Rokan

ROKAN

" B e still!" I commanded, seizing Arilee from behind. My fingers dug into the fabric of her clothes, its hot breath mere inches from her face.

"Help!" she screamed, her voice shrill with terror. "Please, !"

I had no intention of letting her die. This was about more than money now – it was a matter of pride. I'd never been bested, never lost a bounty, and I wasn't about to start with her.

"Arilee, I said hold still," I snarled again, feeling her writhe against my grip. One wrong move and I could lose my hold, and I refused to let my prize slip away. Finally, she froze long enough for me to secure my grasp. I wrenched her away from the Steazel just as its jaws snapped shut on empty air.

Arilee's frail form was nothing to me as I hoisted her to safety. Below us, the enraged Steazel leapt and swiped, furious at losing its meal.

But the girl was my ticket to a payday, not its dinner.

Arilee gulped for air, her face pressed into the sand as she struggled to catch her breath. "Is it... gone?" she choked out, each word a monumental effort.

I could have lied, offered her the illusion of comfort. Instead, I unsheathed the knife from my belt, the blade glinting in the moonlight.

"Not yet," I growled, placing the weapon between my teeth. "But it will be soon."

I jumped back down to face the beast, my muscles coiled and ready for action. The Steazel waited for me, its tongue flicking over razor-sharp teeth. A flicker of bloodlust danced in its eyes as they bore into mine. It pawed at the ground, attempting to distract me. Poor creature had no idea it was facing a Vinduthi warrior.

I dropped my gaze, mirroring the Steazel's mannerisms with a sweep of my leg. Its eyes darted to follow the motion – all the distraction I needed.

My feet planted firmly on the ground, I matched its strength and agility, my knife slashing just below its ear.

The Steazel's agonized screech echoed off the canyon walls, a blood-curdling sound. Blood dripped from its face, but it continued to pace before me, growling, unwilling to concede defeat.

I noticed the gray fur around its temples, a sign of its age. "We're a tough old bastard, aren't we?" I taunted.

It answered with a vicious swipe at my neck. Blood splattered the ground, but in the heat of battle, I couldn't tell if it was mine or the beast's. I growled in warning as I struck again, my blade barely piercing its thick hide.

The Steazel let out a mocking cackle before lunging once more. I stepped back, slashing left and right as the animal swerved to avoid my attacks.

"Be careful down there!" Arilee's voice rang out, momentarily distracting me. The Steazel seized the opportunity, its teeth finding purchase in my arm.

As its fangs sank into my flesh, I roared, "It is no match for a Vinduthi!"

The beast dug in, its powerful jaw locked onto my arm. I held my ground, staring into its wild eyes, using my trapped limb as bait while my other hand hovered above its skull, knife poised to strike.

With a primal cry, I drove the blade down into the Steazel's head. It whimpered pitifully but, to its credit, maintained its death grip on my arm. As our blood mingled on the desert floor, I felt its final breath ghost across my skin.

"Is it dead?" Arilee called, her voice trembling.

"Yes" I extricated myself from the beast's jaws, clenching my teeth in pain and annoyance.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," she offered, her tone resembling an apology, though I wasn't buying it.

I snorted derisively, glancing up at her.

"Honest, I didn't want you to die," she insisted, cautiously descending from her perch using exposed tree roots.

"No one wants to die," I gritted out. "But my job is to ensure that you live."

Arilee approached slowly, still wary of the fallen Steazel. I gave her a reassuring nod, indicating the danger had passed.

"Thank you for saving me," she said softly.

"It is my duty," I replied gruffly.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her concern seeming genuine. She reached out, her palm cupping my cheek in a surprisingly tender gesture. Her touch was soft and warm.

I wanted more of it.

What the hell was I thinking?

And now that I had started, why couldn't I stop?

"I will be fine," I said, rising to my feet. "Now let's get moving."

Arilee extended her arms, expecting me to bind them again, but I shook my head. "This time, you walk in front."

When we returned to our camp, my arm had mostly healed. All that remained was the real problem: how she was making me feel as I spent time with her.

I sat down on the rough surface of a large rock, the night air doing nothing to quell the heat of my anger—and the unwanted desire that simmered beneath it. Arilee stood before me, her breaths coming fast and shallow, eyes flickering with defiance.

And something else. Something set the air between us alight.

"Come here," I commanded, my voice low and steady.

She hesitated, and I could see the calculations behind her gaze. Run or obey? It was a dance we'd done before, but this time, I was done playing games.

With a reluctant step, she approached, her body language screaming resistance. Good. I wanted her to fight me, to match my intensity with her own fiery spirit. It was the only way to exorcise the maddening hold she had on me.

I pulled her down across my lap, her torso resting on the rock beside me, her legs kicking slightly as she struggled to find her balance. I held her there with one hand firmly on the small of her back, pinning her in place.

", what are you—?" Her question cut off with a gasp as I yanked her pants down, baring her to the cool air and my heated gaze.

"Silence," I growled, my hand caressing the curve of her ass, feeling the softness of her skin. "This is your punishment for defying me, for making me chase you, for putting both our lives in danger with your reckless escape."

She squirmed, trying to wriggle free, but I was stronger, my grip unyielding. "You can't just?—"

The first smack echoed through the night, the sound sharp and satisfying. Arilee yelped, her body tensing beneath my hand.

"You will learn to obey," I said, my voice a stern whisper against her ear. I punctuated each word with another sharp slap, my handprint blooming red on her pale skin.

Her protests turned to moans, the line between pain and pleasure blurring with each stinging impact. Her body arched into my touch even as she cursed me. The scent of her arousal perfumed the night air, driving me even wilder.

This wasn't good.

This was supposed to be a simple punishment. Keeping a captive in line.

But her reactions had turned the moment into something more. Something dangerous.

"Fuck you, ," she hissed, her fingers clawing at the rock, while she squirmed against me.

"Only if you're a good girl," I promised, my cock hardening more at the thought. I slid my hand between her legs, finding her soaking wet and wanting despite her anger. "But first, you come for me. "

She was slick and hot, her arousal coating my fingers as I stroked her. I teased her entrance, dipping just the tip of my finger inside before withdrawing, making her whimper with need.

"Please," she begged.

"Please what?" I taunted, delivering another sharp spank that made her cry out.

"Please, , I need?—"

I cut her off with a chuckle, plunging two fingers deep inside her. "You need this, don't you? You need the release, you just don't want to admit it."

She was too far gone to argue, her inner walls clenching around my fingers as I thrust in and out of her. She climbed higher and higher, her body trembling with the effort to hold back.

"Let go, Arilee," I ordered, my thumb finding her clit and circling it roughly. "Come for me, now."

Her orgasm ripped through her body, her scream echoing off the rocks. I didn't let up, drawing out her pleasure until she lay limp and panting across my lap.

I pulled my hand away, ready to end this unexpected encounter. My breath came in ragged pants, matching Arilee's own labored breathing. I needed to regain control, to remember my purpose.

"Get up," I growled, my voice rough with desire. "We're done here."

But Arilee didn't move. Instead, she twisted in my lap, her blue eyes meeting mine, her lips open with an intoxicating brew of defiance and hunger that made my cock throb painfully.

"Is that all you've got, ?" she taunted, her voice husky. "I thought Vinduthi were supposed to be formidable."

My eyes narrowed. "Watch yourself, human. You're playing a dangerous game."

She smirked, shifting her hips deliberately against my erection. "Am I? Seems to me you're the one who's all talk and no action."

A growl rumbled in my chest. This infuriating woman was going to be the death of me. I should push her away, assert my dominance, and get us back on track. But the challenge in her eyes ignited something primal within me.

"You want more?" I snarled, gripping her hips hard enough to bruise. "Be careful what you wish for."

Arilee's breath hitched, but her gaze never wavered. "I can take whatever you dish out, Vinduthi."

I lifted her, shoving her pants the rest of the way down before turning her to face me, her legs straddling my hips. Her eyes were dazed, her lips parted and inviting. I claimed her mouth in a searing kiss, my tongue sweeping inside to tangle with hers.

She tried to take control, her hands sliding up my chest, but I caught her wrists, pinning them behind her back with one hand. With the other, I guided my cock to her entrance, teasing her with the promise of what was to come.

", I?—"

"Shh," I silenced her again, thrusting up into her in one swift motion. She was tight, so fucking tight, and I had to grit my teeth to keep from coming right then.

I set a brutal pace, using her body for my pleasure, each thrust driving us both closer to the edge. She was mine, every inch of her, and I would make sure she never forgot it.

"You feel that?" I growled, my lips brushing against her ear. "This is what you do to me. You make me lose control."

She shook, her body arching into mine, her breasts pressed against my chest. ", I'm going to?—"

"Come with me," I demanded, releasing her wrists to grip her hips, pulling her down hard onto my cock. My own release barreled down on me, a fierce, primal need that couldn't be denied.

We came together, her screams of pleasure mingling with my guttural roar. I emptied myself inside her, marking her as mine in the most primal way possible.

For a long moment, we stayed there, joined together, our breaths ragged and our hearts pounding in unison. The rapid beat of her pulse fluttered beneath my lips as I pressed a kiss to her neck.

Slowly, reality began to intrude. The cool night air. The hard surface of the rock beneath us. The uncomfortable truth that, despite everything, I was no closer to letting her go than I had been before.

I eased her off my lap, standing up and adjusting my pants. Arilee watched me, her eyes still dark with desire, her body language uncertain.

", I?—"

"Save it." I needed to get back in control, needed to do it now. "We both know this changes nothing. You're still my prisoner, and I still have a job to do."

Her expression hardened, the vulnerability replaced once again by defiance. "I hate you," she spat, pulling her own pants back into place.

I shrugged, the movement casual despite the turmoil inside me. "Hate me all you want. It doesn't change the facts."

She turned away from me, wrapping her arms around herself as if to ward off the chill—or perhaps the memory of what we'd just shared.

I watched her for a moment, my gaze lingering on the proud set of her shoulders, then bound her wrists again.

Damn it.

I had just made things infinitely more complicated.

For both of us.