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  When she’d started taking the herbs, she never envisioned that she’d want the effects gone so badly. In a way, the time to be with them before they fully mated had been a good thing even if it left her frustrated. It gave her time to get to know them. She knew she could trust them.

  She strode for the double doors where Tynan waited for her. A smile crossed her face. Thoughts of getting outside had teased and distracted all morning. A stroll within the walls of the Thent normally didn’t rate as a thrill, but she needed a little time in the sun. She wanted to feel the wind on her face. Energy bubbled inside her. She’d love to be able to shift and go for a run, but knew she wasn’t going anywhere until they caught Kynar.

  She hoped they actually caught him. As protective as Colm and Linc had been lately, if Kynar decided to leave, she wouldn’t get ouside the walls until someone did catch the tamaurg. She didn’t know if she could handle that kind of confinement.

  She didn’t know why Kynar remained in the area. He had to know he wouldn’t be able to free Laed much less get to the crystal, even if she still had it. Meanness and viciousness ran through their veins, but she’d never thought them stupid.

  When she was with Colm or Linc, she forgot to ask about that. Still, she doubted the conversation would get far. She had brought up Laed a couple of times. They became growly and tense. They assured her that he wouldn’t escape, but she never managed to get very far in the conversation. She knew they would protect her. That wasn’t in question.

  “Hi, Tynan, it hasn’t started raining, I hope.” She could smell the moisture in the air. When she’d peeked out earlier, she’d noticed the dark clouds hanging low in the sky.

  “Not yet. It will soon. I was just waiting for you and for Colm.” He returned her smile and straightened away from the wall.

  “Colm? Is he walking with us?” She felt her spirits lift a little more. She’d love to spend some time with him.

  “I don’t know. He told me to wait for him to get here before we went walking.” Tyson smiled.

  She frowned. It was a little strange, but she brushed it aside. Whatever the reason, she wanted him with her. She waited, expecting him to come through the doors any moment. She couldn’t stand still. She fidgeted. Her hands brushed over her green skirt and straightened her shirt.

  As time passed, she began pacing, first across the hallway and then down the length of it and back. Periodically, she’d lean against the wall and stare at the door. What is taking him so long?

  When the door finally opened, she’d once again taken a rest against the wall. Her eyes narrowed and she watched it swing wide. Annoyance simmered through her at the delay. It was probably going to start raining and then they’d find a reason to keep her inside. She’d get cold, the rain would limit vision or some other plausible impediment. They’d always be overprotective, but now she’d almost reached her limit. She needed these small tastes of freedom. The continued confinement made her ready to bolt.

  Colm strode into the hallway and stopped midstep. His eyes swung to her and locked. She saw them shift to tiron gold. Stunned, she straightened against the wall. A predator watched her and she didn’t dare make any sudden moves. What had happened?

  “Into the gathering room. Now.” Colm’s voice rumbled low and rough and so close to a growl that she blinked at him for a moment. “Now, woman!”

  She moved. Without a word, she walked to the gathering room. With every step, she felt as if she was about to be pounced upon and taken to the ground. Pushing the door open, she stepped into the room.

  Colm’s body pressed forward, suddenly crowding her into the dimly lit room. At that moment, his scent surrounded her. The deep, spicy essence hit her with the force of a physical blow. Mate! The door slammed shut. Colm’s hands clasped on her arms and guided her to the closest wall. Although she’d known the herbs were fading from her system, she’d thought it would take another day or two to be gone completely.

  One of his hands left her arm and swept her hair to the right side, bringing the mass over her shoulder and baring her neck and left shoulder. With each breath she took, his scent seemed to wash through her. Hunger flared low in her belly and slick moisture began to ease from her pussy. It surprised her. He had barely touched her, but already her body began to ignite with desire.

  “Finally, I can smell you.” Colm growled the words against her neck. His teeth scraped across her neck. “Unbutton your shirt or it’s going to get torn.”

  She didn’t care about the shirt, but knew she’d need something to wear after he finished with the claiming. Her fingers fumbled on the oval fastenings, but managed to push the last one through the hole before he took matters into his own hands. He pulled the shirt down her arms and tossed it.

  She didn’t see which direction it went before his hands firmly turned her to face the wall. At the moment, she didn’t care. Her heart thudded against her chest as excitement tore through her body. She pressed her hands against the wall to brace herself. Slick moisture eased out of her cunt onto her thighs.

  His hands shook and, at times, his touch was a little firm, but she could almost feel the restraint he was using. He hadn’t taken her to the ground and mounted her. Not that she would object. Her own tiron stirred inside her. The animal wanted his possession even if she had to incite it a little. She wanted him as wild as she felt.

  She pressed her hips back, but realized she still wore her skirt. Reaching down, she started to unfasten it. His hands caught hers and pressed them to the wall. A low growl rolled against her neck.

  The sound sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine. She froze and didn’t resist as he guided her hands back to the stone. His fingers tugged and pushed at the fastening of her skirt. A light ping off the wall announced the fate of one of the recalcitrant buttons. The skirt loosened and fell to her feet.

  “Step out. I want you open for me.” Colm’s hands slid down her back, around and over her belly.

  The warmth of his palms seared her. She arched into his touch wanting to feel his hands everywhere. She stepped out of her skirt and widened her stance a bit in invitation. His hands swept up her belly and over her ribs. She trembled as his fingers lingered over the trika. When his palms cupped her breasts, she drew in a hissing breath. Fiery sparks radiated from the light pressure. She hadn’t expected such a fierce reaction.

  Part of her wanted to push, to incite a fiercer dominance, and the other part wanted to soothe and submit. Her fingernails scraped against the stone. She didn’t know what to do or what she wanted more. His fingers slid up and over her nipples, drawing a moan from her. He trapped the nipple between two fingers and squeezed gently.

  She moaned and looked over her shoulders, meeting his intense stare. “Give me what I need.”

  He growled low in his throat and stepped close. She felt the heat of his cock and the warm brush of his thighs against her buttocks. When had he found time to undress? She rocked her hips back against him in silent demand. His fingers at her breasts tightened a little, pulling her back against him. His cock slid between her legs, brushing over the wet folds of her pussy. She wanted his shaft driving into her, filling her cunt.

  “I’m going to ride you hard. My cock’s going to pound into you as my teeth sink into your shoulder, finally marking you as mine.” His breath feathered over her neck and shoulder as his lips brushed back and forth there. He seemed to be trying to decide where he wanted to place his mark.

  She almost purred. That’s what she needed. “Now.”

  “Demanding rah’ki.” He nuzzled her neck and she felt the scrape of fangs and the wet swipe of his tongue.

  His hands slowly released her breasts and swept down her stomach. She groaned at the loss of the warmth and touch of his calloused hands on the aching mounds. He gripped her hips, the pressure tight, almost as if he thought she might try to slip out of his hold. His hips rocked against her buttocks, rubbing his cock back and forth against the swollen lips of her pussy.

  “You’re s
o wet for me.”

  “I’ve been aching for you to claim me as much as you wanted to do it,” she whispered and reached down to glide her fingers over his arm.

  He drew back a little as his cock nudged her entrance before driving deep. His tongue swirled over her shoulder once more. She arched her neck to the side, giving him room. His teeth clamped down onto her shoulder. Sharp canines sank into her flesh as he thrust hard. She gasped. Her hand slammed back to the wall to keep her balance.

  Pain mixed with rising pleasure as his hips drove against her buttocks. She pushed back into the thrusts, wanting more. One of his arms curled around, drawing her back more fully against him. Her pelvis rocked back. She wanted more, deeper, now.

  His hand cupped her pussy. A single finger pressed between the lips and circled her clit. His hips drove against her faster and harder. A low growl rumbled through him. Fiery sensation shot straight from where his mouth gripped at her shoulder down to her pussy. Her inner muscles clenched and shivers racked her body as the wave of pleasure slammed through her.

  His hips surged against her. The growl became a low groan as she felt him come. His arms tightened and held her close. His body shook as she tried to regain her breath. His mouth loosened and his tongue swiped over the punctures from his teeth. When the air hit the bite, it stung. She savored the small tinge of pain. Finally. Fear had held her back at first, but she’d wanted this.

  “Mine, finally. I was getting close to trying to do something about your scent with magic.” Colm nuzzled her cheek and a purr rumbled against her back.

  “Mine too.” Linc’s tight voice rolled through the room.

  Cami stiffened. She hadn’t realized that anyone had come into the room. After Colm began touching her, her focus had locked on Colm, the feel of his body, and the scent and sound of their mating. She looked over and found Linc leaning a shoulder against one of the doors. The muscles of his cheek flexed. She saw his hand clench. Desire immediately began to rise again. She lifted her hands from the wall.

  “Leave them there. I want you exactly as you are.” Linc’s voice roughened as he straightened away from the door.

  Colm pulled back. His hands stroked over her arms and then her back. He dropped a kiss on her shoulder, following that with a quick kiss to the cheek. “I’m not finished with you yet, but Linc needs to claim you as badly as I did.”

  She smiled. She wanted to spend the rest of the day with both of them. She wasn’t sure if it would happen, because they were still looking for Kynar. They wanted to catch him quickly before he could cause too much damage.

  Colm backed away as Linc stalked over to her. Linc’s eyes narrowed on her and he looked ready to chase her down if she moved. Not a bad thought. She’d love to get caught by him. The animal within him was too much in control to play and tease right now. Not that she was afraid he’d hurt her, but she knew Linc. He wouldn’t want to chance losing that last hold on his wilder side.

  If he lost control of that and accidentally hurt her, he wouldn’t trust himself for a long time. She remained still, but let her eyes travel appreciatively down his body as he approached. His bare chest gleamed in the low light. Muscles rippled with each step he took. He’d loosened the ties at the front of his pants, but the cloth still obscured his cock from her hungry gaze.

  “I didn’t want to leave you this morning. I’ve never been so tempted to lock myself in a room with someone and forget my duties.” Linc took the last step up behind her. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. “Your scent was so close to right that it was hard to let you out of my sight.”

  “I wouldn’t have minded staying in bed with you all day.” She rested her hands over his briefly before returning them to the wall.

  “I would have loved to stay with you, but we knew we wouldn’t want to leave you for a while after we fully mated.” He swept her hair to the other side baring her unmarked right shoulder. His head lowered and he drew in a deep breath. His purr rumbled against her back. “So we’ve been making sure that we won’t get interrupted unless there’s a crisis.”

  His lips roamed over her shoulder to her neck, leaving a tingling trail in his wake. She cocked her neck to the side giving him more access. He rumbled his approval. His hands roamed over her stomach in a slow, deliberate claiming. She arched into his hands, trying to urge him to move a little faster.

  “You have to be ready for me.” He nipped her shoulder in slight reprimand.

  She exhaled and frowned. As if she’d ever not been ready for him. Her thoughts focused only on the heat of his body and the hard ridge of the cock pressing against her buttocks. Simply being close to him seemed to be enough to excite her now. Desire began to burn within her. It wouldn’t take much to make it flare out of control again.

  She drew in a hissing breath as his fingers brushed over the sensitive lips of her pussy. She moaned. Her nails scraped against the stone wall as her fingers flexed. She wanted to touch him. Her hand fell, but even before it reached her side, he growled. His teeth nipped at her earlobe.

  “Put it back.” His voice was little more than a hiss in her ear, but she heard the steel there. “Obey.”

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Colm shaking his head. She groaned, but lifted her hand back to the wall. She didn’t want to push his control, but he was going so slowly. Need built with every inhalation. Her inner cat pushed at her, wanting to join with her mate. The last thing he had to worry about was her not being ready. He should be able to smell it and sense it just as she did with him.

  His fingers pressed between the lips and stroked over her clit. Her hips rocked into his touch. She licked her lips and her breathing hitched. It felt so good. His other hand left her, but almost before she noticed it, she felt his cock nudging into her. Then his hand was back, palming her breast, squeezing and rolling her nipple. He rocked slowly into her. When his free hand curled around her waist, she could feel the tension in the muscles. His palm cupped her pussy and his fingers pressed between to rub her clit.

  He pressed kisses along her shoulder. She drew in a hissing breath as he began to withdraw from her. Her hips pressed back. A low growl built in her throat. His control frustrated and roused the cat in her. She wanted to be claimed.

  His teeth clasped on her shoulder, not breaking the skin. An answering growl rumbled against her skin as his arms tightened. His hips slammed forward against her. She almost purred when he withdrew and drove deep again. That’s what she needed. She moaned and pushed back, meeting his fierce strokes. His mouth released, but in the next breath, he struck. His fangs sank into the strong muscle, holding on as he fucked her.

  She gasped, but the pain mixed with the heat and need boiling inside until it was indistinguishable. She couldn’t hold back a mewling moan. “More. Linc, please.”

  He gave her more. His fingers strummed her clit as his cock drove deep. She rocked back into the strokes, needing the intensity and the hunger. His hand plucked at her nipple as the fingers at her pussy worked her clit. His ferocity fed her own. She bucked back against him, but could feel the tightening of her approaching climax.

  Another low growl rumbling against her shoulder sent her over the edge. She screamed. Linc stiffened behind her, a groan vibrating against her skin. His hips drove into her clenching sheath. She felt the hot spurt of his cum, but he continued to move within her riding the pleasure. His arms tightened, keeping her tight against his body when she sagged forward a little bit.

  The experience with both men had been more intense than she’d imagined when she thought of completing the bond. She’d always thought of it maybe falling into place as if it was a missing piece, easy and smooth. Gods, the intensity still burned through her in a way. She didn’t want to move too far away from them. And she knew she’d have to have them again soon. That was one part of the bonding that she didn’t mind at all.

  “We’ll go upstairs as soon as I catch my breath and we all get dressed. Don’t plan on being out of our reach for at least the r
est of the day.” Linc’s tongue swirled over his mark, laving away the small amount of blood there.

  “You’re not getting out of my sight either.” She leaned her head to the side to encourage him to explore a little more.

  “I think we’ll start with bathing you and then we’ll take our time tasting you.” Colm walked over and joined them. His hand cupped her cheek, the fingertips brushing across her lips.

  Chapter Thirty

  Colm stalked slowly through the forest. He and Linc had men watching the river. That was the easiest way to get here without being detected. While the overland travel had always been possible, slipping into the area was easiest with a boat. Last night, his men found a two-person craft hidden among the branches of thick bushes along the riverside.

  That discovery set the hunt in motion. Maybe having his transport destroyed panicked Kynar. His trail had been found heading for the gate. Colm looked over at Linc. They’d get the man this time. Determination built with each step.

  Cami wouldn’t have to live under the threat from him any longer. It grated that this had gone on so long. She had been very good about being confined. Better than he ever would have. Still, she needed to let the cat run free. That part of her had been denied for almost as long as she’d been at their Thent.

  They silently tracked the man through the forest. He traveled fast and the trail was so light, Colm wondered if he had any supplies with him. Kynar wasn’t panicked completely by being hunted. The man must think he had a chance to get away on foot. If he’d been too unnerved, he’d shift and run. For all Colm knew, this might not be the first time that the man had been hunted. It would be the last, regardless of Kynar’s choice. If he surrendered, he’d be taken back to the Thent and transport arranged. If he fought, there was a chance he could die now.

  Colm had expected the man to run right after the other false Ardin, Laed, had been captured. The man had stayed. Colm assumed the man watched the Thent, trying to see if there was a way to get inside without detection. He didn’t know what the man’s motive was. Had he wanted to try to rescue his friend, Laed, or to try to get to Cami to get that crystal?