She tripped over a tree root, and both men leapt into a fight over who’d claim her. “Get up,” I mumbled. “Run.” And she did.
I turned to Thane. “I hate this hunt. We need to get out of here.”
But Thane’s hands clasped my hips and hauled me against him, his lips on my neck. “We’re being watched.” His words were but a ghostly whisper in my ear. “We need to go through with the claiming ceremony.”
My stomach dropped, and I was fully aware of what that meant, and if anyone found Thane disguised, they’d kill him. So drawing as little attention to ourselves as possible was the goal.
He lifted me off my feet so fast, I lost my breath. “Fight me,” he murmured.
His earlier smile faded, replaced with a hunger I knew had nothing to do with play-acting, but everything to do with his attraction toward me.
I shoved my hands against him. “Put me down,” I yelled, wriggling out of his grasp.
The Khonsu wanted a show.
They expected Thane to mount me, to claim me like a savage.
I stumbled backward across the foliage covered floor.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he growled, his voice menacing, drowning in desire and hunger.
His mouth was on my neck, teeth raking over flesh, causing me to cry out in shock.
In an instant, he snatched the hospital gown I still wore and ripped it off me so fast, I stumbled on my feet from the motion.
Standing completely naked, I lashed my arms over my body, my mouth dropping open. I wanted to scream at him, but he just grinned at me.
Asshole. He was enjoying this show and tell a bit too much.
His gaze trailed up and down on my body, showing me his pleasure in his parted mouth, in the hardness in his pants.
He reached out for me, but I pulled away and spun from him.
The Khonsu in the audience wanted to be entertained, enjoy this show of dominance, of women taken against their will.
Bastards. The whole lot of them.
Greedy hands clasped me by the waist, stopping me in my tracks, his touch sending my body into a devilish buzz. I spun to strike him, hating that I was naked out in public and he still wore his clothes. But his grip tightened, and he forced his chest flush against my back. His hand clasped my chin and turned my head to face him.
Lips on mine, he kissed me hard, his tongue slid inside my mouth, making me taste his sweetness. My body responded to his touch and lips instantaneously, heat coiling deep in my gut. Nipples hardened, and my body betrayed me when it came to my three Vepar.
Except, this wasn’t about falling, but resisting him. I ripped out of his grasp and swung around with a fist aimed at his face.
He caught my wrist. “Not so fast, kitten.”
I kicked him in the shin, and he winced. I smirked and wrenched to leave and grab my hospital gown off the ground. But he held onto me and squeezed my forearm so hard, a sharpness shot up my arm. “Ow.”
“I’m in charge here, not you. You’re mine, and now I’m going to fuck that sweet cunt of yours.”
Raising my head, I was startled by this response, heat already burning through me to hear him talk so dirty. But it was all an act, right?
“Don’t touch me.” I chewed on my lower lip, while liquid fire burned between my thighs.
“I can smell your arousal.” One step closer, and he towered over me. His hand pressed to my back, holding me in place while he nuzzled my neck. “I missed you,” he breathed heavily, and when he looked at me, primal desire darkened his gaze.
He licked his lips, staring at me with such heat. I felt trapped right then… caught between the inferno inside me demanding I throw myself at him, but I couldn’t.
His hands grabbed my shoulders and he spun me around, then pressed a hand to my back, forcing me to bend over.