Only it couldn’t.
A stronger fire consumed her, born of his refusal to take her blood, of the awareness of how his instincts had to be ripping him apart now, paining him as he denied himself the claim he wanted to make on her.
Instincts that tore her apart too.
Unlike Hartt, she wasn’t strong enough to deny them, couldn’t hold back the primal part of herself that was aware of what he was to her and craved her mate, ached for him and wanted to be his—body and soul.
Her claws sharpened as that need stole control of her, filling her with an urge to sink them into him and never let him go. She needed to know he belonged to her. She needed to claim him.
Mackenzie surrendered to that need.
She swept her claws over his neck, distantly heard his shocked hiss as her gaze zeroed in on the bright red line that marked the left side of his throat, stark against his pale skin.
As she watched tiny beads of blood blooming along the length of it.
Hunger ignited inside her and she obeyed it.
She swooped on that blood that offered everything she wanted before he could stop her. She moaned as it hit her tongue, as her first taste of him flooded her senses with a rich, earthy scent laced with spice, and trembled as she swallowed it. Heat flowed through her, seemed to transform every molecule in her body as she took more blood from him, as he growled in her ear and clutched her to him. Her body cried out for more, a wild and demanding thing that she wasn’t sure would ever be satisfied. She needed to satisfy it. She needed more.
She rocked against him, riding him hard as she stole his blood, sucked on the wound and it opened for her, flooding her mouth with warm liquid. She swallowed it down, relished his grunt and the following growl as he dug short claws into her backside and drove forwards, pinning her to the wall of his room.
He pounded into her, drove her higher until she swore she could almost reach the release she badly needed. It remained beyond her reach though, maddening her. She sucked harder on his throat, sure that was the way to raise herself high enough to grasp it, to give her that one push she needed to satisfy the out-of-control hunger blazing inside her.
Her flesh heated and she felt as if she was burning up, as if she would crumble to ashes before she had the release she needed.
Hartt pulled her hair away from her throat and sank his fangs into it.
Catapulted her into the stratosphere, until she saw stars. They winked across her eyes as she cried out, as heat and light exploded inside her, flames licking at every inch of her as her body shook and trembled, and her heart stuttered.
On a low growl, Hartt pulled on her blood, made her head spin as it all rushed towards him, and another release rolled up on her, swept over her and carried her away. She sank into his arms, her mouth falling from his throat, head tipping back as she gave herself over to him, as she struggled to process everything that was happening.
In the wake of the light, everything became clearer, separated and gained shape in her mind. Feelings, both emotional and physical, bombarded her. They warmed her as she realised they weren’t only hers. She could feel Hartt. She could feel everything he did as if they were her own feelings, but separate. It wasn’t a blur of emotions or sensation. She could discern between what was his and what was hers, and she found herself focusing on the former.
An emotion she recognised as love was at the forefront, but there was gratitude too, a sense of relief and satisfaction. That satisfaction swept through her too as he stilled inside her, as he throbbed and spilled again, his fangs still buried in her throat. She groaned and savoured his pleasure, wondered if he had experienced hers too.
The love bloomed sweeter, grew stronger as he held her to him, as he finally withdrew his fangs and licked the twin puncture marks.
She sighed as warmth flowed through her.
A woman could get used to this.
Hartt claimed her lips, kissed her softly and slowly, that love she felt inside him growing stronger still as she kissed him back, as she wrapped her arms around him and held him close.
Her eyes widened as he stirred inside her, growing hard again.
A wicked smile teased her lips.
A woman could really get used to this.
It was a good thing she was never letting him go.
Chapter 24
Hartt couldn’t keep his eyes off Mackenzie as she pulled her burgundy leathers on. He sat in the armchair near his fireplace and just watched her. She buttoned the fly and straightened her corset, humming to herself as she fixed her appearance. Her happiness vibrated within him, echoing his own, only unlike him she was handling their new bond with ease.
He was still reeling, his entire world knocked off kilter by the fiery, beautiful female who had just claimed him, showing him that she wanted his bond and making him believe that she truly did love him.
That he was loved.
Gods, he loved her.
He felt that deep in his soul, so fiercely it stole his breath. He would carve out his heart with a spoon and offer it to her if she hadn’t already stolen it from him.
She paused with her fingers in her flame-red hair, midway through smoothing out a tangle. Her stunning golden eyes shifted to him, a little smile curling her kiss-swollen lips.
“I like that feeling in you,” she murmured sexily, threatening to ignite the fire in his veins again. That threat became reality when she bent and scooped up her sheer underwear, held it aloft and raised an eyebrow at how shredded it was. She tossed the scrap of lace at him and it hit him square in the chest as he caught it.
Fisted it and brought it to his nose, inhaling her scent as hunger sparked inside him, had his blood heating.
“Mmm.” She sauntered towards him, all wickedness and sensuality. “I like that feeling in you too.”
When she reached him, she leaned over and planted her hands on the arms of the chair, captured his lips in a kiss that seared him and had him hardening for her, filled with an ache to satisfy his mate.
“You need,” he rumbled, maddened by the feel of it as it swept through him, triggering his instincts as her male.
This bond was going to take a lot of getting used to. He could see now why Fuery was often on the edge, why he was swift to disappear at times, spending hours in his room with Shaia. The thought of leaving Mackenzie unsatisfied was like torture to him, an unbearable torment for both of them.
She walked her fingers down his bare chest and breathed against his lips. “You need too. I can feel it. It’s so weird to have your feelings inside me too, rattling around my body.”
“What is the bond like for you?” Hartt searched her eyes as she drew back, tried to ignore how she stroked his bare chest, and that look in her eyes that said she wanted an encore, was thinking wicked things as she teased his left nipple. “I am not sure what a bond is like for a shifter.”
She sighed and twisted, sat on his lap and played with his hair as she pulled a thoughtful face. “I feel connected to you, I guess. Like some kind of powerful link that relays everything you feel to me… whether that’s emotions or something physical.”
“Much like an elven bond.” He palmed her waist, idly ran his fingers up and down her side, couldn’t stop himself from dipping lower to brush the strip of bare flesh between the bottom of her leather corset and her trousers.
“There’s a compulsion too. Like I can’t ignore you when you look at me, like I have to look at you… but maybe that’s just because I’m enjoying the way you look at me.” She smiled and tapped her finger against the tip of his nose.