“No.” But he’s about to be.

The knife trembles in my hand as I bring it to Zynar’s arm. He growls, his arm jerking back and tugging on the rope.

“It’s okay,” I whisper. “I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m just going to cut this.”

“Kahlesta?!” Varek obviously heard that, too. He slams his shoulder into the door. Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag.

“If you come in here, we’re both gonna kill you!” My heart’s hammering as I bring the knife to the rope, sliding it just between Zynar’s wrist and the rope itself. There’s another thud at the door and my heart bleeds. Varek is committed to protecting me, even if it means his brother will try to disembowel him for coming even an inch near me. What did I do to go from nothing to having two people in my life who care for me so much?

The moment the rope snaps, time stills for a second. Zynar snarls, his gaze shooting to the door. I drop the knife and climb on the bed immediately, pulling off my tunic as I do. His attention refocuses on me.

“There,” I whisper, my body heating from his mere attention. I feel beautiful. Absolutely alluring.

With a swipe of his claw, Zynar shreds the other rope, freeing his other arm. My eyes widen as he grips me with both and pulls me down to his face, his lips closing around my nipple in a hungry groan. A moan whimpers from my lips. He holds me there, making me straddle him as he alternates, running his tongue and teeth across the sensitive buds that harden at his insistence.

“Zynar, I—” But I’m moving again. My eyes widen slightly as Zynar spins with me in his grasp. As if my weight is negligible and he’s simply moving a doll. I’m suddenly on my hands and knees. Eyes still wide in shock at how fast he flipped me, I look over my shoulder. The moment he shreds the ropes holding his legs restrained is the moment I know there’s no turning back now.

So I lean into it. I relax.

When a claw finds my clit, the digit swirling and circling the little nub, fireworks go off in my veins. There’s little warning before he sinks inside me, filling me with a single thrust. I cry out, almost collapsing beneath the pure power of this male as I pant his name. Zynar rubs my clit as he thrusts hard, never easing up, never relenting as he pulls another orgasm from me. I collapse then, unable to remain on my knees as he readjusts himself and grabs my hips instead.

His claws dig into my skin, not breaking it but holding me with a grip that says he won’t let go. Each thrust is powerful, driving him deep inside me, touching places I didn’t know could feel this good. The sound of our bodies meeting fills the room, a raw, primal rhythm that matches the urgency of his rut. I can feel the heat wafting off him, the overwhelming need to claim and mark me as his.

With each stroke, he drives me higher again, pushing me to the edge of pleasure that feels pulled from the depths of my being. I don’t think I have it in me, but soon it’s building again. Swelling deep in my core. Zynar leans forward, his teeth grazing my shoulder, a possessive growl vibrating through his chest. The sensation sends shivers down my spine, intensifying the pleasure already rising in my core. My breath comes in ragged gasps, my body trembling with the force of yet another climax.

He’s relentless, his pace never faltering, each thrust more intense than the last. I can feel his need, his desperation, to claim me fully. It’s overwhelming, and yet I crave it. This raw, primal connection. I need it. I realize now it’s all I ever wanted. This utterly raw, pure, distinct declaration that I’m wanted. As his claws rake down my back, leaving trails of fire in their wake, I arch into him, crying out his name.

“Zynar!” I scream, my voice breaking with the intensity of my pleasure mixed in with pain. Tears fill my eyes, my whole soul ignited.

“Kahlesta?!” Varek sounds frantic, not sure if I’m experiencing pleasure or pain. Zynar growls, slamming into me harder.

“FUCK!” I’ve never cursed so hard in my life. “I’m fine, Varek! I’m alive! Don’t break in!”

The embarrassment of having what, in essence, would be my brother-in-law listening to me get railed has long gone. I don’t care about anything outside this room anymore. All I care about is the male at my back.

Zynar responds with a deep, guttural growl, his thrusts becoming even more forceful. Each deep thrust presses his thickened base at my entrance, filling me to the brim as his sack swings forward, slapping against my swollen lips. I can feel the tension building in him, the imminent release that he’s holding back. Those teeth that just grazed my shoulder sink in and I cry out again. The pain is immediate and I choke on the sharp intensity of it. But then there’s warmth. Warmth as Zynar licks the wound at the same time that warmth spreads within. Like liquid fire running into my veins and spreading through me. Zynar growls, his pelvis still slamming into me as he licks the mark he just left and I know it’s a claim that I am his.

The sensation, that pleasure-pain pushes me over the edge once more, my body convulsing with the force of my orgasm. My vision blurs, and all I can feel is him, his heat, his strength, his unyielding need. He roars, a sound of pure primal satisfaction, as he finally lets go, his release flooding me with warmth.

But it’s not over. He’s still hard, still moving, his need not yet sated. I can feel his cock throbbing inside me, the relentless rhythm of his thrusts driving me to the brink again. I’m helpless in his grasp, lost in the overwhelming pleasure he’s giving me.

His claws tighten on my hips, and he pulls me back against him. Somehow we’ve shifted and I’m only partially on the bed now, half my body draped over it as he starts thrusting once more, each more powerful than the last. The raw strength of him, the uncontainable desire that drives him is like an energy cloud filled with spores that intoxicate. Because my body sings. Where I should be sore and pained, I tingle, desperate for more. Each stroke sends an electric bolt of pleasure crashing through me, my body responding without prompt or input from me.

“Zynar,” I gasp, my voice a breathless whisper.

He growls in response, his lips brushing against my ear. “You are mine, Liora. Only mine.”

The possessiveness in his voice sends another shiver down my spine, and I moan, arching into him. His teeth graze my neck where he just marked me, his breath hot against my skin. The sensation is intoxicating, driving me to the edge of sanity all while reminding me that this isn’t a dream. It’s real. It’s real and it’s happening to me.

I can feel the climax building again, the heat pooling in my core, ready to explode.

“Oh God,” I whimper. “I don’t think I can…”

His thrusts become frenzied, each one pushing me closer to the edge. I’m lost in the sensation.

“Zynar, please,” I beg, not even sure what I’m asking for.

He answers with a deep, possessive growl, his hips driving into me with unrelenting force. The world fades away, and all that exists is him, his touch, his need, his love. My body shatters under the force of my orgasm, waves of pleasure crashing through me, leaving me trembling and breathless.