Chapter 46

Oz

Icorralled Stella"s panther into an alcove so she was away from prying eyes. Nudity wasn"t a big deal in shifter culture, but I would rip out the eyes of any man who saw her.

She growled at me, and I forgot to be an insanely possessive male for a moment. The sound of her high-pitched warning instead made me grin. She was so precious. How had I stayed away from her all these days?

I hadn"t actually stayed away. I"d dogged her every step, but from the shadows. She was safe here in Panthera. Still didn"t mean I didn"t want to see her every moment of every day.

Before I could turn my back, she shifted back into her human form. The transformation was as mesmerizing as it was intimate. Her sleek panther form gave way to the curves and lines of her human body.

She stood there, in the midst of the garden, completely bare, her skin kissed by the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves. My mind reeled with the thought of someone seeing her like this, vulnerable and exposed.

I shifted and stepped forward, my own body still aching from the earlier confrontation with the lion. "You need to cover up. Someone might see you."

The rage fell from her face, and she reached for me. "Why are you bleeding?"

Her gaze fixed on the fresh wounds that marred my flesh, remnants of my brutal fight.

I closed off, unwilling to reveal the depth of my turmoil over her rejection. "It"s nothing."

Stella"s eyes narrowed. "More secrets, Oz? Just like how you used me."

"I didn"t use you, Stella. I"ve never used you."

"I"ve been trying to figure it out; did Dion know you"d seduced me into your bed? Or are you keeping it secret from him too?"

She had me there. Her eyes flared wider. I felt the golden heat of accusation.

"Good to know me and my real mate have something in common. We both were betrayed by you."

I struggled to find the words, to explain the conflict that tore at me. My loyalty to Dion, my love for her, it was a tangle of obligations and desires that I couldn"t fully articulate. "He sent me to find you and bring you back to him. I knew you were his mate. I never thought for a moment that you would be mine as well."

Stella clenched her jaw. At least she wasn"t yelling accusations anymore.

"I tried to fight my feelings for you. I didn"t think it could be true that someone like you would even look at someone like me."

Her brow crinkled at that. She opened her mouth. Her throat worked. But whatever she would have said she swallowed down.

"I don"t think he knows about us. I don"t think he believes I would betray him in such a way."

"Are you going to ask me to keep our secret?"

"No. I would never ask you to lie. Tell him whatever you wish. But I can"t watch you with Dion. It"ll tear me apart."

"Are you…" She swallowed twice before continuing. "Are you leaving?"

I shook my head sadly. "The bond is still there."

"Our bond? Or the one between you and your king?"

I cocked my head at her, remaining silent. She looked away, but I knew she felt it too. Even though she"d said the words to break it, it took two to officially destroy a mating bond.

"There are only two options left for me," I said, my gaze fixed on her, trying to convey the depth of my struggle. "I can reject you, which I swore I would never do. Or you can fight me to the death, as a rejected mate must do to earn their freedom."

The words hung heavy in the air. Stella"s expression shifted from shock to horror at the gravity of my words.

"I hope you choose to fight me. To feel your lips at my throat one more time would be worth it, princess."

"I"m not a princess, Oz." She balled her fist and punched me in the chest. "I"m going to be queen."

She punched me again, and then again.

"I"m going to marry Dion." Another punch. "I"m going to take him to bed." Another punch. "And I"m going to scream his name."

Tears streamed down her eyes as she continued her assault on me. The punches were ineffectual. The tears undid me.

I pulled her to me. She continued to pound me. Then she slumped against me. I pushed her deeper into the darkness of the alcove as I tried to soothe her with nonsensical words.

"I hate you," she sobbed.

"I know, princess. I deserve it."

I pressed my lips to her forehead, to her temples. I lapped up those tears. She wrapped her arms around me and held me like her life depended on it. My beast demanded that I make it better.

My death warrant was already signed by those tears. What would a little treason in the king"s gardens hurt?

Tentatively, fully expecting another rejection, I pulled away from Stella"s temple. I moved slowly, millimeter by millimeter, until my lips hovered just in front of hers. It was the only move I dared make. The only distance I dared travel. She would have to?—

Stella crushed her lips against mine. Her kiss was pure hunger. I answered, giving her everything she asked for and more. My cock ached between us, eager to answer her hunger in its own way.

She moaned into my mouth. Her hands dug into my back as our bodies pressed together. I felt her heart racing against my chest, matched only by the quickening beat of mine. The lust in her eyes was undeniable.

I was about to lose myself in her. Reaching down, I lifted her thighs up and around me. She locked her ankles behind my back, not once breaking the kiss.

She plunged into my mouth as she reached down to guide my aching erection toward her hot entrance. She moaned in approval as she positioned me. I was all set to plunge up, but Stella sank down, claiming me as her own once again.

I felt her muscles pulsate and clench around my head. With a final push, I found my way into her, both of us releasing a deep groan. As I thrusted up, I felt her heat envelop me. The sensation was indescribable. It was as if my entire world had come down to this moment, and there was no turning back.

She was mine, and I was hers. Her moans of pleasure only fueled my desire. I gripped her hips tightly, thrusting deeper and harder with each stroke.

Stella met my every thrust with her own. Her movements matched mine with a fervor that brought me close to tears because of how much I craved her. It terrified me because I didn"t know how I"d let her go again.

Her eyes were half-lidded, lost in the passion of the moment. She was close. Which was good, because I was about to burst. The pleasure was building within me, an intense heat that threatened to consume me. I knew I couldn"t hold back for much longer.

Stella threw back her head, her muscles clenching down on me enough to steal my breath, to stop my heart, to claim my soul. I let go of everything I had and gave it all to this woman. She had taken my heart; she could have my life.

I held her tightly as she came down from her orgasm. More than anything, I wanted a round two. This time preferably in a bed or some soft place to lay her down so that I could feast between her legs.

All thoughts of carnal play went out of my head when I heard someone approach. Whoever it was had the common sense to stay back a distance. We both heard them clear their throat.

"I beg your pardon, your highness, but King Dion has returned."