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"It’s our roory predator he was

She stiffened at his tone "Is that an order?"

"No, Pandora But so long as we are ely acco for a selfish panther Romeo said held no interest in a mate"

Dante paused at that It was true He’d never wanted to be bound by anything, especially not a mate Yet for some reason, he didn’t mind Pandora in the least

"The Fates didn’t ask me who or what I wanted for my own" He held her marked palm up for both of them to see "But they have chosen you as s toto you?"

"I can’t force you to mate with me, Pandora, you know that You are free to leave o wherever you want"

Pandora sed at the thought Yes, she could But where would she go? The journey to Atlanta had been scary and fraught with the fear of having a pack find her and abuse her or the hu her up

Many ordinary things had baffled her

How to buy a bus ticket How to order food Those things were all different in her ti there was done with universal credits There was novehicles

The transports in her century were more akin to monorails and you paid your ith your pal at home was automated and clinical

She didn’t kno to survive in the current human world Didn’t kno to use her powers

It was terrifying here

Except for Dante He offered her more than anyone ever had Protection and education

He was her safety

And he was her designatedwith aceremony that was emotional She could easily mate and then have his protection

Her heart would still belong solely to herself

But if she refused to mate with Dante, he would have no reason to protect or educate her And ould he? Her refusal would leave hi she was sure wouldn’t endear her to hiive me total freedom without any limitations on it?" she asked

"I know no other way"

In that moment, she realized that she could learn to love this panther standing in front of her He didn’t have to give her anything He could theoretically take anything from her that he wanted The other panthers did

If a woaria pack, they kept her anyway and used her as a whore for all of the in return Nothing except a feords that would unite their physical bodies

"And our children?" she asked hie nursery for them in Minnesota"

She cocked her head "You realize they’ll most likely be human and not cubs"

He looked perplexed by that "Then I’ll read Mr Spock"

Pandora laughed "He’s the character from Star Trek not the child expert No wonder you’re here"

He brushed the hair back froave her a sincere, heated look that melted her "I will do whatever I have to to take care of them I pro and they will have whatever they need to grow strong and healthy"

She pressed her ainst his "Then I will mate with you, Dante Pontis"

Dante couldn’t breathe as he stared down at her and those blessed words rang in his ears He should be running for the door But if he did that, he’d never have sex again

Sex with only one wo the piper for all the years he’d been tor mated

And yet he couldn’t quite muster up true fear So his

Lacing his fingers with hers, he walked backward toward the bed, pulling her with him

He used his powers to turn down the bed and strip their clothes from them before he lay on his back and pulled her over hi ritual was older than time It was instinctive to their species and it would bind them for the rest of their lives The only way to break it would be for one of them to die Whoever survived the union would then be free to try and find another mate… if there was another one out there

It was extrearia or Arcadian, to find a second mate

Pandora bit her lip in nervous trepidation All her life, her thoughts and energy had been spent on worrying about the actual act of sex Since she was proht

Now she was almost scared as she tried to take Dante into her body This was a lot uessed Every time she tried to straddle hiently "Can I help?"

She nodded

He shifted his hips, then guided her onto him They both moaned in pleasure as her body took hiht to terrify and repulse her was about to become her mate

She would have children with hie the differences between their cultures and personalities and become the sole physical coaria lover, she couldn’t iine a better panther to have as her own than Dante

Pandora could barely think as she felt heat co ainst him slowly, then spoke the words that would unite them "I accept you as you are, and I will always hold you close in my heart I alk beside you forever"