Adriana

Adriana the first episode in a new Historical Shadow Sprawl Story by Terri Pray.

Artwork by Samuel Pray, created using Daz3D, Photoshop and Filter Forge.

Water dripped from her form, clinging to the curves of her breasts as Adriana rose from the center of the pool. A light breeze played across the surface of the water, lifting small ripples into points as she moved toward the shore. Goose flesh rose across her skin as the breeze touched her wet and naked form, yet she did nothing to ease the chill that seeped into her form.

“I don’t understand how you can do that to yourself.” The words filtered out from behind the thick trunk of a tree as the woman who laid claim to it stepped into line of sight. “The cold must be enough to steal your breath away, yet you spend every chance you get neck deep in a pool or river.”

Adriana smiled as she moved through the water, lingering in the reeds for a moment. The sand moved beneath her feet, burying itself between her toes as she shifted her weight, trailing one hand over the surface of the pool. “Bathing is relaxing, you should try it sometime, for something other than getting clean.” Was she the only one among her sisters who found that soaking cleared her mind?

No, she couldn’t be. Her mother enjoyed it as well, though she seldom wandered far from their home and preferred the bathing chamber if for no other reason than to silence wagging tongues.

“In hot water, maybe.” The other female snorted, her top lip curled in disgust. “Where we have attendants who will provide clean linen, in a room warmed by fire or brazier, but out here?” She shook her head, her long dark curls brushing over her shoulders with the movement. “This is foolish. You will become chilled to the bone and then what? Will you become sick as well?”

“No.” She rarely felt the cold.

“I don’t understand why you do this, why the cold doesn’t bother you the same as it does everyone else.”

“Perhaps it’s the nymph blood?” Adriana teased as she stepped out of the water. Did they all think her strange? Of course they did, she wasn’t the same as they were, though many carried magic from other sources, their family lines mingled with human and magic touched races alike. Yet her differences were closer to the surface, despite the fact that she had been born into the line of Lilith.

And that is why they watch me.

“Please don’t say that, there are enough in the family who already think you tainted by your mother’s blood.”

A flicker of a frown creased Adriana’s brow but she forced her features back into the calm smile she habitually wore. “She has never denied the stories, that her family line held a touch of the nymph before she was changed.” Odd how others in her family had a problem with her blood line when that magic infused blood was the very reason her mother had survived the turn and then had been able to give birth to a vampire daughter. “We all have something within our family line that isn’t quite vampire. Yet that is forgiven or forgotten when we are turned, or that is how it is supposed to be.” Even as she spoke she knew life wasn’t like that, her people, the daughters of Lilith, were proud of their background, their ties to Lilith.

“No, but it would have made your life a lot easier if she had denied it, or at least not engaged others when they spoke of her birth. Yes, she is one of us now, just as you are, born and reborn into the line of Lilith, but she will not forget where she comes from, what she was before she was turned. She revels in her ability to use water, to spin it to her whims, use it as a weapon against others. She even uses it against those who are members of her family. She is foolish and because of that she will never rise within the family. Never become more than a daughter of low rank.” The woman at the edge of the pool sighed and held out a large piece of linen. “Please, it’s time you stepped out of the pool. You’re making me feel cold.”

Adriana arched an eyebrow. How could she feel cold when she was doing nothing but standing there, holding a piece of cloth out? No, that wasn’t a conversation she was about to get into, not when it would be a waste of time. The words were, no doubt, another way of trying to convince Adriana that she was being foolish by openly admitting the nymph blood that tainted her being. Silently she stepped out of the last of the water and into the waiting drying linen, closing her eyes as the cloth was draped around her damp form.

“We need to hunt.” Liliana announced, her words clipped.

“You need to hunt but I know where my prey waits for me.” Adriana opened her eyes, smiled and reached for the cloth, holding it against her body. “It is you that has no source easily to hand.” She glanced over at the other woman. Was it wrong to want to lord it over Liliana? Perhaps, yet Liliana had done it to her time and again. “His pack will not come to you, but this one will come for me soon. I can feel it, the pull between us, Liliana.”

Liliana scowled and stepped back away from the water, her shoulders stiff, arms folded beneath her breasts. “You’re mistaken, they will come to me, all I have to do is send out the call and one or more of his pack will willingly give me their veins. They are, after all, but males and sex is something that will tempt them.” The woman looked back at her. “Not that they will be allowed to touch me. I would not waste the chance of a daughter on sex with a beast.”

“A beast?” Adriana arched an eyebrow.

“Shifters are one step away from animals and if their blood did not carry the magic that feeds us, I would have nothing to do with the filthy creatures.” Liliana scowled, her voice cold. “Nor would you if you had any sense.”

“They shift their shape, so they’re animals to you?”

“Yes, what else could they be? Male beasts fit only for food or work.”

Is that what Liliana truly thought about the males they fed from? Not that they fed only from males, but Liliana preferred that as her choice of meal. Females, after all, deserved better after the way they were treated by their own kind or the sons of Caine. At least, that was the excuse Liliana, and those like her, used.  It wasn’t something Adriana could understand. Just as she found fault with the idea that males were foolish. Yes, there were issues, and those of their own species who were sworn to the service of Caine were a true problem, but not all males were like that.

Just as not all daughters of Lilith felt that males were nothing more than a food source, or brute labor.

“Your male will need some taming if you would use him more than once.” Liliana shrugged as she stepped back, casting her gaze over the trees. “Shifters are a dangerous, brutal lot who seldom listen. It would be better for all of us if they were under the control of our kind instead of allowed to run free, ruling lands of their own. Perhaps, in time, the elders will see sense and allow us to tame these creatures.”

“Even the women?” Adriana tugged her tunic from a nearby branch and pulled it over her head.

“They’re little more than animals.”

Adriana caught her bottom lip between her teeth, taking a moment to put her thoughts into order. Was it worth the energy to fight with Liliana? She glanced over at the other woman and shook her head. No, it wouldn’t matter what she told Liliana, the woman’s beliefs wouldn’t change. She, like so many others, saw the other magic users as nothing more than a source of food and brute labor. That was a mistake, but women like Liliana would never believe that, no matter how often they were told otherwise. Instead they clung, willingly, to the ideas passed down by those who would happily reduce all magical creatures except vampires, to nothing more than slaves.

The inclusion of the female shifters in all of this was new. What had happened to Liliana?

Even as she tried to find the right words, ones that would allow her to find out what had changed her companion, Liliana lashed out with another verbal attack.

“You’re weak, Adriana. Weak and foolish if you think they could ever be our equals. We drink from them, we use them, how could they be equal to us?”

Fury rose, tightening her skin as she smoothed down the tunic and took a step toward the other woman. “I am not weak.”

“Yes, you are, and one day you’ll realize that, hopefully before you make a mistake that will cost you your life.”

Adriana closed her eyes and counted under her breath. Anger wouldn’t help her, rage would lead to mistakes and there was a man who would be waiting for her before the moon set and the sun crept its way into the sky. “And you continue to try and change my behavior. One would almost think that you’ve been told to do this, that someone else has set you at my side as my teacher.” She paused long enough to put her thoughts and words into order, taking care to keep her tone calm. Liliana was powerful, most of the daughters of Lilith were, but her magic, the energy she tapped and used, was stronger than almost anyone else Adriana had ever known. Yet she lacked discipline, at least discipline she could claim as her own instead of the structures set in place through her own discoveries.

Blind. Obedient.

No, it was more than that, she knew what she was doing, wanted to please the other women in their home, and she used those connections she built in order to secure her place within the family.

I could do the same thing. Follow the unwritten rules and work my way through the ranks of my sisters until I stand side by side with women like Liliana.

It would be more than that, she’d become the next lady if she followed their rules, all of those rules. Yet that wasn’t who she was, not in her heart.

“Would it be so wrong to help you see the error of your ways? You wouldn’t be the first daughter of Lilith to be mistaken in their beliefs, nor the first to find out how the world truly works and seek redemption.” Liliana smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “If you can’t adapt, if you can’t accept everything that is a part of how we live, then you will one day find that you are no longer welcome among your sisters and even your mother will be unable to help you.”

Horror chilled Adriana to the bone. Was this what was going on then? Her family wanted rid of her or was it more likely a small number within their family who had banded together to make this threat? Either way, it left Adriana sickened and fighting to keep her reaction from showing. “Perhaps that will happen, or perhaps others within our family will see the error of their ways and realize that those with magic in their blood are far more than mere food.”

Laughter filled the small glade as Liliana took a step toward Adriana, power radiating from Liliana as she spread out her fingers, arms lifted from her sides, energy crackling between her fingers. “If you truly believe that, then you are a fool, sister mine. You will learn, the hard way. Oh, I had hoped you would learn the error of your ways, but you still hold onto your beliefs.”

Adriana closed her eyes for a heartbeat, tapping the power that rolled through her body. The water, it was close enough that she could use it as a weapon, one that she knew Liliana lacked the ability to deflect. Calm and focused she opened her eyes, fixing her gaze on the woman who was a sister in all but blood. “Would you strike me down, Liliana? Is that why you come with me, to see if it was time to attack me?”

Liliana arched an eyebrow, her full lips twisted into a cruel smile. “Why else would I be here?”

To Be Continued. 

Claimed

Claimed if a historical Shadow Sprawl setting story, following on from the story, Tracks. Claimed contains sexual situations and is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18, or those who might find such things offensive. 


Artwork by Samuel Pray, created using Photoshop and legally purchased stock art .

“You expect me to fight you? On my own?” The male from the settlement sputtered.

“I expect you to accept my challenge or submit,” Aetias grinned. The man was a fool. No, more than that, a coward, fool and blusterer. Did he really think that he could get out of this? He bit back a chuckle, and looked at the man. He didn’t need to check on the she-wolf. That one hadn’t moved since she had sat down to observe the situation. More proof that male belonged to Lotu’s pack was a fool who didn’t understand a damned thing about females.

Were they all the same? He shook off the question, he didn’t have time to pursue such a thought. He had to deal with this idiot and then persuade the female to come with him to safety.

Mine.

The growl from his wolf drowned out any other thought. Her scent had called to him from the moment he’d first caught it on the air two days prior. This was a female he couldn’t ignore, didn’t want to turn his back on and yet couldn’t give her the attention she deserved. At least, not in this moment.

“Fabia, come to me now. I am your husband and you will obey me.”

Aetias laughed and didn’t look back at the she-wolf. “She’s not going to do that and I can tell that you haven’t claimed her, so calling yourself her husband is laughable at best. A claim does not a mating make, especially with a weak male.”

The attack came without warning. One moment the male stood there, angry and frustrated, the next a middle sized wolf with grey and white fur, had taken his place. With teeth bared the wolf launched himself at his enemy. Aetias dropped the wall that kept his own wolf from reacting, giving himself over to the shift without thought or hesitation, twisting on his hind legs to avoid the clumsy strike. Teeth snapped at Aetias’ flank, grazing but unable to do more than that as Aetias’ half jumped, half darted to the left, barely waiting until all four feet touched the ground again before he launched his own strike.

With the full force of his body weight behind the attack, Aetias shoved his paws against the ground, not in a jump but a push for speed. He didn’t hold back as he body slammed into the other male, slamming into the male’s shoulder and flank with enough force to knock the Lotu pack male onto his side. He bounded back, hackles raised as he snarled at the panting male. Something cracked in the attack. Not in his body but in that of his enemy and Aetias smiled. The other male had no understanding or experience in battle. Had he never even jostled with his pack mates?

Not that it mattered now.

The male whimpered as he rolled to his feet, his head lolling, tongue out as he gasped.

Aetias didn’t give him time to recover. He slammed again, attacking the same side, though he knew something had cracked on the other side of the male’s ribs. This time he didn’t just slam. His attack took him in at an angle, giving him the chance not to just body slam but find a grip on his target’s throat with his teeth. He growled, grabbing the male just below the jaw as the slam of his attack forced the male to the ground.

Flesh and fur tore beneath his teeth. Blood filled his mouth and he ignored the feel of claws as they dug and scraped at his side. He growled again, the sound deeper, hungry as his wolf demanded the right to kill his rival.

Enemy, kill him. Kill to protect our mate.

Mate - he hadn’t spoken to the female yet. Hadn’t explained things to her. How could he claim she was his when nothing had been said?

Show her we are strong, that we will kill to protect her. To protect our pups.

The male beneath him, whimpered. His kicks and clawing now weakening beneath the claim of Aetias’ teeth. The whine took on a pleading tone as the male went limp in the universal sign for enough. He couldn’t bare his throat as that remained in Aetias’ grip, but he tried to shift enough to bare his belly. The male was willing to submit and yet Aetias didn’t release his grip.

The whines increased and the male twisted a little more, despite the pain that such a move would have caused, and exposed more of his belly.

Still Aetias refused to release his grip. The male had verbally assaulted the she-wolf. Offered her nothing but disrespect and threats. If Aetias let him go, he would return to the settlement, rousing the rest of Lotu’s pack, perhaps even Lotu himself.

Bring them on. We will kill them all. His wolf announced.

The male had to die.

He twisted, his teeth digging deeper into the male’s throat. Blood spurted, coating his fur as he tore, ripping into flesh and fur. Any chance that the male had to cry out, to warn the settlement, died in that moment, lost in a spill of crimson that soaked into the hungry ground. Aetias backed off, spitting out the mouthful of torn flesh. Eating the male, despite the fact he was an enemy, didn’t appeal to either man or wolf. Food wasn’t that scarce, there were better tasting options in the area, ranging from rabbit to deer and goat.

He is a man.

No, the male was sometimes a man, but not always.

The dying wolf gurgled a final whimper, kicking at the ground as he died, blood bubbling around his mouth and nose before the wolf stilled. Even then Aetias didn’t look away. Only when he was certain that the blood no longer pumped but oozed onto the dirt, did he turn to look at the silent female.

He blinked. A silent and nearly naked human female.

Fabia stood there, clutching the tattered remains of her robes to her body, her gaze shifting from the dead wolf, to the living one, and back again. He tipped his head to one side, inhaling deeply.

No fear.

Our mate is brave.

She wasn’t theirs, not yet at least, but the wolf wasn’t listening.

Show her who we are, she needs to speak with us. We can’t do that like this without the pack bond in place.

They could, but it was difficult and they needed to travel, to put distance between them and the settlement before the alert was raised.

“You killed him,” she lifted her chin, her voice strong and calm.

“Yes,” there was no debating the point. The other male was dead, she’d watched him kill the male from her village but had also heard the warnings Aetias had given.

“He was a fool.”

A smile twitched at his lips. “I won’t argue with you.”

“Fabia, line of Remus, daughter of Sabinus.”

He inclined his head, well aware of his nude, blood splattered form. “Aetias, line of Romulus, son of Aquila.”

Fabia inhaled, her nostrils flaring as she took in his scent. “Alpha but not the alpha.”

“Indeed,” he glanced down at the torn form of the now dead wolf. “We should move, before his death draws attention.” Away from here toward Rome, but not in human form. They would be able to move more quickly in wolf form, but did the woman understand that?

“Yes, as wolves.” She looked at the handful of torn robes in her hands. “I didn’t mean to… shift so rapidly.” Heat colored her cheeks.

Did the females of the settlement not shift in front of males? He knew so little about Lotu’s pack that he couldn’t be certain of the source of her embarrassment, but now wasn’t the time to ask. “Follow me, please.”

“W-wait,” the hitch in her voice was the first hint she’d given him of any uncertainty she now faced. “You meant what you said to Egnatius?” She nodded toward the dead wolf. “That you don’t steal women anymore? That you’re not here to claim me?”

Gods, how he wanted to claim her, but even in the wild a female wolf had the right to choose. She could lift her tail to welcome the embrace of a male, or turn and attack, ripping out the belly or throat of a male would pressed where he wasn’t wanted. “I meant it. If you come with me, it’s for safety. Rome will welcome you.” Or his pack would. “You’re a female shifter, with the ability to pass that on to your children, but you will not be forced to mate someone you don’t want.” There was more to it than that, she would have to appear to be under the protection of a family, adopted in a sense, and then the paterfamilias would act as if he were choosing any husband, but the pack of Romulus had long since learned the dangers of trying to force a female of the pack.

Never again.

“Good,” she lowered her head, tension easing from her shoulders - tension he hadn’t been aware of until that moment. “Then I’ll go with you.” A soft tremble worked its way through her body until she straightened her shoulders, lifted her head and met his gaze. “My life with Lotu’s pack is over, was over, before you found us. I had planned on trying to find Rome, but this will be safer.”

Find Rome? An easy enough task unless - did they keep their females close to the settlement? What little he’d been able to gather had suggested such, but it went against everything his wolf, his pack, believed in when it came to those who could shift. Wolves needed their freedom, needed time to run and hunt, to howl with the pack and as such every member of the pack was taught how to use their senses and wolf form.

“Stay close and if you need help, need to ask something, call to me. Think of my name, I should be able to hear it and we’ll shift.” She wasn’t pack, wasn’t his mate, but the ability to hear her voice if she called his name, should remain. It was one of the first things wolves learned, how to call to each other with their minds, but had that been taught to Fabia? Just how ignorant had her pack kept her? From the color in her cheeks and the way she struggled to keep her gaze above his waist, he’d say far too ignorant for her own good.

He shifted, never looking away from the woman in front of him. Itching pain prickled over his skin as fur pushed through, but everything else was lost in the shift, combined and then consumed by the pain of changing form. He offered a feral smile and sat down, ears up, tongue lolling out as he waited for her own shift.

Fabia dropped the clothing, half turning as she did so, presenting her flank instead of full frontal. He was used to seeing pack females naked before they shifted, most stripped down, knowing it made more sense and by the time they ran with the pack the second or, at most, the third time, they were used to being seen. He’d lost his instant erection and hunger at the sight of a naked female some years ago but this time, with this woman, he reacted.

Small, high breasts, taut stomach and lean, strong legs with a tuft of dark hair at the apex, all called to him. He swallowed down the need to howl out his claim, even as he flexed his toes, letting his claws dig into the dirt beneath him. What was wrong with him?

Mate. She is ours. Will be ours.

Maybe, but he would keep his word. He wouldn’t force, wouldn’t press her. She was free now, had to remain free to make her own choice.

Fabia shifted, slowly, fur claiming skin, arms shifting into legs as she moved down onto all fours, moving from human to wolf in front of him. And she was a beautiful wolf. A full tail, beautiful fur, bright eyes and very sharp teeth. She was smaller than he was, leaner, but sleek and beautiful. This was a female who, in both wolf and human form, would attract a lot of attention.

She is ours. His wolf warned.

Was it the wolf or the man?

It didn’t matter, the thought was the same. She called to him.

He nodded and turned, tail up and broke into a jog, leading her away from the dead male. How long they would have before someone else from the settlement became aware of what had happened? They wouldn’t let Fabia escape without giving chase. They were short of females, that much he had been able to gather. Two or three males for every female and yet she hadn’t been claimed before now? Too head strong? Something else? He was grateful for the fact that she had been without a mate, but even then he would have been tempted by her.

She kept close to his left hand side, keeping pace with him as they moved away from the trail. North, they would need to move north for a time before shifting eastward. The journey wouldn’t be easy but he had established camp sites or safe places along the way and the first would also offer some shelter. Each time he’d come out, on his way to exploring Lotu’s area, he’d found a safe place to rest for a time. Some had old blankets, others held tools, food or something else that might be of use. This hadn’t been an impulse he had jumped on, but a carefully planned out scouting expedition.

They needed information. Lotu’s people had increased in number and their attacks, attempts to steal women and raid caravans had grown after several years of near silence. Not since the loss of Romulus had the proved to be such a problem. Now he knew why.

Women.

No city, village, or pack, could survive long term without women. What he’d been able to see had confirmed that those capable of giving birth to female shifters were few and far between. Loss of women to childbirth and neglect had hit the settlement hard and if things continued the male to female ratio from grow to numbers that threatened to tear the pack apart. Only certain males, it had seemed, were allowed to claim a mate. Beta’s like the male he’d killed were seldom given the chance - but there had been something about Fabia that had kept the alpha’s or potential alpha’s at bay.

Our female is strong willed and those males lack the strength to match her.

Strong, that was one of the reasons, but there would be others.

They traveled long and hard, putting the settlement far behind them, stopping only for water and to relieve themselves. As wolves they kept their distance from other people, from the human settlements and farms. Once or twice he caught a hint of another wolf shifter, but none that he recognized. That didn’t mean that they belonged to Luca’s pack but it wasn’t a risk he was going to take.

By the time they reached the place he wanted to spend the night, it was already growing dark. His belly rumbled and he knew he’d caught the same sound from his companion. He paused, checking for signs that the location had been disturbed but the only things he found were the small tracks of mice and rabbits, small things that could offer no threat to either himself or his companion.

The female waited, her gaze shifting from one place to another, searching for - well - only she knew what. She was weary, she breathed hard, trembling softly from exhaustion. He wasn’t in much better condition but it would pass once they had some food in their bellies.

Food. He’d left some supplies in the cave, hidden from potential thieves, but he’d packed with one man in mind, not two. Still, it would be enough to keep them from going hungry through the night.

We could hunt.

Yes, but it would mean leaving Fabia alone and he couldn’t bring himself to do that. Not yet at least.

He gestured to the cave with his head before entering it and returning to human form. She would either follow or use this moment to slip away and then what?

We would track her.

Perhaps.

She is ours.

Not yet she wasn’t.

“Thank you,” a soft voice drew his attention back to the cave entrance.

“For what?” He moved deeper into the cave, finding the large rock he’d rolled into place over his supplies.

“Helping me back there and for not leaving me behind.” Fabia followed him, her steps soft over the dirt covered floor. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I did. Any man with honor would have done the same.” Honor, was that a concept that Luca’s people understood?

“Honor seems to vary.” She murmured.

That he wasn’t going to argue. With a grunt he pulled out two leather sacks, one smaller than the other and set them down. A small rolled blanket was next, then a bundle of cloth - his clothing. Without looking at her, he tossed the blanket, bound by a strip of leather. “This isn’t a robe but it will work for now.”

“Thank you.”

Was that going to be a running thing between them? He didn’t look at her as he dressed, trying to give her a moment to relax. They hadn’t spoken, hadn’t even attempted to speak, during the day. It hadn’t been needed, not from his point of view, and kept him from being distracted at the wrong moment.

“Are we staying here this night?”

He straightened up, bringing the two sacks with him to an area he had used on his previous stay within the cave. A circle of stones marked where he had built the fire, and the small stack of wood, fire starter kit - iron pyrite and a stone a piece of flint, fuzz, dried grass and smaller pieces of wood, waited for him. Aetias crouched and built the beginning of the fire, picking up the pyrite and flint before he looked at her.

“That we are, this is safe and we both need the rest.”

“And food.”

“Agreed.” He grinned. The blanket covered her breasts and mound well enough, but still exposed long, toned lengths of leg. Her hair was now loose and had tumbled down over her shoulders in dark waves. His cock twitched, instantly needful as he let his gaze move over her partially clad form. “Sit, try and rest some. I’ll get some food put together for us both.”

“You’re going hunting?” She settled down on her knees and then shifted onto her hip.

“No need to.” He tapped the smaller sack before he turned his attention back to the fire ring. Sparks caught quickly in the fluff and dried grass, he leaned in, blowing on the spark, feeding it a little at a time until he had a small, but decent start. He added larger pieces as he continued and only when he was certain that the fire would hold, did he then open the sack. “It’s not much.”

“We’ll manage.” She turned her attention to the entrance of the cave, frowning slightly. “Won’t the fire bring attention to us?”

“Not here. Did you see the rocks and the pattern of the trees outside of the cave?”

She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Yes.”

“That set up will keep us from being seen until someone is nearly on top of us and by then we would be aware of their presence.” At least, he hoped they would be. Still, he wouldn’t keep the fire going overnight. The smoke alone would increase the risk of them being caught, but she was tired as was he, and warmth would be welcome. “Dried meat, a little dried fruit, some hard cheese.” He shrugged. “Nuts, but nothing else I fear.”

Food, safety, warmth, all things a mate should be able to provide for his female.

And she is ours.

He didn’t argue this time.

The fire died down after they had eaten and he watched her over the embers. Shivers returned from time to time and he itched for the need to pull her in, to hold her and… why not? “Come here.”

She blinked and turned to look at him. “What?”

“You’re cold, come here, we can share warmth and you’ll sleep better.” We can touch her, claim her. No, there’d be none of that. Claiming would be mutual if it happened. He would respect her strength, accept that she was alpha or alpha potential and not diminish her.

Her jaw set.

“If you want to shiver, then be my guest.” It would be easy to move to her, wrap his arms around her and push the issue but that wasn’t what she needed.

Fabia sighed and shifted her weight before rising and moving toward him. “You won’t…”

“No.”

“But what if… what if I want… “ she colored and settled in against him.

His body tightened. “It is not something I would force.”

Fabia made a soft sound and wriggled in, letting him slip his arms around her. “You made that clear but that wasn’t what I was asking.”

He scowled, giving himself a moment to think this through. Was she saying she wanted him? Jupiter’s cock, he hoped so. The female was tempting, her scent filled his nostrils, calling to his wolf, to his soul as she sank into his protection. “I’m mortal, but even the Gods would have problems turning you down, woman.”

A soft, warm chuckle rose from his companion.

“Oh, I amuse you now, do I?” Her scent was changing, sweat and weariness were joined by desire and heat. He skimmed one hand over a breast, catching the feel of a hard, ripe nipple. She moaned beneath his touch and his world changed. He eased her down to the ground, his gaze finding hers, his voice husky even to his own ears. “You ran from one male, would you have me believe that you would welcome another so soon? One you don’t know? One who has pulled you away from everything you’ve ever known in your life?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” His cock pressed against his short robe, lifting at cloth as he leaned down over her.

“Because my wolf wants you.”

Of all the things he had thought to hear from her lips, that hadn’t been one of them. “She… wants me?”

“She chooses you, has tried to catch your attention since we began the run.”

He thought back, trying to remember what had happened during the run. She’d kept at his side, run with him and then - yes, there had been a handful of times she had moved ahead of him, flashing her tail at him, turning to dart in a moment’s play before they had continued the journey.

Flashing and lifting her tail.

Gods, had he been that blind?

He grinned, meeting her gaze. “I was focused on the run, on getting us both to safety.” There, he had an excuse for missing the signals she’d flashed during the day.

“Ah, and here I thought a man, a male, never missed such a thing. Isn’t that why females of the pack are kept away from males whenever possible, until the time that they are married off? Men can’t be trusted, male shifters even more so. And females are weak, easily tempted.” Fabia tipped her chin, exposing her throat a little. “I’ve never been tempted to be weak before, to surrender something that I’ve been told isn’t mine to give.”

“It’s not being weak. You’re an alpha female, a shifter of the oldest lines. You have the choice to pick the male or males you want in life. To mate for life if you find the right one, or enjoy a time to be yourself with a male without commitment.”

She tensed, pulling away. “No, if I give myself it will be to a mate.”

Mine. Ours. Mate.

“You don’t know if I’m the right one.”

“Our wolves do. I can hear yours, his approval.”

True mates. He pulled back, fear and joy mingling in equal amounts. He wasn’t ready for this, was he? His wolf accepted, rejoiced, but the human wanted to back away even as he yelled out to the world that this woman, this beautiful, bold woman, was his. “We could wait until we reach Rome and you’ve had time to recover from our trip.” No, say you don’t want to wait. In that moment he didn’t know if this came from the man or the wolf, but it didn’t matter. Both wanted her, both needed her with every breath in their shared body.

Mate. Lover. Wife. True mates.

But not until he claimed her lips, her body, and her heart.

“We can wait,” he repeated, wanting her answer. Praying she chose to wait even as his wolf demanded that it be now.

“No, we can’t.” She reached out, encircling his neck with her arms, pulling him down against her body.

His cock thickened, throbbing beneath the thin cloth. Words had no place now, only the claiming of a mate. His lips covered hers, tongue parting them before he pressed within. Dueling, tasting, claiming as tongues stroked, bodies pressed, heat building between man and woman. She moaned under him, hips lifting, thighs parting under him, welcoming what would come next.

He wanted to stop, to give her the soft, tender love that a woman such as this one deserved, but his wolf wanted to rush, push, take and mark her as his now and always. He growled against her lips, parting them again with a deft touch of his tongue. Nothing mattered in this moment but the feel of his mate, the way she moved beneath him, welcoming him as he pushed cloth aside. There would be no going back from this but he no longer cared. His mate, the one he had waited for, had known in his heart existed for him but he hadn’t thought to find her during this time away from Rome. Not among the men and women that were enemies.

A hand reached down between his thighs, cupping his sack before moving to stroke his cock. He arched and then pushed into her touch, closing his eyes as he relished the feel of his mate’s caress. Forward, eager, not things he would have expected from a woman who’d never known the touch of a man or at least the more intimate touches.

Has she done this with another?

He tensed, opening his eyes to look down at Fabia. Had she already been with a man? He inhaled, tasting her scent but nothing told him if she was still a virgin. Did it matter? Not among their people, at least with his pack.

Don’t think about it.

Her hand tightened around his cock, squeezing and releasing, encouraging his body to respond. His wolf howled in pleasure, eager to push further, to take the final step but that same grip held him in place.

“I want to feel this, feel you, within me.”

“You’re going to have to let go of me then.” He smiled down at her.

Her smile lit up the cave. “That I understand.” She tightened her grip for a moment, just enough to confirm she was strong, that he couldn’t break free from her not even if he wanted to do so, and then released her grip. “Make me yours.”

Slick, tight heat welcomed him as she wrapped her legs around his waist, her heels pressing against his buttocks. If he’d had any doubt that his mate was untouched, it faded with that first, full thrust and the mate bond slammed into place. Sensations and emotions merged. His with hers, hers with his. Innocent, pure and hungry for his touch. Just as he wanted her. Her welcoming walls closed around him, her hips lifted in time to his thrusts and he lost himself. Consumed by her desires and his, no longer knowing where he ended and she began.

Nails caught at his back. Pain bringing him back into focus as they moved together. Her breath ragged, sweat beading across her brow as she gasped and moaned, her back arched, breasts exposed, nipples hard and lips parted.

“Mine,” he growled.

“Mine,” she agreed, nails digging in once more.

Pressure built, his balls tight as they slapped against her desire coated sex. He was so close, or was it her? He didn’t know, couldn’t tell which one the feeling was coming from until it was almost too late.

“Let it go, my mate!” She tipped back her throat, baring it. “Mark me, claim me.”

He leaned down, his hips moving, thrusting harder, reason no longer his to claim even as he brought his lips to her throat. Smooth, unmarked, and his. With a growl he snarled and bit down at the junction of neck and shoulder, teeth sinking into skin as he took her. Pleasure washed through both of them, pushing them over the edge. He didn’t struggle against it, lost to the cries from both of them.

Sweat coated, breathing ragged, he rolled onto his back, bringing Fabia in to nestle against his chest, one hand buried in her hair as sleep crept in to claim them. That they were in a cave, far from his home didn’t matter. It was done. They were mated, he’d claimed her and they were bonded from now until their last breath…