Page 30 of Deserted

He studied me for a long moment, those alien eyes searching mine for any hint of hesitation. His hand settled on my hip, large and warm, its weight both possessive and steadying.

“The full claiming,” he said finally, voice rough with restraint. “Among my people, fate-mates complete their bond through marking. A physical exchange that seals the connection. Makes it permanent.”

“The bite,” I breathed, remembering fragments from our shared dreams. The way his teeth had grazed my neck, the primal urge I’d felt to sink my own into his skin. “That’s what you’ve been holding back.”

His jaw tightened, muscles flexing beneath his spotted skin. “Yes.”

I traced the pattern of darker spots across his chest, fascinated by their symmetry, the way they seemed to lead me toward that warm pulse-point at his center. “And if we complete it? What happens?”

“We become one,” he said simply, the words heavy with meaning. “Your pleasure becomes mine. Your pain, mine tobear. Your life...” He hesitated, something vulnerable flickering across his face. “Bound to mine. Until death.”

The weight of his words should have terrified me. Should have sent me running for whatever portal had dropped me into this alien world. Instead, they settled into my bones like truth—inevitable, undeniable.

“Show me,” I whispered, shifting my weight, feeling his cock pulse inside me in response. “Show me what it means to be yours.”

His control snapped—just for an instant—his hands gripping my hips hard enough to bruise before he mastered himself again. “What you’re asking for...”

“I know what I’m asking for.” I braced my hands on his chest and lifted myself slowly, feeling him slide almost completely out of me before I sank back down, taking him deep. We both groaned at the sensation. “I’ve known since the first dream.”

Something fierce and primal flashed in his eyes as I began to move, setting a slow, torturous rhythm that had us both panting. His hands came to my waist, supporting but not controlling, letting me take what I wanted at the pace I chose.

I’d never felt power like this—astride this massive alien warrior, his body taut with restraint beneath mine, his eyes burning with need as I took him deeper with each roll of my hips. He could have overpowered me at any moment, could have flipped me onto my back and taken control. But he didn’t. He let me lead this dance, his breath coming in sharp bursts as I found an angle that sent sparks of pleasure shooting up my spine.

“You feel...” I gasped, circling my hips, feeling him fill me completely. “So good inside me.”

His claws extended slightly, pricking my skin just enough to make me shiver. “Made for you,” he growled, the words strained. “Kassari.”

The endearment—heart’s match—sent another wave of heat pulsing through me. I leaned down, pressing my body against his, skin to skin, letting my hardened nipples drag against his chest as I continued to ride him. The friction was exquisite, the weight of him inside me almost too much to bear.

“I feel it,” I murmured against his throat, feeling his pulse jump beneath my lips. “The bond. Like golden threads between us.”

His tail tightened around my ankle, his head falling back as I quickened my pace. “It will be stronger,” he promised, voice rough. “When the claiming is complete.”

I wasn’t sure when the line between wanting him and needing him had fully vanished. Maybe it was when he touched me like I was precious. Or maybe it was the moment I saw that flash of restraint in his golden eyes—when he was inside me, holding back even when I begged him not to.

But now?

Now I was riding him, my knees braced against his hips, and he was letting me lead.

His hands gripped my waist, steady and reverent, but his jaw was tight, his body trembling beneath me. It wasn’t because he didn’t want more. It was because he was holding back. For me.

I leaned down and kissed him.

Not like I had before.

I kissed him like he was mine. Like I knew the truth of every dream, every whispered promise, every soft growl he’d ever buried in the back of his throat.

He groaned into my mouth. “Jas...”

“Mark me,” I whispered against his lips. “Now.”

His hands clenched on my hips, but he didn’t move. “You need to be sure. Once it’s done?—”

“I am sure.”

I didn’t wait for his permission. I leaned in, and with a rush of boldness I didn’t even recognize in myself, I pressed my mouth to the thick curve of muscle where his neck met his shoulder—and bit.

Not to hurt him. But enough to say yes.

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