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  Even if she were black, a misstep could lead to death. She learned that from her momma. Rose lingered in the darkness of a niche in the wall as the memory of her momma’s death replayed in her head, though she tried to prevent it.

  They were out for a run, deep in the woods near their home. She and momma loved to shift and explore their animal natures. Most nights, they were not bothered. But on this night, a farmer lost a prize bull and was on a rampage. He shot the first creature he saw. His arrow made its mark and Rose’s momma fell.

  Scared and angry, a blind rage controlled her instincts. Rose attacked and maimed the farmer. If Poppa had not been searching the woods to warn them of the bull’s death, she would have finished the man. But her father stopped her. Rose shook, trying to tamp down the sudden urge to change and puke. Blood was distasteful to her in either form, human or animal. She’d never been able to kill, not even the smallest mouse.

  The sight of Momma’s lifeless form as he gathered her in his arms burned bright inside Rose’s brain and tore at her heart. Tears streaked his face and soaked her shiny black coat. By the next morning, she and her father packed and left that little village. She knew in her heart that Momma’s death tore Poppa apart. When they were safe, together they cremated her remains.

  Since her father could not shift, they were never able to complete the eternal bond. It was the only reason he still lived today and the single regret he carried in his soul. This fact she knew to be true. For if he and momma mated and shifted forms while making love, their spirits would have intertwined and combined their life forces. If they performed this ritual, he would have died, though not at the same instant as she.

  Eternally bonded mates died within a year of each other. To live with only half of a life force flowing through the soul was no life at all. His will to live would have weakened. In the end, he would have followed his mate. It was the way of the shifter, and would have left Rose alone.

  A blade of guilt sliced through Rose’s heart with the fact that she was grateful to have him with her and had not lost him along with her mother. Was it wrong to feel this way? She stood, shook from her head to her toes then stepped out of the niche in the wall, but kept close to the shadows. The fates dealt that dastardly blow to her parents, not her. Having her father with her was a blessing, even if she knew in her heart that a dark spot lingered on his soul over the loss of Momma.

  Someday she hoped he would forgive himself for not being anything more than a na’cumadh, a half-breed. Because to her, he was her savoir in this human-filled world. Without him, she felt certain she would not have learned to survive. He taught her to be tough. Outnumbered by three men when they attacked her, she fought. When faced with defeat, she chose to shift to survive.

  A little laugh filled her head as the sight of Mikala stumbling from the blows of Rose’s fighting skills. It was a skill her father taught her along with the knowledge of how to use a sword or a pistol. If she were armed, Rose would have won without the help of Alessandro.

  Once again his scent captivated her senses and she resumed her search. With each step forward, she moved closer to her prey. Little did the black panther know, she planned to capture his heart the only way she could think of—with seduction. This was a game in which she held no skill, but prayed her primal instincts took control and led her through the proper actions.

  Lured by his strong, feral smell she followed his trail to the bastion. Cautiously she worked her way up the narrow ledge, which wound a path up the side of the wall. At the top, she crouched, peered over the edge and caught sight of Alessandro. He sat perched on the inner wall with his back to her, staring out into the night as if lost in deep thought.

  With the breeze in her face, she eased over the edge and onto the ledge lining the inside of the wall. Animal senses honed to perfection, she stalked her prey in total silence. Inch by inch she crept closer, blood rushing through her veins, her heart pounding, her breath stilted yet quiet.

  Rose’s gaze scoured his majestic form. As human, he made her body burn for his touch. But now, in this raw animal shape of pure male panther, her insides hummed with primal need as the urge to claim her mate ravaged her soul and demanded action.

  Just as she was about to spring and lay claim to what was hers, he turned his head and leveled the sexiest black-eyed stare at her, weakening her legs.

  “It is not wise for you to be here with me, Rose.” His words entered her mind and sounded strained as if he struggled for control.

  Did he feel the same desires as she?

  On the slim hope she was not mistaken in thinking that he did, she moved with the graceful lithe of the majestic cat and flicked her tail as she walked, sending the scent of her heat to fill the air around them. The nervous twitch of his nose and the narrowing of his gaze hinted that he wasn’t unaffected by her blatant attempt at seduction.

  “It is not wise to tease a lady panther then leave her aroused and hungry,” Rose stated in the sexiest tone she could muster in her thoughts and hoped she wasn’t making a fool of herself.

  The sound of his ragged intake of air as she brushed against him let her know he was not immune to her advances and reinforced her commitment to make him her mate. Rose relished the power her feminine shifter form gave her over Alessandro. Never had she seen anyone sit as stiff as he at this moment.

  His ears were pointed and twitched with each brush of her coat against his. That long tail of his tapped a steady beat behind him in a nervous rhythm that others would heed as a warning.

  But not Rose.

  On her second pass around his sleek form, she nipped the tip of his tail and he jumped, releasing a feral growl as he spun around to face her. His breath, hot and heavy rushed across her snout and made her whiskers twitch. The dark, hooded gaze that met hers sent pure heat to her soul and she knew she had to have him no matter what the consequences.

  Acting on instinct, she stood her ground, leaned in and nipped his neck, his ear, then lapped her tongue across his panther mouth. Before he moved, she pranced around him, ignoring the warning growls emanating from his throat and caught him by surprise. One quick long lick of his fur-covered balls and he yipped. Not a sound of pain, but one of erotic pleasure pinning him where he stood with his tail high in the air as if begging for more.

  Inwardly, Rose smiled at the pleasurable victory.

  “Umm,” she purred within his head. “Seems you like being tasted.”

  Rose leaned down between his hind legs, inched her snout as far as she could then ran her tongue the length of his shaft from the tip to the base of his ballocks. His response was instantaneous. Never in her entire life had she seen anyone jump as high as he did, spin around and land snout to snout with her. He was amazing.

  “Enough, Rose,” he warned on a fierce growl. “You have tested my patience long enough.” In an instant, he shifted into human form and sat back, placing distance between them.

  “It is not your patience I wish to test.” Rose glared enticingly at him as she licked her panther lips. “Or taste.”

  With the taste of him on her tongue, the natural instinct to mate burned through her senses. She needed him inside her. Every ounce of her demanded it. Rose lifted her tail high, turned with her back to him and gave him full view of her weeping need. The scent of her heat and lust hovered thick in the air around them that even she smelled it, which increased her hunger for Alessandro.

  It took a great effort to concentrate on the shift, but somehow she managed. Rose shivered from head to toe, then stood.

  In the sexiest move she could muster, she stretched, lifting her arms into the night air then slowly slid them down her form. One hand cupped her breast while the other traced languorous circles along the length of her abdomen. The sight of him licking his lips made her inner muscles quiver and all she could think of was that hot tongue delving into her folds and nipping at her hidden flower bud.

  With a sensual boldness she’d never experienced before, Rose lowered her hand, inch by
inch. Her stomach muscles trembled in anticipation as she watched his eyes. His gaze never left her hand. A smile tugged at her lips. Unfamiliar power surged through her soul easing the nervousness that threatened to buckle her knees.

  Never had she felt the strong need to touch herself as she did now. His pupils dilated and his nostrils flared when she gently spread the moist lips of her feminine region. A shiver shot up her spine at the touch of her fingertip to the tender nub she found hidden. Remembering the way Alessandro touched her earlier with his tongue, Rose swirled the sensitive flesh between her fingertips. Her breath hitched. Her heartbeat thundered and she gasped at the cool sensation caused by the night air when she opened herself wider.

  The expression of undeniable desire on his face urged her to take another bold chance. He couldn’t possibly turn her away now. Not if she read him right. Though her experience was limited, her senses were not. His thick musky scent filled her nose with each intake of air, fueling her lust. And from what her married friend, Camille had told her, when a man’s cock jutted straight out from his body, it was a positive sign that he wanted to fuck.

  She struggled inwardly not to blush at the memory of that conversation. Now was not the time to act like a virgin. Now was the time to claim her mate and she didn’t intend to fail. Not with every ounce of her insides coiled tight and aching with a need for something unfamiliar to her, and instinct told her Alessandro’s cock was the cure for what ailed her.

  On a shaky pair of legs, she moved to within arm’s reach and stood with her legs hip distance apart. His eyes widened when she boldly fingered herself then used both hands to spread herself open before him. Though she tried to maintain control, she knew the words sounded heavy with primal hunger for her mate as she whispered inside of his head.

  “It is your cock and your cock alone that I want within my sheath, Alessandro. Fuck me.”

  God help him. Hearing Rose say words no lady should ever say made his hunger for her increase to that of a man starved for months. Honed animal senses absorbed every seductive nuance she threw his way and already had his cock rock hard, but those words spoken in her sweet voice fueled his need to granite conditions. He sat frozen in place watching her sensual show. The slow glide of her hands across her flesh made his ballocks tense.

  He knew he should have hidden the first moment he caught her scent on the wind as she walked through the bailey. But he didn’t. Instead he watched her track him with the elegance and grace of a true huntress. At no time did he lose her as she wound her way through the wagons, up the wall and to his location on the bastion.

  When she slipped over the wall behind him, the hot, lust-primed scent of a female panther in heat hit him like a fist to the face and it took great resolve not to pounce upon her. He tried to warn her with deep growls, but it didn’t work. No man—let alone an amorous panther—held enough resolve in his veins to resist such a temptation as Rose presented at that moment.

  This wasn’t right. He tried to pull his gaze away from the beautiful sight stretched to the heavens before him. But his eyes had a mind of their own and remained focused on the show her delicate hands presented. He noted their slight shake and it made him wish to hold them and ease her nerves. His lips trembled with the desire to kiss her flesh and follow her fingertips as one caressed a breast and the other trailed its way to heaven.

  She sighed seductively with each inch her fingers lowered, causing Alessandro’s throat to dry as he unintentionally panted. He couldn’t help it. The woman stole his breath and stripped him of every ounce of defense when she did the unexpected. She pleasured herself then spread that wonderful pink flesh for his enjoyment. A wave of pure primal lust washed over him. Alessandro lost the battle. The first in his lifetime, but at the moment, he didn’t care.

  He closed the gap between them, grasped her round bottom in his hands and buried his face into her. Like a dying man enjoying his last meal, he plundered her heat with his tongue. Rose’s whimpers at each long swipe fueled his hunger to feast. The rich earthy flavor of her filled his mouth and he couldn’t get enough. Lick after lick, her juices coated his tongue, becoming his addiction.

  “Alessandro, I need…” Rose gasped. The sound of her voice was ragged and heavy with desire.

  Alessandro guided her onto her knees, helped position her in his lap, but didn’t enter her though every ounce of him commanded he take what was offered and make her his. Instead he suffered. The sensation of her hot and moist rubbing against his rock-hard cock tore at his soul and made him sweat. He took a deep breath and tried to control the raging animal lust roaring through his system.

  This was Rose’s first time and he’d be damned if he would hurt her. But taking her like this, on the hard surface of the castle wall wasn’t right either. She deserved the softest bed, the finest linen and a man better than he. If he completed this act, they were mated and she didn’t deserve to be shackled to him. As if she sensed his hesitation, Rose lifted those beautiful golden-flecked brown eyes his way and in a tender plea, she melted his heart.

  “Alessandro, please give me the one thing I know that lies within you. I want you inside of me so much that I hurt. Please, Alessandro, help me.”

  Being gentle was not normal for his kind, but he managed to lift Rose and lower her slowly, inching his sizable cock into the tightest sheath he had ever known. The feel of her wrapped around him gifted him with both pleasure and pain. As he nudged farther into her warmth, her inner muscles stretched to accommodate his girth and he feared he might tear her if he moved too fast. In slow motion, he eased in and out of her canal using the moisture of her juices to smooth the way for total penetration.

  Each inch gained tested his resolve, his gut clenched and his balls tightened as he struggled for control. But he refused to submit to his inner beast and shove himself to the hilt no matter the cost to Rose.

  The heat of her breath against his neck sent chills down his spine. He liked the feel of her tongue and lips as she tenderly nipped, licked and kissed the salt from his flesh from his shoulder to his ear. Rose’s sultry moans inside his head set his soul on fire.

  “Are you okay, my sweet Rose?” Alessandro struggled to sound in control. It was her pleasure he sought. But if she kept teasing his ear with her tongue he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d survive. Never had a woman’s tongue pleased him in such a manner before, yet her gentle touch sent wave upon wave of joy through his soul.

  “I am more than okay.” Her breath was hot against his earlobe. She wiggled intently on his shaft as she practically begged. “But I still ache, Alessandro. I want more. Give me more.”

  “My little one, you are too tight. I will not force this and hurt you.”

  “Alessandro, you have me on edge. I…want…more.” Before he could get a good grip on her hips, Rose forced herself into a full-seated position in his lap with his cock buried deep. “Oh,” was all she said as her inner muscles rippled up and down his cock, suckling and caressing his length. She leaned into him with her face hidden against his neck.

  “Rose, are you okay?” He caressed the back of her head and struggled for a shred of decency as he inwardly fought the urge to fuck her hard. Every inch of his cock was wrapped tightly in the warmth of her heaven.

  In a slow-motion rock, her hips began to move as she sat upright and gathered his face in her hands. Tears glistened on her cheeks. Alessandro attempted to brush them away, but she surprised him by nipping at his fingertips. The tiny bites hurled his need over the edge, making his cock tremble within her. The look of raw hunger filled her eyes as words of pure desire entered his head.

  “Fuck me, Alessandro. I want and need your cock. Fuck me, make me yours.”

  Resistance no longer lived in his vocabulary. Letting loose the force of his pent-up lust, Alessandro lowered her onto her back and ravished her sensual heaven with his cock. The scent of her heat enveloped him, coaxing him into a fucking frenzy. He could not stop if he wanted to. Underneath him Rose gasped, bucked and
begged him to take her harder and harder with each thrust.

  The more the words no lady should say entered his head in her voice, the greater he responded. Each time she asked him to fuck her harder, his cock grew and his stamina increased. He couldn’t believe his reaction to Rose. In the back of his mind, he knew he should be gentle with her virgin sheath, but with the dig of her nails in his buttocks combined with her wild responsiveness to their mating, he couldn’t. Her actions demanded he react to fulfill her every desire.

  When his cock locked in place inside of her wrapped tight by the strength of her orgasm as it cascaded around his length, Alessandro froze. He’d heard that this could happen between two shifters. Even though they were in their human skins, their bodies reacted as if they were in panther form. His cock had swollen to its most extreme length and girth as possible. Though this had never happened to him before while fucking a woman, he knew pulling out of Rose wasn’t an option.

  In his condition, he couldn’t move as his seed spilled into the lava of her cream and he knew it would take time for his cock to shrink enough for him to leave her. Overwhelmed by the fantastic sensual overload of her orgasm, he sensed Rose losing control of her form. Her body began the shift with him held firm inside of her.

  “Rose, you must not shift,” Alessandro screamed inside her head, but she did not respond. He had to act fast or this would kill her. It was not meant for shifters to have sex in two different forms. They either both had to be human or animal, not one of each. The magic that controlled the change would incinerate the weaker of the two. It was the way of the magic to prevent bestiality among the breed. It was obvious to Alessandro that Rose didn’t know this and he wouldn’t risk her life over that lack of knowledge. He couldn’t. Even though if they shifted while connected, the eternal bond would be complete.

  Alessandro had no choice. He wouldn’t let Rose die. He quickly rolled them on their sides and tugged her tightly against him.