Page 39

I hated how quiet the inside of my head was. It was a fucking lie. With each person Logan bonded, my frustration with Rachel grew. Could she feel it? If she could, did she care? What was the point and purpose of preventing me from being happy? Had I failed her that badly?

All the guilt I had carried over the years—that I hadn’t been able to protect her or give her the life she wanted—was gone. Maybe I had been a worse version of myself back then, but now I knew that the same was true of her. Would she really let us all die just to spite me?

I stalked over the grass in my panther form, too agitated to stay with Logan while she was surrounded by her new bondmates. I didn’t begrudge them having that connection to her, but gods, I wanted it for myself too.

With a huff, I flopped down in the dark, my tail whipping to burn off some of my annoyance.

I didn’t want to hate Rachel. At one time she had been my whole world. Why had she agreed to bond me if she was planning to leave? Why irrevocably tie herself to me just to run away with Seth? None of it made any sense.

I lifted my head at the sound of soft footsteps, seeing Yelena in her lioness form. I’m trying to be alone.

I know . She settled into a loaf next to me, not quite touching, but near enough I felt the aura of her power.

If you know, why are you here?

Sometimes when we want to be alone is when we most need company. Talk to me.

No. I lowered my head, trying to ignore her, but I should’ve known she wouldn’t allow that. Her body heaved to the side, crashing against me. She pinned me with her paws and dragged her sandpaper tongue over my forehead.

If you’re not going to talk, I’m going to groom you into submission.

I tried to flail, but she had about a hundred pounds on me in this form and kept me right where she wanted me. My purr came out involuntarily. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had treated me like this. Yelena kept up her work until my fight had abandoned me.

See, not so bad. Yelena rubbed her cheek along mine, a friendly scent marking, as much of a claim as she could put on me without a bite. Ready to talk?

I melted from panther to human and propped my head on my hand, staring at the grass. “I’m just feeling sorry for myself.”

Yelena joined me in human form, her golden eyes holding me captive. “I’m well aware of that, but you reacted better to Seth and me bonding Logan. Is it just that you’re the only one in the pack without a bond? Or something else?”

“It’s that I’m fucking stuck. I’m being held hostage by someone I haven’t seen for sixty years. I keep turning the questions over in my head, but they make me more confused than anything else.”

“Rachel is the only one who can truly give answers. We might wish otherwise, but it’s not something we can force.

Logan loves you. Bond or not, that is reality, and Rachel can’t take Logan’s love away from you.

I understand you want more than that, and I’m sorry it’s not safe for you to get everything you want. ”

I sighed, nodding sadly. “I like you a lot more now than when we arrived.”

She laughed. “I’m soft with those who need it, hard with those who would be better served learning some humility, and, my dear panther, I think you need a soft place to land.”

“You don’t think I need more humility?”

Yelena shook her head, tracing her fingertips along my cheek and jaw.

“Not anymore. I think if you could see yourself from the outside, see how different you are now from when you arrived, you would know that. I’m almost envious of how quickly you’ve grown.

It’s so rare for us. We get too stuck in our ways, but you’ve changed drastically, learned to open yourself, to be humble and accept that you may not know best. And you’ve done it all for a woman you didn’t even know you could claim. Logan is lucky to have you.”

“She has a lot of us now.”

“Don’t make me shift back and pin you down for being a dumbass.” She shoved my shoulder, eyes gleaming, and my cock rose, but I kept steady eye contact so she wouldn’t notice. “Accept the compliment.”

“And what If I don’t?” I knew I was playing with fire, but the way her eyes narrowed teased my body to life, and that was an excellent distraction from stewing in misery.

“Then maybe I’ll leave you to your own devices. You can tend to your cock while you lament your circumstances in peace.”

“Stay. I accept it. I’ll be good.”

Yelena lay back down onto the grass, resting her chin on her folded arms. “I’m not convinced you know how to be good. I think you only know how to expect it from others.”

“How would you test that theory?”

She looked over at me, questions heavy in her gaze. “I refuse to be a consolation prize. If you’re asking for me, it had better not be as a fucking distraction.”

Guilt set heavy in my gut. “I don’t think a universe exists in which you could ever be a consolation prize.

You’re not a distraction either, in general.

I realize in this exact moment I was starting to treat it that way, and I’m sorry.

I don’t want you because I can’t bond her.

I want you because I can’t fucking help myself, and you’ve known that from the moment we arrived. ”

Yelena watched me for a long moment before her mouth curved into a smile. “It has been rather entertaining watching you fight your attraction. Are you ashamed that you want me?”

“No. You played with my pride, and I don’t know how to navigate something that makes me hot and angry at the same time.”

“Maybe that’s because you have too much pride.

” She leaned closer, sitting up, and my gaze swept along the luscious curves of her body, freezing when she placed her palm on my chest. My whole body tightened at the change in her demeanor.

“Perhaps you should let go of a little, learn to beg for what you want in a situation where you might get it.”

My thoughts tripped over themselves, tangling into knots so not a single one of them made it from my brain to my tongue.

Yelena laughed, her warm breath ghosting over my lips, not quite close enough to touch. “You’re so cute when you lose the power of speech.”

It was deeply unfair how hot her teasing was to me. She had me right where she wanted me and she knew it. Pride held me by the throat.

“Prove you can be good, and I’ll give you a kiss.”

Words.

Say some.

Literally any words.

“How?” I croaked out.

Yelena’s smile had nerves jumping in my stomach and a moment later something bumped to the ground next to us. I stared up in the direction it had come, Haru giving a quick wave before closing the window. I slid my gaze back to the item, picking it up from the grass.

A collar.

Yelena’s name was emblazoned across it in gold.

“We can play without it,” she said softly. “I won’t force you into any dynamic, but I know you’re curious, and I know you’ve been craving it.”

Her golden eyes pinned me in place, my brain trying and failing to formulate a response. I swallowed hard and brought the soft velvet lining of the collar to my throat, closing my eyes as I concentrated on managing the buckle at the back.

You look beautiful with a collar on. I thought so from the start.

I shivered as her words slid through my mind. I don’t know if I did it right.

Yelena moved around me like smoke, her fingertips trailing and leaving goosebumps in their wake. She slipped two fingers beneath the collar, ensuring it wasn’t too tight before leaning over to plant a kiss on my cheek. Perfect. Now I want you to crawl to me .

My back stiffened. Yelena moved a few paces away, standing in the grass. My brain and body were still suffering a bit of disconnect, my muscles refusing to take the next step.

Be good for me. It’s not so different from when you’re a panther. Crawl.

Humiliation burned in my gut. No one was around to witness me, only Yelena and my own stubborn pride. Slowly, so fucking slowly, I dropped to my hands and knees. Each bit of progress I made was erased as she stepped backward, drawing me deeper into the submission.

If I wanted to, I could stand up right now, fuck her into the grass, and she would let me…but she was also right. Logan had never wanted power over me, never wanted to have control in this aspect of our lives. Yelena did. Curiosity kept me on my knees, and hot curls of desire propelled me forward.

Beautiful. Yelena looked like she was ready to devour me whole. I knew you would be spectacular when you finally gave in.

She paused in her retreat, parking her ass on a bench looking into the forest. I came to a stop in front of her, settling back onto my knees, awaiting whatever instruction she wanted to give. I held my breath as she lifted one graceful leg and propped her toes on my shoulder.

Am I allowed to touch you?

“Please do.” Her voice was like velvet ghosting over my skin.

I turned, planting a kiss on her calf and sliding my hand up her leg until I could tip forward and nudge her thighs apart. Yelena locked her ankles over my back, drawing me in with a purr.

The first taste of my lioness was like cinnamon and fire on my tongue, both of us moaning in tandem.

Her fingers threaded through my hair, holding tight while I swept my tongue over her clit and plunged it into her pussy.

All of the complicated, frustrated emotions I had harbored since our arrival melted away in the heat of her body.

My purr had her panting, the vibrations against my tongue carrying her higher.

I was sure that mouth would be magic. Glad to see you’ve proven me correct. She let out a breathy laugh, her claws digging into my scalp, legs shaking against me.

I sucked hard on her clit until she started to squirm, slowly losing her ironclad control as the pleasure simply grew too strong. If I hadn’t been crawling around on the grass I’d have already finger-fucked her over the edge, but she would have to content herself with my ravenous tongue instead.

Yelena broke apart against my lips with a cry that echoed through the treetops. I stayed right where I was until the trembling of her thighs dissipated. On your back, panther.

She released her legs and I slipped away, stretching out on the grass.

The taste of her was still sweet on my tongue when she stepped over me, a foot on each side of my hips before she dropped down to her knees.

Yelena curled her fingers into the collar ring and pulled me up.

I took every ounce of affection she offered, letting her guide me around by the collar, stealing the taste of herself for her own tongue.

She laid me back down. Hands over your head.

I wrestled against my instincts to expose myself fully to her. The back of my palms hit the grass and Yelena smiled down at me, a goddess in the moonlight.

“So obedient,” she cooed, laughing as I tensed. Yelena walked two of her fingertips up my chest to tap my nose. “So much pride, but you see now what happens when you can let go of it. Say thank you.”

I swallowed hard, uncertain if the words forming on my lips were truly submissive or edging into brat territory. “Thank you, mistress.”

Her grin revealed her fangs. “What a quick study. Now, no touching or the game stops.”

I nearly came out of my own skin when she raised her hips and wrapped her hand around my cock so she could sink down on me. Her moan was sweet, an intoxication I wanted to imbibe in over and over.

The slow roll of her hips had me digging my fingers into the grass.

Yelena set a pace that left me breathless.

I soaked in her expression, focused on chasing her pleasure.

It was almost distracting enough—but not quite—to stop my gaze from sliding to the sway of her breasts as she rode me into the ground, nails sharp against my skin.

Each descent had tension coiling tighter.

I wanted to touch her so badly, but not badly enough to put an end to this.

However this came to its end, I wanted us both satisfied and eager for the next encounter.

All the ways I had played with Logan filled my head.

Being on the other side of things was as delicious as it was confusing, a cacophony of sensations and feelings slowly being put to bed the more I surrendered to Yelena’s control.

She drew me just to the edge and paused.

I whimpered.

It took all of my fortitude not to buck my hips up into her to get things going again. Yelena’s sultry laughter had my cock twitching inside her.

“I’ve been waiting for that sound.” She rolled her hips slowly, enough to tease me but not to carry me over the edge. “Do it again.”

The sharp squeeze of her cunt caught me off guard and another traitorous whimper tumbled from my lips.

Yelena tipped forward, devouring my mouth while her hips rocked a steady rhythm. Each quick descent tightened my body a little more, and every kiss stole my breath. She blessed me with her own pitiful sound, her pussy clenched around me, her hips growing more frantic.

Her dextrous fingers unbuckled the collar and I took it for the sign it was.

One quick flip and she was sprawled in the grass, my hips driving into hers as I chased the peak for both of us.

My lioness shattered in a burst of cinnamon sweetness.

The grip of her cunt dragged me down with her and I spilled every drop, gasping into her mouth.

We melted into the grass together and her laughter rang through my head. Sweet panther, I think you might like me. She teased me with another kiss, hands cupping my cheeks.

Unproven. I grinned and turned to drop a kiss to her palm. Might love you, though.

Yelena purred, holding me tight to her chest. She released a long sigh. My stubborn, beautiful panther. I might love you too.