Carpathian 21 - Dark Peril

her. It was such a precious gift—her trust. Her desire to please him. That she could take such a risk, that she would take such a risk for him, was humbling.

    Dominic drew a line across his chest and cradled her head. Come into my world, my own, he invited. Drink.

    Solange didn’t hesitate. She wanted this. All reservations were gone. She had never truly belonged anywhere, and now she had found a home in Dominic. Her lashes drifted down and she snuggled deeper into his arms, her tongue sliding over the seam of the wound in tentative exploration. She felt Dominic’s entire body clench and shudder with pleasure, and rejoiced that she could give that to him. She was acutely aware of his shaft once more growing hard and stretching and filling her.

    She felt along her teeth with her tongue, a little surprised to feel two had lengthened. Already the need was on her, a terrible craving she couldn’t resist even had she wanted to. Dominic—her own. She sank her teeth deep. He cried out hoarsely, and her body clamped down hard on his. His essence flowed into her. Hot.
    Powerful. Rich. She felt the connection between them, the sharing of mind and body, the very blood flowing in their veins.

    Her body moved against his, soft, made for him, fitting perfectly to him. His hips thrust deep and the now-familiar fire took her. He took command so easily, his hips surging into hers, penetrating deep, dragging over inflamed nerve endings over and over. Each stroke was more powerful than the last, pushing her higher until she hovered right on the edge of great precipice.

    Dominic shared her mind, stole her heart and completed her soul. With the taste of him filling her, his breath moving in and out of her lungs, she lifted her hips to meet his, tightening every muscle around his hardened length, dragging another explosive release from him as her own took her high.

    She swept her tongue over the laceration and watched it close, a little awed by what she had done. The taste of him was in her mouth and she leaned in to kiss him, to share with him the very life force he had shared with her.

    “I love you, Solange,” Dominic said.

    She settled into his arms, knowing he was far more nervous about what was to come than she was. “It’s going to be all right,” she murmured, a little sleepily. “Making love is tiring business.”

    “Your body is changing , kessake ku toro sívamak— beloved little wildcat. As soon as I know it is safe, I will put you to sleep in the ground so Mother Earth can do the rest.”

    “You will have to watch over our kitten and feed him,” she said drowsily. “And make certain you play with him. He’s just a cub and he needs lots of attention.”

    Dominic nuzzled the top of her head. Every muscle was bunched tight in anticipation of seeing her writhing in pain. “I will, Solange. Have no worries.”

    “Check my cat now. Make certain she’s all right.”

    He took a breath, allowed his spirit the freedom to leave his physical self behind to enter her body. Her organs were reshaping at a fast rate, both hers and the jaguar’s. She should have already been in pain, but somehow her blood was still intact and seemed to heal the organs as fast as his blood changed them.

    He returned to his body. “Your jaguar is not paying any attention to what is happening.”

    She turned up her face to his. “I knew she’d be fine. I’m tired, Dominic. I’m going to sleep now.”

    Her lashes drifted down and she was out, trusting him to look after her and the cub. Heart pounding, mouth dry, he held her for hours, just waiting for the pain to start. She simply slept. Her jaguar slept. He kept vigil through the night and finally, when he was certain he could do so, he put her in the earth with him and closed the soil over their heads.

    Dominic allowed Solange to sleep for three risings. He checked her carefully, ensuring she was healing properly. He played with the kitten, making certain it had enough food, but each rising, he awakened earlier and earlier just to see if he would feel the warning that the sun was out. He didn’t. Mostly he worried about Solange. He found, as silly as it was, that he missed her. He was used to sharing her mind, watching for her laughter, and enjoying just being with her. The world seemed far less bright without her beside him.

    On the third rising he chose to wake her before the sun went down. He wanted to see the effect it had on her. He woke her gently and,