Chapter Seven
“I am with you, mate,” Zander swore. “I have waited lifetimes for you, and now we will have eternity together. Not even death will tear me from your side.”
“Talk about a long-term commitment,” she teased. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gifted him with a mischievous grin. “You know, I’m probably going to end up driving you crazy.”
Returning her grin, he said, “I look forward to it.”
Reaching up, he was amazed to see that his hand was trembling slightly as he cupped her cheek. Not from the influx of magic, but the lust coursing through his veins. It was growing stronger by the second, heating his blood and causing a firestorm of need to expand within him.
He loved the feel of her silky skin beneath his fingertips, and he moved his hand lower to trace along the delicate line of her jaw.
When she leaned into his touch, his breath caught as anticipation coiled in his chest. Tilting her head back, he pressed his lips to hers again in another heated kiss.
The kiss began softly, tentative and searching, but quickly deepened.
No longer holding back, his mouth claimed hers with a hunger that surprised even him.
Parting her lips with his tongue, he growled victoriously when she welcomed him in without hesitation.
The taste of her was intoxicating, a blend of warmth and sweetness that made his pulse race.
When she melted against him and matched his passion with her own, elation surged through him.
His hand tangled in her long hair as he pulled her closer, but he was careful not to tug too hard.
He didn’t want to hurt her. He growled in protest when she started to shift away from him, then groaned in pleasure when she swung her legs over his so she was straddling his hips.
The glorious feeling of her pussy rubbing against his thick erection made him want to thrust up into her, but he held himself back.
He had to prepare her to take him first. His head tilted back as she peppered kisses along his jawline and down his neck.
His cock jerked when her lips pressed against his Adam’s apple.
When she had done that earlier, it had startled him.
Now, he expected the pleasure that swept through him.
He wasn’t sure why that particular bump fascinated her so much, but he was grateful that she found his body pleasing to look at and touch. Letting her play, he held still as she rubbed her nose against the side of his neck. He felt how much she enjoyed stroking his skin and breathing in his scent.
Feeling her pleasure through their bond was like an aphrodisiac to his senses.
Like a true predator, everything about him was meant to repel people. Even his handsome visage wasn’t enough to distract admirers from just how dangerous he was. Part of that was because of his glowing red eyes and massive frame, but the rest was simply due to the powerful aura he exuded.
But none of that seemed to matter to Kami.
He would be eternally grateful that she found all the things that scared other people appealing. That was the beauty of fated mates. She was able to see beyond his intimidating exterior. The universe might have designed him to be a warning and a threat, but she saw him as a temptation.
That was a paradox he was powerless to resist.
Her willingness to overlook his flaws made her the perfect female for him.
She was his ideal match in every way. The contradiction between her fearless acceptance and the caution he inspired in others only made her more irresistible to him.
She completed him. Not because she ignored his darkness, but because she found light within him that no one else could see.
His body jerked when the tip of her tongue stroked along the base of his throat. He sensed her desire to bite down on the soft flesh there, then felt her startled reaction when she realized what she’d been thinking. When she tried to pull back, he gripped the back of her neck and held her close.
“Did you turn me into a vampire or something?” she whispered nervously.
His low chuckle vibrated through his chest. “Not in the way you are thinking. We are bonded mates. Wanting to taste my blood is natural. There is magic in our blood, and you are craving more of mine.”
“I’m…not sure how I feel about that. Didn’t we already complete the magic exchange? Is this normal, or am I just greedy?”
“Trust your instincts, mate. There is no need to worry about what is right or wrong between us. I will gladly provide anything you need or want.”
Hauling her close again, he fused their mouths together in another searing kiss.
Their tongues dueled in an erotic battle, both of them fighting for supremacy.
The taste of her was so addicting that he didn’t care who won.
He would gladly yield to her in all things except when it came to her safety.
That was the one thing he would never compromise about.
Zander groaned when he felt her hard nipples against his chest through the thin fabric of her dress. Wanting to feel her skin against his with nothing between them, he used his magic to get rid of the offensive garment. Pulling back, he allowed himself the pleasure of looking at her.
Her body was sheer perfection.
She had full breasts with rosy tipped nipples, a long, slim torso, and flared hips that gave her graceful curves.
She might have seemed delicate, but she possessed strong muscle tone beneath her pale, smooth skin.
He knew he would spend millennia worshiping her beauty, cherishing the radiance she brought into his life with every breath and touch.
He growled with pleasure as she settled herself more fully on his lap.
His thick erection was hot and hard against her slick core, and it jerked as she began rocking her hips a little, teasing both of them.
When she pressed her bare breasts against his chest and rubbed her pert nipples against him, he felt each touch like a brand.
His skin seemed a million times more sensitive than it usually was, making every sensation that much more enjoyable.
She let out a loud gasp as he wound the strands of her long hair around his fist, using it to pull her head back. He feasted on her neck, sucking and licking the soft flesh there as he tried to sate his hunger for her. When that wasn’t enough, he worked his way back up to claim her lips again.
Kissing her was a revelation. It was more than just the meeting of lips and tongues. Every heartbeat echoed between them, every breath was shared until there was no longer a line between where one ended and the other began.
Stroking his large hands up and down her back, he rejoiced at the smooth, undamaged skin he felt beneath his seeking fingertips.
Whatever remaining scars she’d had were now gone, washed away and healed by the magical water.
He sent some of his own strong healing magic inside of her, searching for any damage left by the ice needle torture she’d endured.
Satisfaction filled him when he realized that the magical exchange they had done had already taken care of that.
He also made a mental note to pour her a glass of special wine made with a few drops of water taken directly from the Fountain of Youth.
While that might have been overkill, he wouldn’t allow a trace of what had happened in the past to remain.
She let out a loud gasp when his hands wrapped around her waist and he lifted her straight out of the water until his face was aligned with her breasts.
His mouth latched onto one of her taut nipples, sucking hard enough to draw a moan of pleasure from her.
His tongue swiped over the straining peak over and over again, and her hands gripped his shoulders, kneading the hard muscles there as she tried to anchor herself.
Kami’s entire body shivered as pleasure surged through her like an electrical current, running straight from her breasts down to her throbbing clit.
No longer able to rub her pussy against him, the ache between her legs intensified.
She strained against his hold, but he easily held her in place with his enormous strength.
The moment she had taken off the amulet, the mating thrall had hit her hard again. Only this time, it was way more intense. Perhaps that was due to the fact she had been trying to delay the inevitable, or maybe it was because she had completely accepted their bond now.
Giving in, she stopped fighting against the onslaught of pleasure.
She wanted him, and there was no use denying it.
When he switched his attention to her other breast, her hands sank into his dark hair, holding him to her.
The need burning within her turned into a raging inferno.
Her pussy clenched, desperately aching to be filled.
She needed him on her, in her, surrounding her completely until they were truly bonded the way fate had intended.
“Soon, beloved,” he promised through their bond. “I will give you everything you desire and more.”
Kami was startled to hear his voice in her head, then realized that was part of being bonded mates.
She now had access to his mind, including all of his memories.
She wasn’t sure she was ready to delve into all of that yet, but she did use their new connection to feed him images of exactly what she wanted.
Reading her mind, he launched himself out of the water and spun around, laying her down on a patch of springy silver moss by the pool’s edge.
The moss was as soft as a pillow against her back, surrounding her with comfort and warmth.
Splayed out naked on the moss, she should have felt vulnerable.
Instead, the heat she saw glowing brightly in his eyes made her feel seductive and powerful.
For the first time, she felt like a true goddess.
And that was all because of him.