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And the thought of it both excited her and terrified her

Stars in heaven, she didn’t want this

The hipped around the past The stor within her The hunger burned until she feared she would turn to ash She needed release, and she needed it now, but the thought of being covered, of being entered

A deep quaking began in her lied between her thighs She wanted Fox, desperately If only she didn’t If only she could turn it off She wasn’t at all sure how er she could stand this, or what she would do when she couldn’t

She pulled her knees against her chest and dipped her forehead onto the to ease the terrible need But nothing worked

Feeling a gentle tug on her hair, she opened her eyes to find that Fox had wrapped a lock that had escaped her braid around his finger Her heart squeezed, recognizing the need to co herher head sideways to look at hi and gentle understanding Even as desire leaped like an electrical arc between them, he caressed the back of her head

"I would never hurt you, pet Never"

Somehow, he saw the battle inside of her Could he also tell she was co apart at the seams? That she wanted him as badly as she wanted to run the other way?

He leaned forward, pressing his lips ever-so-briefly against her teaze was soft as down "You looked in need of it"

Pressure welled in her chest He was stealing her heart

He lifted his hand and lightly stroked her head, and she ainst his side Slowly, he curved his ar her a dozen opportunities to pull away But she didn’t She needed his strength, his coe and hatred Now everything had changed The rage toward the shifters was gone Certainly the rage toward this shifter How could she hate ato save her, and not just once? He was a goodto adore

Her ht well have become if she were different If she could be the woman she’d been before But she couldn’t, she knew that And she didn’t want to be She wanted to reclai warrior But to do that, she had to get away fro to happen Not now Not within the Mage labyrinth

So for this time out of ti of no longer being alone And try to keep fro herself in the process

As loose brush swirled into their sale, she closed her eyes, hiding her face against Fox’s shoulder Thank the ancient queens that he’d been caught with her, for she’d never survive this alone If only he weren’t tearing down her defenses, brick by brick, awakening a desire and a need inside her that she feared would tear her apart

Fox held Melisande against him, his hand on her shoulder, his body on fire, his heart breaking because he got it now For a moment, when she first pulled away from him, she’d let her shields down, and he’d felt like he was staring into his sister Sheenagh’s eyes again in those horrible er

Goddess He’d already figured out Melisande had been captured Now he’d seen blaring evidence that she’d been raped No wonder she froze every tiot too close His heart squeezed with pain at her suffering even as the rage stirred inside him

If Castin was to blame, the male would die a thousand deaths before Fox handed hi blow

Finally, he understood how she could be so hot for him, so wet, yet push him away But she hadn’t pushed him away at all, not really He’d scared her No, the situation had scared her But, goddess, she wanted him One moment she’d smelled of wild heather and the next her scent had exploded, turning lush and carnal--wild heather crushed beneath writhing bodies deep in the act of sex And still it filled his nose, his lungs,scent, he was sure, and it was driving him insane Goddess in heaven, he hoped it went away soon because her arousal was sending his into orbit

Finally, the winds began to die down High above, the sun peeked out

"Mother Nature appears to be over her pique" Fox placed a soft kiss on Melisande’s head, then released her and pushed hi from the small windbreak to make certain they were still alone The sn of life

"Let’s take a look around" He held out his hand to her

As she placed her hand in his, Melisande aze Heat remained in her eyes, and a wealth of frustration But as he s sainst his heart for about four seconds, then did just that, pulling her close for a si

To his relief, she wrapped her ar briefly before pulling away, but not before he felt the way she still treain, with that lush, carnal scent

Her arousal hadn’t died at all He watched as she fought for control, her jaw hardening, her back straightening as she turned to survey the area A tough little warrior, despite everything Tough on the outside, aye, but beneath that hard façade, he was beginning to see a different side of Melisande, one filled with a sweetness the other Ferals would never believe

Deep inside, his fox snarled, a possessive sound this ti toout frooing to see if I can pick up a trail," Fox told her, hoping the shift to his aniht douse the sensual fire in his body, at least for a little while He shifted, sighing with relief as the sexual need died away, then he turned his attention to the task at hand He began sniffing around the bodies, then followed the trail back to the pit, padding all around the two sites

Finally, he returned to her, brushing against her hip with his side, delighted when her fingers dove into his fur, stroking hi you’re the pet"

He grinned at her Keep your hands on me like this, and I’ll be whatever you want htly, worried his words would drive her away after what happened in the windbreak, but the look she gave him was one of wry amusement and her hand continued to stroke him