Authors: Kate Douglas
It was different, this bestial mating. Utterly different than what he knew as a human. The mental link practically slammed into him. Adam forced himself out of the sensual, physical act of sex with his mate to the bond itself, to the mental joining that was nothing at all like he expected.
Eve stopped struggling as their bodies tied. They both panted and Adam felt her muscles clenching and releasing, but all the physical sensation seemed to slip away as he entered her thoughts.
For a brief moment, confusion reigned. He was Eve and the cock inside him was huge and throbbing against his channel, and the weight of the powerful male holding him in place was as frightening as it was exciting. Their minds blended, melded, one into the other and the meadow sort of drifted away.
Replaced by memories. Loneliness as a child, moving from one foster home to another, befriending Mei, moving again and on into adulthood. Homelessness, an aching need to belong and a series of abusive relationships, one after the other, culminating in the one where Anton and Stefan had stepped in to rescue her.
No wonder she’d been afraid of commitment. Suddenly everything about Eve made perfect sense. She was brave and strong, a survivor every bit as tough as his beloved sister, Manda.
He felt Eve in his mind, felt her gentle touch and curious searching and he opened to her. Gave her his past, his present…and without any hesitation at all, promised her his future.
The intensity of mating as a wolf was in and of itself the most amazing experience Eve could recall. She felt Adam on a level beyond human sensation, felt the hard, jabbing thrust of an alien cock, only it was right and proper, that long, sharp thing entering this body. So was the solid bulge of muscle that swelled inside her channel and locked them tightly together.
She let her human mind go and slipped entirely into the wolf. In that moment, that perfect flash of animal intuition, everything suddenly made sense. She’d had reason to doubt her readiness before, reason to leave on her own search for identity. She finally understood the purpose in everything she’d done, every act that led to this moment, this man, this wolf.
All that was Adam flooded her mind. His past, his present, the man he was, the man he was destined to be. A destiny he would never have found without Eve beside him.
He’d come down off her back, twisted to one side, and stood at an angle to her body, yet the link remained—the tie that bound them physically, the mental link that held them even tighter. She gazed into those perfect amber eyes and finally understood the meaning of pure, inescapable love.
And when she tumbled to the ground, it was the woman who lay beside the man.
His cock slipped out of her during the shift, but he had to hold her, had to feel that sleek body next to his, smell her sweetly distinctive scent that had become as necessary to him as breathing. She’d known he was going to shift. The link was that intuitive, that powerful.
When he looked into her beautiful gray eyes, it was almost as if he saw himself looking back, so much a part of one another had they become.
“You’re thinking of the same thing I am.”
She nodded and pressed her face against his chest, inhaling as if she couldn’t get enough of his scent. Then she laughed. “We’re going to have to get used to this, but I love it. Our minds feel connected, even when we’re not consciously trying to communicate. It’s amazing. We have to figure out a way for Oliver and Mei to experience this.”
“I know. If they can somehow bond, even it if’s just once in animal form, I think the connection will remain no matter what they eventually choose to be.”
“Then you believe there’s a choice?”
“I’m not sure. I’m thinking Anton may have learned something from Mei. I don’t feel as hopeless as I did.”
“I don’t feel as alone.” Eve raised up on her arms and rolled over to cover him. She managed to capture his cock between her legs. He felt his balls contract and his cock swelled even more.
“I don’t feel as if I’ll ever be alone again,” she said, kissing him. Her lips were smooth and warm, moving over his mouth and leaving nothing but pure sensation in their wake.
He thrust his hips and caught her, perfectly. She moved just enough, tilted just right and he slid inside.
Home, he thought. And in his mind, Adam heard Eve’s echo.
Home.
Anton tugged Mei’s hand and led her out to the back deck overlooking the meadow. Eve and Adam trotted across the thick grass through the long shadows of evening. They ran in perfect sync and the sense of their link was powerful. Anton nodded. He’d suspected something special in these two.
It satisfied him immensely to know he’d been right.
Mei tilted her head and grinned at him. “I just saw what you were thinking! Your thoughts have always been blocked to me. You do have a healthy ego, don’t you?”
Anton growled low in his throat. This little one was special, as well. “I was afraid of that. Common courtesy would suggest you keep any information you glean entirely private.”
She laughed and hugged him. “I’ll think about it. Where’s Oliver?”
“I think Keisha and Xandi decided to keep him busy while you and I were…”
“Oh.”
Her eyes twinkled. That was a good sign. He was afraid of jealousy. So far that hadn’t been an issue among them, but it had been a terrible problem for the San Francisco pack. Mei was beautiful. Sensual, intelligent, funny…he wanted her bonded with Oliver, the sooner the better.
Anton remembered when one of the San Francisco males turned rogue and attacked a female before she’d bonded. Mei was essentially still free to mate with any male she chose. He didn’t want to see the kind of problems with this pack that Lucien Stone had been forced to deal with.
The men here were all good people. Honorable, self-assured men with integrity. Sometimes, though, the beast was more powerful than the man, especially where a receptive bitch was involved. Thankfully, all had turned out well for Jacob Trent and Lucien Stone and his wife, Tia, but it had caused the first rift among any of the Chanku.
He hoped it was the last.
Adam shifted when he reached the deck. He held out his hand and Eve sort of flowed from wolf to woman and took his hand. They both glowed with the kind of contentment that came from within.
Anton heard Mei’s quiet sigh beside him. She wanted this. Wanted to know the same thing with Oliver.
“Where is everyone?” Eve grabbed a multihued sarong off the railing and wrapped it around herself. Adam slipped on a pair of shorts.
Anton glanced down at his dark slacks and grinned. Mei was right. He really wasn’t the shorts type, but he’d left his shirt off. Keisha loved the sight of him in dark slacks without a shirt. He sent out a silent searching thought.
We’re coming. Oliver’s on his way. Xandi and I are changing the babies. Stefan’s taking a shower. Did all go as you’d hoped?
Almost. The answers are elusive, but I know we’ll find them.
Of course you will. I’ll be out in a minute.
Of course you will. Amazing, how Keisha never doubted him. He wished he were as confident himself. No wonder he loved her.
“Mei?” Oliver stepped out onto the deck. He’d showered and dressed, but Anton sensed both Xandi and Keisha’s scent about him. He looked relaxed, though a bit hesitant.
Mei ran into his arms and the two of them embraced as if they’d been apart for months. Oliver raised his head and looked at him over Mei’s shoulder. “Did you…?”
“Some ideas, but not answers.”
Adam interrupted. “We will find answers, Ollie. No doubt in my mind. Or Eve’s. Now we know what a bonding link is really like, we…”
“You bonded?” Xandi walked through the door with her son tied into a multicolored sling across her chest. He slept soundly, close to her body.
Adam nodded. “That we did.”
She kissed both of them. Anton leaned back against the railing and watched the dynamics. The congratulations from Keisha and Stefan when he finally showed up, Mei’s and Oliver’s more subdued best wishes. The sense of love and support in this small pack was amazing. And powerful.
The answer came to him, a flash of light as if the Goddess herself had etched instructions into stone. He went into the house and grabbed a couple of bottles of chilled champagne and a tray of crystal flutes. Keisha followed him and took a large candle-studded chocolate cake out of the pantry.
“Stefan’s birthday.” He shook his head. “In all the excitement, I completely forgot.”
Keisha kissed him as she walked past and headed outside. “That’s why you need me. I never forget.”
That’s not the only reason I need you. There are too many to count.
Keisha smiled. The door closed quietly behind her. Anton stood there a moment, counting his blessings. He would never forget the emptiness before she came into his life and it took him a moment to bring his suddenly chaotic emotions under control.
“No you don’t, Stefan Aragat.” Keisha slapped Stefan’s hand away from the cake just as Anton stepped out on the deck. “That’s for after dinner. You are merely to admire it for now. I want you to know I baked it myself, without Oliver’s help.”
Stefan managed to swipe one finger through the frosting. He licked it off, moaning in exaggerated pleasure. “I thought everyone forgot me.”
“Forget you? Not even if I tried. And believe me, there are days when I try real, real hard.” Xandi laughed, but she kissed him soundly.
Anton poured the champagne and served glasses to everyone. He raised his in a toast. “First of all, happy birthday to my dear friend and packmate, Stefan, who has not been forgotten, no matter how unappreciated he might feel. May you have many more, and may you always enjoy the ride.”
Stefan held his glass up and grinned. “I intend to, in my absolutely gorgeous new old truck. Thank you, my friend. At my age, I’d just as soon forget the celebration and merely rake in the goodies. Eve, thank you for bringing it back in one piece.”
Eve held her glass out and tapped Stefan’s, but she winked at Anton. He held his glass high once again.
“To Adam and Eve, who have joined our pack even as they’ve joined one another. We wish you much happiness, and hopefully, many children.”
“Not yet. Please! I just caught her!” Adam slung an arm around Eve and kissed her soundly. The others burst out laughing.
Everyone except Mei and Oliver. Anton turned to them and held his glass up once again. “To Mei and Oliver. May you also experience the beauty of the mating bond, sooner, rather than later. I think we know how to fix your little problem.”
“Little?” Oliver clinked his glass to Anton’s.
“How?” Mei clutched Oliver’s arm.
“It’s your nature, Mei, to be the solitary leopard. You, Oliver, are the more social wolf, but you are both Chanku. Both shapeshifters. Once Chanku have bonded, the link remains intact.” He grinned. “I think it has a lifetime warranty.”
Adam grumbled. “Damned well better!”
“As I was saying…” Anton took a sip of his champagne. “We so easily accept our ability to become another creature, yet none of us knows how it happens. I can’t film it, can’t see the actual change, we can’t even describe it ourselves. It’s as if we wink out as a human and wink in as a wolf.” He smiled at Mei. “Or, as in Mei’s case, a snow leopard.”
“Thanks for noticing.” Her dry comment brought laughter. Anton was glad she could find something to joke about.
“There is magic around us. I don’t know if we are creatures of magic or some purely physical mechanism, but I feel magic in the air we breathe, in everything we do. It is especially powerful in our sex lives. We can harness that power. Make it work for us.”
“Like we did when you rescued Ulrich Mason.” Stefan smiled and turned to Adam, Eve, and Mei. “We used sex magic to power our minds. Working together, we sent Anton’s consciousness clear across the country. He entered a raven and was able to look around the place where Ulrich’s kidnappers held him prisoner.”
“How does that apply to us?” Oliver looked discouraged, but Mei grabbed his arm.
“We move my consciousness into the body of a wolf. Is that what you’re suggesting?”
“Exactly.”
“Now?”
Anton laughed. “No. I’ll need time to prepare, as will you. I want you to practice slipping in and out of another’s mind. One of the women will have to agree to be your host. Whoever that is, will have to learn to transfer as well.”
Eve held up her hand, like a little kid in class, calling on the teacher. “I’ll do it.” She turned to Mei. “When Adam and I bonded, our first thought was that you and Oliver needed to feel the same joy we felt, the same connection.”
“There’s a risk, Eve.” Anton flicked his gaze from Mei to Eve and back to Mei. “If the link fails during the bond, I have no idea what it could do to your mind. You might end up trapped in the leopard’s body. Mei could be caught in your wolven body. It’s going to take some planning, some training, and probably a lot of abstinence from all of us.”
“Damn. I forgot about that part of the rescue.” Stefan’s mournful voice broke the tension.
“Did I say Stefan doesn’t do celibacy very well?” Anton spoke to all of them, but his words were for Oliver and Mei. “That’s part of this form of magic. Whoever takes part in the ritual needs to remain celibate for at least a few days. Not much for humans, miserable for Chanku, but it builds the power. We merely need to harness it. There’s risk, but I’ve discovered there’s always a risk when we love. We risk rejection, the loss of our mate, the destruction of our individuality, which can so easily be lost in our love for another. Think about it, be sure it’s worth the danger. If so, we should be able to give it a shot on the night of the next full moon.”
Oliver wrapped his arm around Mei’s waist and squeezed. “I love you,” he said, only it was so much more than a simple declaration.
Mei gazed toward the east, where the waning moon rose over the crest of the mountains towering behind them. One more month. She could wait a month for the promise of a lifetime with this man. She’d known Oliver a mere week, yet there was no doubt in her mind. She would risk anything to make him hers. To share the bond each of the others here had found with their mate.