Moon(47)

The memory of her gazing at him slammed into his mind. He knew her eyes would be blue, beautiful, with flecks of yellow. He couldn’t remember where he’d seen them before but it was a certainty that would be what he saw if her eyelids parted. His hand on her throat relaxed.

The protective instincts grew stronger until his chest felt as though it actually constricted. He had to swallow the lump forming in his throat as he nearly choked on raw emotion. It was confusing why he felt such self-loathing over even considering snapping her neck. The sight of his hand against her throat was even more alarming. He withdrew it and fingered a thick lock of her hair instead.

Soft. He inhaled, breathing her in. His dick hardened until his balls ached. He was so focused on the female that it wasn’t easy to concentrate but he forced his attention elsewhere to assess the situation.

The mat was thicker than the one he was accustomed to and it wasn’t on the floor. He turned his head, stunned by his surroundings. The cage he knew so well was gone. Bars ran from floor to ceiling on three of the walls. Chains wrapped the bars of the door but the locks were all inside. Logic told him the door had been secured from the inside.

He wasn’t a prisoner. He had secured the area to keep humans out. His gaze returned to the slumbering female. Her chest rose and fell steadily. He growled and her breathing changed. Her eyelids remained closed but she wasn’t so drugged that she couldn’t wake.

Think. How did I get here? Who is this female? He turned his head the other way, staring past the bars to a cavernous, dim room beyond. The smell of the place was different from Mercile. A howl threatened to explode from him as rage heated his blood. He hated them. It took him a moment to remember why. Mercile employees were vile humans who caused him pain and kept him at their mercy. They had none. They were cruel, cunning, vicious adversaries. Even females were cruel at Mercile.

He pulled back his lip into a snarl as he turned his head again to stare down at the female. Enemy. Human. Kill. He hesitated, unable to do it regardless of his need to seek vengeance on one of them. His lungs constricted again and it was difficult to draw breath as tenderness swamped his senses. It was a foreign concept.

Why? There was no answer. He couldn’t hurt her. Other needs grew stronger until he couldn’t resist any longer. She was his, at least for the moment, on his mat. No one could reach them without cutting through the bars or the chains. He’d secured his space…unless she’d done it after he’d been drugged. It didn’t make sense though. Humans locked him inside a cage to keep him away from them. They would not willingly trap themselves with their victims.

I did it. I must have locked us inside. He was certain of that now, despite his lack of recollection. The condition of his dick was a hint as to why he might have kept her captive. One more survey of her skin and its lack of trauma verified that she hadn’t struggled.

Some of the sluggishness faded from his mind, making it easier to think. The smell of sex hung in the air, a mixture of himself and her. He growled, wanting to find pleasure in her body. She stirred under him and her lips parted slightly. Her eyes under the closed lids moved and then they opened. Blue with yellow specks—exactly as he’d somehow known.

He expected her to scream when she became aware that he had her pinned. Instead, she smiled and the warmth in her gaze was devastating to his libido. She moved leisurely, her hands uncurled and lifted to touch the tops of his shoulders. Fingernails didn’t claw his skin in protest but gently caressed him.

“Good morning.”

Her voice was husky and feminine, honey to his ears. He wanted to hear her speak more. She did, as if she could read his thoughts.

“You passed out.”

Her palms and fingertips slid over the curve of his shoulders to the front of his chest, exploring and almost destroying his tight control. It was difficult to remain still when all he wanted to do was drive his hips against hers. Many questions bothered him but he refrained from speaking.

The expression on her face changed to one that he identified as concern.

“Are you okay?” Her touch paused. “What’s wrong?” She paled. “Do you know who I am?”

He didn’t like seeing her distressed and instantly responded by shifting his position, making sure she couldn’t struggle if panic set in. The concept of harming the female in any way was offensive to him. His arms settled next to hers to keep her caged.

“Easy.” He wanted to assure her she wasn’t in danger.

Fear filled her eyes and his heart rate increased at her distress. She lowered her gaze, but he wasn’t fooled. He might be crushing her so he braced more of his weight on his arms and legs, lifting half an inch. It gave her the opportunity to wiggle out from under him but she didn’t.