my ear.
I turned around to face him and linked my hands behind his neck. Sure, they were covered with blood but that just didn’t seem to matter at the moment. “I think I do, because I can feel it through the bond.”
His eyes were wild, and yes, maybe a little deranged. I had a feeling mine didn’t look much better. The scent of blood always acted like an aphrodisiac for vampires and nightshifters. Throw in a little violence and the mating frenzy and we were both ready to do the naked dance.
“Take me away from here Solomon.”
He did as I asked, and the next moment we were in the forest and my back was against a tree. His mouth came down on mine and he kissed me, greedily, desperately. He put one hand on my hip and pulled me closer until I was riding his thigh and his leather clad erection was grinding into my hip. His other hand squeezed my breast while my hands moved to his belt.
I got the belt undone and the button too, before he came to his senses and broke the kiss. “No Renee, we can’t yet.”
I grabbed a handful of his hair and looked right into his caramel eyes. “If you don’t fuck me right now Solomon I’m going to scream. Then I’m going to jump on the first dick I find.”
His eyes flashed pure gold followed by black.
“You will never allow another man to touch you again.”
He didn’t give me time to respond. His fangs came down and then he struck, lightning fast, without any warning. He didn’t project any images this time only sensations, and - Oh. My. God. I’d never felt anything so wildly explosive in all my life. My knees gave out as my body seized with the most intense pleasure I’d ever felt. Solomon held me close, crushing my upper body to his chest as he continued to drink. With every pull of his mouth another panty-drenching orgasm had me screaming in ecstasy.
When he finally withdrew his fangs, we fell to the ground panting. Every muscle in my body felt like Jell-O and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to move again.
Eventually I gasped, “What the hell was that?”
“That is what it feels like when I drink from you,” Solomon answered, his accent much thicker than normal.
The smooth sound of his accented voice had desire flaring in my core, even stronger than before. I rolled over and situated myself on top of him with my knees planted beside his hips. His arms came up with panic in his eyes, but I grabbed his hands and pinned them to the ground.
“Don’t worry Solomon; I’m not going to push for sex right now even if that is what we both desperately need.”
I wiggled my hips a bit, rubbing my clit along his very hard shaft. Clothes or no clothes, the friction caused a warm, tingly sensation between my legs. Solomon groaned, and I had to smile. Maybe all this really was affecting him as much as it was me.
“Can you smell that Solomon?” I asked, taking a whiff of the air myself. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again I continued, “That’s the scent of my desire. My panties are dripping wet from the pleasure you just gave me, but it’s not enough. Hell, the way I feel right now, it will never be enough.”
“If you don’t want sex, what do you want?” He managed to rasp out, his hips jerking when I gave another twist of my hips.
“I want to know if it feels just as good when I bite you.”
His caramel eyes locked with mine, already melting with his desire. “My blood is your blood Renee, anytime, anywhere.”
He turned his head to the side giving me open access to his throat and I wasted no time. My fangs slid into his flesh and sheer ecstasy filled my soul. While I drank, Solomon freed his hands from my grasp and placed them squarely on my ass. Our hips rocked together, amplifying the sensation coursing through our bodies from the blood exchange. Wave after wave, the orgasms crashed over us until I couldn’t drink another drop. Then I sealed the puncture marks and rolled over to lay beside him, boneless and sated for the moment.
We were silent for a while before I asked, “Why do you think it feels like that now? I mean, you’ve bitten me twice before this and it never felt that good. I’ve never bitten you before, but I would’ve thought it would be just like biting anyone else.”
“It did feel that good when I changed you over and then again during the dream we shared after the hurricane. I chose to hold back most of the sensations so that you wouldn’t be overwhelmed.”
I rolled my head to the side and stared at him in disbelief. “How did you manage to walk away both times without sex?”
He rubbed his hands over his face. “Believe me, it wasn’t easy. But I’ve never wanted to take advantage of you, not even here tonight when it was my lust you were feeling and not your own.”
That made me laugh. “Trust me, my fox and my vampire find blood and violence just as appealing as yours do. It just took a moment for them to get my human side past the shock of what I did to Monica.”
“Regardless, I don’t want blood or violence to be the catalyst for our home run. I want it to be an emotional experience, not just a way to satisfy physical urges.”
“You know if Doyle heard you say that he’d probably take away your man card.”
Solomon chuckled. “Yeah, but he’d give it back just as soon as he found his own mate.”
We stayed there a while longer talking and laughing, until our bodies were willing to obey our commands again. Then we made a quick trip to the locker rooms where we cleaned up and readied ourselves for the next round of sword fights. The night was long and bloody and when it was over, I was advancing to the quarterfinals. I heard Solomon was too, but I couldn’t find him anywhere. After a while, I gave up and went home. Of course that was where I found him, and the surprise he had waiting for me.
Chapter Seventeen
~ Renee ~
I came thro
ugh the portal in my bedroom closet and tossed my sword on a chair. It needed to be cleaned but I smelled pizza downstairs and I was starving. I walked to the railing around the sitting area and peered over the edge. Solomon was lounging on my couch with a bottle of beer in one hand and the remote in the other.
Sensing my presence, he clicked the TV off and smiled up at me. “Why don’t you come down and join me?”
There was something about his smile that had me wondering what he was up to. Deciding I’d probably enjoy whatever it was, I hopped over the railing and strolled over to the couch. The coffee table was taller than usual and I noticed that he’d put cinder blocks under the legs to give it the added height. Eyeing him curiously, I sat down beside him when he patted the seat cushion.
“What are you up to Solomon?”
“I thought you might like to watch a movie while we share a pizza.” He was the picture of innocence.
“Don’t you want to see how Chen is going to transform the club?”
“We can go out later if you’d like, but I already know he’s planning a luau. While I’m sure you would look fabulous in a grass skirt, and it would most likely be more exciting than your average luau, I’d rather spend a few hours alone with you and get to bed early. Tomorrow is going to be very draining for both of us.”
I still didn’t trust him but I agreed to stay in. I was exhausted after spending the day fighting battle after battle, both internal and external. The sword fights had been grueling enough, but struggling with the fox and the mounting sexual frustration had nearly pushed me over the edge. The need for sex seemed to be growing exponentially. If I hadn’t worked off so much energy in the chambers, I would have been pouncing on Solomon the second I came through the door. As it was, I could only hope that we both fell fast asleep before my body had time to fully recover.
Solomon asked me to close my eyes while he fetched the pizza. When he said I could open them again, my living room had been transformed into Jack Rabbit Slim’s, the restaurant where Mia Wallace (played by Uma Thurman) and Vincent Vega (played by John Travolta) went on their night out in the movie Pulp Fiction. Pulp Fiction was my all-time favorite movie written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.
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