by Lily Thomas
The one small taste he’d had of her a few nights before was still plaguing his mind. He would give one of his arms to have another chance to see her naked and wanting before him.
Flosa pierced the night with another displeased cry.
Tor shook his head. Like mother like daughter.
It seemed Flosa was taking on her mother’s stubborn traits, because as he neared he could hear Ezi pleading with Flosa to shush, but the child insisted on revealing her mother’s location to anyone with ears.
“Flosa…” Ezi’s voice was exasperated, and she sounded close to the end of her patience.
“I’ve brought you food,” Tor called at as he neared. He was finally able to make out her form in the dark, sitting alone on a pile of furs, slightly removed from the group.
Silence greeted him. It was like she thought she could blend into the night. Then Flosa let out another wail.
“Here,” he held out the food he’d brought as he came to stand next to her.
“No, thank you.”
“Take it Ezi,” he waved the bark under her face, “unless you can say that you have eaten tonight.”
His eyes went wide as she let out a growl and snatched the meat-laden piece of bark from his hands. She placed it by her side as she sat, and looked confused how to hold Flosa while eating.
“Let me take her.” Tor held out his arms. He would be more than happy to hold Flosa, not only because it’d help Ezi eat, but because he was fond of the child. Flosa looked so similar to her mother, and it played with his heartstrings.
Flosa shrieked some more, and Ezi winced. A line formed in between her eyes as she waited for Flosa to quiet down.
“I don’t know.” She finally said when Flosa petered out.
“You can trust me.” Tor prayed to the gods above that she would relinquish her child to him. It would be a step in the right direction, and give him a much-needed boost of hope. If she could trust him with Flosa, then he hoped it would convince her he could be trusted with her heart.
Her lips pursed in the dark as she studied him.
After what felt like an eternity, she said, “Here.” She raised her arms, and he quickly scooped up Flosa, pulling her close to his chest before Ezi changed her mind.
“Now eat.” He commanded as he folded his long legs and sat across from her.
When he turned his gaze down to the child in his arms, his sabertooth purred in contentment. The purr vibrated through him, and Flosa’s little eyelids began to sink down in tiredness. A smile spread over his face. It may not be a child he’d had with Ezi, but he still felt a pulse of happiness soar into his heart that Flosa was comfortable with him. Even if her mother had a hard time seeing his good side, at least her daughter could see it.
“She’s quiet for you,” Ezi said in awe over a mouthful of meat.
Tor shook his head. “I’m sure she was already growing tired. Her shrieking could be heard all the way from the fire.” He chuckled at the last part.
“I hope I’m not bothering anyone.” Ezi glanced back at the camp and all the people who still sat around the leaping flames.
Tor shrugged. “There’s nothing you can do about her crying out. Sometimes, she’ll have something to fuss over, and none of us will be able to figure it out or fix it. She isn’t the first child in this clan.”
Ezi chewed on some of the meat in silence, but he could feel her eyes running over him in the dark, and he wondered what she was thinking. What she was thinking about him.
“I would’ve thought you’d have no interest in Flosa.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“She isn’t yours, and I have heard stories about men turning children away that aren’t theirs.”
Tor nodded his head, knowing where she was going with this. “You thought I might reject or even ask for you to get rid of her?” It wasn’t uncommon for a man to refuse to raise a child that wasn’t his own. In a world as cruel and fickle as theirs, it could become a burden, and some men would rather see their own blood survive.
“I feared you might even… kill her.”
Tor’s head snapped back liked she’d reached out and slapped him. “I would never.”
“I can see that now.” Ezi raced to say. “When you look at her…” Her voice trailed off.
“She is a part of you, and she makes you happy. I would never do anything to cause you unhappiness.” Tor frowned. “I can’t hurt you.”
“I wasn’t sure what to expect from a sabertooth shifter.” Ezi glanced away, looking embarrassed that she even thought he could do something so cruel as killing a child.
He wasn’t going to take offense though. She and Aiyre had been through so much after his clan had slaughter theirs. It would make complete sense that she didn’t trust sabertooths. He just hoped he could win her trust.
Glancing back down at Flosa, he found her sound asleep. Her small lips were parted slightly, and the fingers on her hand would give little twitches in her sleep as she dreamed. Raising a hand, he stuck a finger through her slightly curled fingers, and when she clutched it, his heart nearly shattered in his chest.
This felt perfect.
Tor’s sabertooth purred in agreement. They would eagerly take more moments like this. Away from the group, it was peaceful. It also allowed them to be with each other without watchful eyes, wondering if they could make it work. He was tired of everyone worrying about what was going on with him and his mate. Ezi and he would figure it out.
Chapter 16
Ezi couldn’t believe Flosa was now asleep in Tor’s arms. She could hear the purr coming from his chest from where she sat, and she wondered if that had lulled Flosa to sleep. She’d been worried Flosa wouldn’t want to be near him. That she would sense he was something to be feared.
No. There was no need for her to have worried.
If she didn’t know better, she would say Tor had won her child over. And that realization should irritate her more than it did.
He stuck a finger into Flosa’s hand as she slept, and Ezi’s heart pinched as her eyes took in the image the two of them presented. Tor looked huge compared to the tiny bundle in his arms. His well-toned muscles from years of hunting held Flosa gently like he was always meant to be a father.
Then her eyes traveled up to his face and the beard he had growing. It wasn’t bushy like other men in the clan, more of a deep stubble. And those lips. Those lips that had showered her in pleasure like she’d never experienced before.
Heat rushed to the area between her legs as her thoughts continued in their passionate direction.
Tor’s head shot up when a light wind blew towards him. Even in the dark, she saw his nostrils flare out as he sniffed the air. His blue eyes went darker.
“Ezi.”
“Tor.” She uttered, not sure where this was about to go but finding herself eager to see.
Lifting Flosa in his arms, he placed her into her basket of furs.
“Ezi.” He growled as his inner beast began to show as it scented the need coming off her.
She knew he was asking her a question, so in response, she leaned back on her pile of furs. Inviting him.
With a growl, Tor leaped for her. He landed on top of her, his hands landing on either side of her head as he pressed his weight down over her. “Mate.” He growled low before dipping his head into the crook of her neck and shoulder. His breath fanned out over her sensitive skin sending thrills of eagerness rolling through her.
Ezi’s mind screamed at her to stop this, but her body had other ideas. It warmed, and a pool of heat gathered between her legs. An ache of need built inside her, an ache she knew only Tor could satiate.
“Gods, you smell wonderful.” Then he spread hot kisses up and down her neck until he had her smiling and giggling.
“Tor!” She squealed as he sucked a piece of her flesh into his hot mouth, his tongue swirling around it.
Raising her hands, she pushed against his chest as his kissing continue
d to tickle her. “Tor!”
He broke away from her neck with a loud pop. When his head came up, there was a large smile plastered over his lips that she could see in the moonlight. “Ezi.” He murmured down at her.
The night sky with glistening stars framed Tor’s face above her. And as a cloud moved above them, it shrouded his face in darkness not allowing her to read his eyes or see any expressions on his face. Her heart skittered into her chest, beating a frantic rhythm.
“I can hear your pulse running away.” Tor planted a gentle kiss to her lips. “There’s no need to fear me.”
Ezi wasn’t sure she feared anything about him. Her heart was pounding because of the desire coursing through her body. Even his inner sabertooth seemed a little less scary when she was this aroused.
Leaning back on his knees, Tor placed his hands at her waist and slowly undid the leather strings on her animal skin pants. Swallowing harshly, she glanced down to see his strong fingers working quickly and efficiently on the strings.
A blush of desire spread across her skin as her body readied itself for whatever he planned. She’d only ever been intimate with one other man, but it’d been fleeting and tarnished with copious amounts of bloodshed. She barely remembered what her night with Drakk had been like. All she could remember was what Tor had done to her last time.
“Slow?”
Tor’s hands paused as he began to tug down her leather pants. “You can always stop this.” He reassured her. “I told you I would never hurt you.”
She nodded her head.
His hands resumed pulling her leather pants off until they were down around her ankles and she was able to kick them off with a flick of her ankles. Then his hands trailed up over her thighs until he reached the hem of her leather shirt.
“Sit up.” He commanded.
Ezi placed her hands behind her back and pushed herself up, and he whipped the garment up and over her head once she raised her arms above her head. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the shirt flying through the air. It landed with a soft thump in the grass.
Tor’s blue eyes were barely visible in the minimal light, but she felt them rake over her now naked body. His eyes stopped on her breasts, and the animal instinct inside her caused her back to arch, inviting him in.
Reaching out his hands, he took a hold of the firm orbs of flesh, kneading them in his palms. His hands warmed her flesh, and her mouth popped open as her breathing increased, and her heart thundered in her ears. He pulled lightly on her nipples, and she felt the area between her thighs moisten with her desire.
She had no idea what she was doing. She wished they had just smoked something from a pipe because then she could blame it on the smoke. This was all her and what she wanted.
Whimpering, Ezi’s hips arched on their own, inviting him to do more.
“You are eager.” He sounded surprised but pleased by this bit of information.
Ezi wasn’t sure what to say to his statement. She wanted to protest by saying she wasn’t eager, but another side feared he would put an end to this. And she didn’t want it to end. It was hard to admit but true.
Not wanting to wait any longer, her shaky hands grabbed at the leather strings on his pants. Her nervous fingers fumbled with the knot. She sucked in a calming breath, but her fingers still wouldn’t work properly.
“Let me.” Tor purred. His hands wrapped around hers, pulling them away before untying the knot at his waist. With one long shove, he had his pants down around his knees.
“Your shirt.” Her voice sounded breathless even to her own ears. She remembered the feel of his bare chest under her fingertips, and she wanted to run her hands over the muscle once again.
With a yank, he had the shirt pulled up and over his head and flying through the night air.
Immediately, her hands landed on his abs. Her fingertips ran up over the hard ridges and then landed on the planes of his solid chest. Her fingertips rolled in the fine hairs on his chest.
“I’ve never felt the urge to touch a man like this before.” Not even Drakk. There hadn’t been the same draw between herself and Drakk that she and Tor had. Drakk had been the first man to ask for her hand, and he was well known as one of the best hunters in her clan. It hadn’t been a joining based on love, but she’d hoped for love to come in time.
Tor groaned above her at her words, pulling her out of her thoughts. “You tempt me woman.”
Ezi shifted her hips under him, and he let out a hiss as one of her soft thighs brushed his rigid cock. Her gaze widened as she glanced down between his legs where his cock stood proudly among the black hairs covering his groin.
The area between her legs tingled in anticipation of the pleasure his straining cock could bring her. She loved how the broad head stretched her wide and hit every pleasurable spot inside her. It confused how a sabertooth shifter could bring her this much satisfaction.
A sliver of doubt entered her mind as she stared up at this predator poised above her. Maybe this was a mistake. Reality started to rush back to her, suppressing her rushing desire.
Tor slid down her legs until he was at her feet, and then his hands dove between her thighs. He applied a little pressure and tried to knock her legs open, but she resisted.
“I don’t know,” Ezi whispered up at him.
“About me?” His head lifted, and his eyes met hers.
She shrugged in the darkness, hoping he would see it.
“What can I say to relieve your fears?” His hands were frozen in place on her thighs.
Ezi swallowed. What was she doing? The rest of the hunters and women were far away, enjoying a meal around the fire. There were no eyes to watch her. To judge her. If she wanted to experience another night with Tor, this was her chance.
Tor knocked her thighs apart with ease as she made her choice and the cool air of the night caressed her inner lips.
“Gorgeous.” Tor breathed as his blue eyes glittered in the moonlight.
Her pronghorn side was pleased with his comment. This strong male who could have most any female at his beck and call thought she was gorgeous. She wasn’t sure how much of him appreciating her was due to her being his mate or due to the fact that he just liked her, but she wasn’t completely sure she cared.
In a split second, Tor pounced, diving between her legs. “You smell so good.” He purred before his tongue shot out and licked her. His eyes were centered on her hot, slick flesh.
“Tor!” She gasped. Drakk had never done this, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. Tor seemed to enjoy this wicked position as this was his second time doing it with her. Before she could decide whether or not to shove him away in scandalized horror like she should have the other night, his tongue shot out and licked her. Hot. Wet. And then his mouth closed around the nub between her plump lips, and he sucked it into his mouth.
Her hips bucked, and all thought left her mind. Raising her hands, she dug them into Tor’s thick head of hair and clung on as he continued to suckle on her nub like his life depended on it.
Biting her tongue, Ezi held back moans that threatened to come up her throat. She didn’t want to alert the people sitting by the fire to her moment of blissful surrender to the man between her thighs.
The pressure built as his tongue worked back and forth on her nub. Small, sucking noises came from his mouth as he worked her up into a lather. She quivered with the desire pumping through her, and her hands pulled his face more deeply between her thighs as her eyes sunk closed.
“Toooor.” She moaned, forgetting about the people who might overhear if she was too loud.
“Tell me what you want.” He murmured against her wet flesh.
“More. I want more.” She begged. She wasn’t sure what she wanted, just that she wanted to know where this pleasure could go. “I ache.” It was the best she could come up with.
Ezi felt him smile against her.
Before she could blink, he pulled back until he was leaning on his ankles. His hands shot out and wra
pped around her waist, flipping her onto her hands and knees.
“Tor?” Her voice quivered.
“You wanted more?”
“Yes.”
Again, he knocked her thighs apart, leaving her open to him.
Tor wanted to stare into his mate’s eyes as she came, but the night was already so dark that his sabertooth begged him to take her from behind. He was reluctant to deny the beast, knowing it had remained more patient than he would’ve ever expected. It was time to reward his sabertooth side with what it desired.
Her delicate floral scent wafted up to his nostrils, and they widened as he took a moment to let it wash over his senses and fill his lungs. He suppressed his worries. For all he knew, this would be one of the only nights he got with his mate. He wasn’t entirely sure why she’d agreed to join with him these last two times, but he wasn’t going to waste them.
Tor reached out and cupped one orb of her ass, enjoying the feel of her flesh in his hand. She was well trimmed, but there was still a bit of cushion on her that he enjoyed fondling.
From behind, he swiped a finger over her exposed sex. She was wet and ready, but he wasn’t quite ready to sink into her. His exploring finger slid between her plump folds as he sought her nub. When he found it, he circled the tip of his finger around it.
Ezi threw her hips back in eagerness as her body searched for something only he would be able to provide her. With one last flick through her wetness, he pulled his hand back and gripped her waist with one hand.
Seizing his rock-hard cock in one hand, he guided it over to her slick sex. He felt her body tense as the large head contacted her wet entrance.
“Relax, Ezi.” His voice went soft as he tried to calm his mate.
Reaching a hand under her abdomen, he played with her nub until she melted once more, and then he guided the tip of his cock to her warm entrance. Slowly, he pressed into her, her warm sheath providing a delicious resistance.
His hands gripped her waist, and he felt the fingernails on his fingers slowly shift into claws. His sabertooth wanted to be a part of this joining. Easing into her, he leaned over her back until his chest was pressed against her and he could reach around her body. He grabbed a hold of each breast, playing with her nipples.
