Dark Lycan (Dark #24)(39)
Author: Christine Feehan

Tatijana slipped between two rows of the milky white flower. "The scent is intoxicating."

"It’s meant to be," Fen said. "Every ritual between lifemates only brings them closer together."

"I want to try it, Fen," Tatijana said. She made it a casual statement, but there was nothing casual about her prompting. She wanted to perform the fertility ceremony with him. She’d never thought about bringing a child into the world, not after her horrendous childhood, but the thought of a boy with Fen’s nature and character made her long for things she didn’t have. She could feel her body reacting to the stimulating scent.

"It smells like you," she added.

He stayed very still as if his body might shatter if he moved. "Each blossom takes on the scent of one’s lifemate, enhancing the addiction to their taste and smell." He looked as if he were made of stone. "This could be very dangerous, Tatijana."

Fen’s voice dropped low. Husky. Velvet soft. Oh, yeah, the fragrance rising from the field of flowers affected him just as much as they did her. He actually looked strained.

"We are lifemates, Fen," she reminded, placing one hand on his chest. She stepped close to him so that her scent enveloped him along with the blossoms. She was blatantly seducing him and she realized she wanted him with every breath in her body.

"You persist in thinking I’m strong, Tatijana. When it comes to you, that is not so." He shook his head, but he didn’t step away from her. She could feel the beat of his heart and hear the blood rushing through his veins. His body betrayed him, hard as a rock, his skin hot with need. Even his teeth had sharpened.

"What do I do?" Tatijana asked with a little satisfied smile. This man was her man. Hers. Her eyes met his, a little shy. A little tempting. Completely sensual.

Fen knew there was no way to resist her. In truth, he didn’t want to. If there was a woman made for silk sheets and long nights, he was certain it was Tatijana.

He selected a blossom, picked it and cupped it in his hands, lifting it up to her mouth, his gaze holding hers captive. "Taste it."

Tatijana, gaze locked with his, slowly took the sexy blossom and stroked her tongue along the bulbous head. Immediately her mouth watered with the addictive taste of spice and forest. Wild. Almost feral. A taste like nothing she’d ever experienced. Fen. Fenris Dalka, her lifemate. It was sex and sin and the ultimate temptation all rolled into one.

She couldn’t stop herself from licking along the stigma, determined to get every drop. Clearly the taste had taken on that of her lifemate. She kept her eyes on Fen, hunger for him growing with every passing moment. The fertility ritual wasn’t going to be nearly enough for her. Fenris Dalka was going to claim her this night.

She couldn’t honestly say when she’d changed her mind. Maybe it was his care of his brother. She knew it wasn’t just the pull between lifemates; she liked him, even enjoyed his company, preferred it to being alone. Everything about him appealed to her, when she thought he would be the last thing she wanted.

Even the soft velvet petals seemed to hold his scent. There was no way to control her desire, not for his taste and not for him. Hunger grew with every drop she consumed. The more she drew that spicy nectar into her mouth, the more she craved Fen. When she’d managed to get every single drop, she licked her lips.

"Now what?" Her breath came in little ragged, needy gasps. She knew he could scent her siren’s call. Her heart found the rhythm of his and pulsed in time to that strong, steady beat. Deep in her veins, a distinct throbbing began, a drumbeat of need and hunger only he could assuage.

Even as she asked the question, she instinctively cupped her hands around the bloom and offered it to him. She could barely breathe, watching the way he took the blossom from her as if it was the most sacred thing in the world. His soft groan sent a shiver down her spine, and deep inside she felt her body turn hot and needy.

Eyes still holding hers captive, Fen lowered his head to the fragrant petals, nuzzling them with his strong jaw before dipping lower, his tongue stroking sensuously along the ovaries and filaments.

She couldn’t tear her gaze from him. It was the hottest, sexiest thing she’d ever experienced. Her breasts actually ached and she could feel the welcoming liquid gathering at the junction of her legs. In that moment, watching him devouring the nectar, his eyes burning over and into her, she realized there was no going back from this, nor would she want to.

Fenris was her lifemate. Pure and simple. She wanted him to complete the binding ritual. She felt her heart was already his. Clearly her body wanted his. She could taste him in her mouth, but she needed their souls bound together in the way of their people.

She had set out to prove something to herself and maybe to everyone else as well. She wanted freedom above all else. But freedom was choice. Fenris Dalka, surrounded as he was by danger, was her choice. She couldn’t even say for certain it was the pull of lifemates. She liked him. She respected him. He didn’t waste time on useless arguing. She was in his mind and knew he respected her vast amount of knowledge when it came to all the species and their fighting abilities. He didn’t relegate her to a safe corner somewhere, although her protection and safety was uppermost in his mind. He made her feel beautiful and special, as if she were the only woman in the world. He listened to her. He liked hearing her talk. He had a sense of humor. And right now, in this moment, he was the sexiest man alive to her.

He took his time with the flower, his gaze growing hotter and wilder as he savored every single drop of nectar. "I love your taste," he murmured.

Her entire body seemed to clench in anticipation. "I am beginning to think it might not be so bad to have you claim me," Tatijana ventured. "I’m getting used to the idea."

His gaze grew hotter. More intense. He lowered the blossom, his eyes moving over her in a slow, possessive manner that left her mouth dry.

"Don’t tempt me, Tatijana. Not now. I don’t think I have the strength to resist and we both know it isn’t the right time."

"I think it’s exactly the right time. There’s more to this ritual, and I want it done right. Binding us together is logical. This feels like the perfect time to me."

Fen’s breath came in a long rush, which added to her happiness-and her certainty that she was right. He tried not to be affected by the fertility ritual, or by her close proximity, but he was. He was just as hungry for her as she was for him.

Fen’s eyes devoured her even as he tried to reason with her. "I’ve been showing restraint because I won’t be able to resist sharing blood with you. Over time, you’ll end up like me-the Sange rau-and until we know what agreement the Lycans and Carpathians come to, mixing our blood could be dangerous to you."