Primal Bonds (Shifters Unbound #2)(42)
Author: Jennifer Ashley

“Fucking hell,” he whispered. “No. Let me have this.”

“Sean?”

Sean collapsed to his knees, his hands so tight on her wrists that Andrea went down with him. They ended up in the mud near the wheel of the car, Andrea crouching, Sean folding in on himself.

“Where do you hurt? Let me see.”

Sean curled one arm across his belly. “Everywhere. You’re right, it’s the Collar.”

Andrea stared at Sean’s Collar, but it was a silent silverblack streak on his neck. She’d seen it shock him deeply in the bar, but he’d fought first the human and then Callum, as though he felt nothing. And then he’d said, I’ll pay, and pay like hell.

“Delayed reaction?” she asked. “But Collars don’t work like that. Do they?”

“We’ve learned.” The words jerked out of him. “We can use … adrenaline … to keep the pain away. But only for so long. Then … payback.” His words faded, the Shifter in him fighting the hurt.

Andrea wrapped her arms around him. His skin was slick with sweat, his breath coming fast, his heart going in rapid-fire beats.

“You should go home, love,” he whispered. “This won’t be pretty.”

Andrea didn’t bother to answer. She kissed his damp hair, rested her head against his, and closed her eyes.

The pain wove through Sean in bright, hot lines that streaked from his Collar and around his body like fishing line—strong, tight, strangling. It was somewhat like what caught her in the nightmares, though not as arbitrary and terrifying. This was almost organized, technology making the magic threads ruler-straight.

Andrea eased her concentration under the threads and slowly, slowly started to loosen them. The pain clamped Sean hard, the Fae magic almost gleeful. He’d cheated the magic, and now the magic wanted its revenge.

No, Andrea told it. You will obey me.

Magic wasn’t an entity. It was a force, without intelligence. But Andrea fought it now, and it fought back like an enemy.

In her mind’s eye, Sean’s Collar gleamed on his throat like a white-hot band, the Celtic knot a tangle of bright energy. When fighting adrenaline flowed through a Shifter, the Fae magic sensed it and triggered the shocks. The manmade electricity was enhanced by the magic to make the pain excruciating, plus the magic also made certain the Collar never ran out of power and could never be removed. Andrea knew all this intellectually, but seeing the pain with her mind, feeling it with her fingers, made her very, very angry.

The Collar’s spells were strong, locked hard in place. Andrea knew she couldn’t negate the power, but she could at least ease its intensity.

It took longer than she’d have liked, but Andrea managed to snake her healing magic beneath the Collar and loosen the wires of pain. Sean’s body began to relax, as, one by one, the bright wires unwound themselves from him and retreated.

Sean drew a long breath. When Andrea opened her eyes, he was looking at her, his irises calmed back to lake blue.

Andrea exhaled in relief. “Better?”

Sean’s answer was a growl. He dragged Andrea into his arms and brought his hard mouth down on hers.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

His mate. Andrea had leapt to his defense, ready to fight for him, and then, when Sean had collapsed in mortal pain, she’d pushed her Fae magic into him and healed him. He’d felt the Collar’s agony cease and slink away, as though she’d commanded it to go. He’d opened his eyes to find Andrea’s head bowed, eyes closed, her brow puckered in a little frown as she concentrated on easing his pain.

She was the most beautiful thing on this earth.

The ground was wet, cold, uncomfortable. Sean dragged Andrea up with him, kissing her as he rose to his feet with newfound strength. He pushed her down against the stillwarm hood of the car, and she smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

Andrea’s mouth was a point of heat. Sean licked it. He liked the taste so much he continued licking across her lips, and then down her chin and her slender throat. Her shirt was tight against her body, and Sean reached to tear the fabric away.

“Don’t.” Andrea’s hands came up.

Sean drew back a little, his heart pounding, dying for her. He couldn’t stop his snarl of frustration, and she laughed.

“Let me. I don’t want you to rip it; it’s one of my favorites.” Andrea grasped the hem of the shirt and slipped it off over her head.

There she sat, on the hood of Glory’s car, bare from the waist up. She was so beautiful, smiling up at him with her br**sts naked in the winter sunshine. It was cold, which tightened her ni**les into dark points, but when he touched her, she was warm, so warm. Sean leaned down and drew a nipple into his mouth, suckling her as he pushed her down on top of the hood.

“Not fair.” She hooked her finger into his waistband. “Take these off. If you get to look at something, so do I.”

Sean barely registered her words. He yanked off his boots and then his pants. She raised on her elbows to watch him and laughed, her eyes sparkling.

“You’re wearing them. The smiley faces.”

“I wanted to make you laugh. But not just now.” He tugged off the underwear and tossed it on top of his jeans.

Andrea’s laughter died as she roved her gaze to his very obvious wanting. She lingered there, her smile returning, sly and a little bit smug.

“What is so damn funny?” he asked.

“I was blessing my luck that the alpha who volunteered to claim me wasn’t ancient. And limp.”

“I haven’t been limp since I laid eyes on you, Andy-love.”

“That must have made for some painful moments.”

“It is pain.” Sean climbed onto the car over her. “It’s pain to watch you when I’m not inside you, not having you all the time.”

“We’d never get anything else done.”

“And why should I be caring? There’s plenty of others to get things done for me.”

“Must be nice to be at the top of the food chain.”

“It is. I have the privilege of claiming the best female Shifter in the world and bringing her out here where no one can find us.”

He tugged her jeans open and down her hips. Andrea helped, pushing away the fabric that kept him from her. The lace panties came off and followed the rest of the clothes to the ground.

Sean exhaled as he slid inside her. He belonged here, safe inside Andrea Gray, his beautiful love.

They fit together so snuggly, but when he began to move, it was hot, slippery, fiery, and fine. The awkward position, the fact that they were on a car in the woods, made the excitement burn. Andrea held his hips, her head going back as she felt it. In, in, in, all the way in. Goddess, you are beautiful.