“I’ll get our bags off the air bike later,” he murmured in a husky tone filled with desire. “We won’t be needing them for a while.”
“I like that idea,” Tina whispered, burying her head in his shoulder.
Viper turned to the left and climbed the staircase that wrapped around the outer edge of the foyer. His eyes swept proudly over the dark wood finish of the stairs and the lighter wood of the walls. He had cleared the minimum number of trees to build the house. Every bit of the lumber came from the trees he harvested. In return, he had planted additional trees around the house.
The trees were fast growing, adding almost four feet per year in height. The average tree was slightly over sixteen hundred cubic meters in diameter. Their thick branches, evenly spaced out, made for a cat’s playground. He had sanded and polished the boards until they glistened with a mirror reflection. Each corner piece had been fitted by hand. The bannister was one of his proudest achievements. He had carved each section to represent a different time period in the Sarafin history. The oldest at the top and moving down to the most current.
“It’s beautiful,” Tina murmured.
Viper gave her a tender smile. “Thank you. I did it myself,” he confessed. “It is one of the things I am the most proud of. It is a chance to create, instead of destroy.”
He knew Tina could see the haunted look in his eyes. He had killed, a lot. He was an assassin, a spy, a servant to his people and his King. It mattered not to him if that King were family or not. What mattered was the safety of his world. When it was in danger, he struck out and he struck hard. He would not give those that threatened it another chance.
That responsibility had been one reason it had taken a little longer than he wanted to bring Tina here. His responsibility came even before his own wants and desires. He had met briefly with Vox and explained what he had found. He had hidden the scroll here for safe keeping. A part of him was relieved that Vox had known about the legend. He, Titan, and their cousin, Banu, had learned about it from Titan’s mother, Illana, his aunt.
Vox explained that Illana related a tale of four brothers who were the first rulers of Sarafin. One ruled the forest kingdom, one ruled the city near the ocean, one ruled the desert kingdom, and one ruled the ancient city as its guardian. She explained that the gods had divided their world so none was more powerful than the others, but together they would be practically invincible.
“She said that each symbol had to be placed together for the location of the Heart of the Cat to be found,” Vox explained during their brief meeting. “I have Titan and Walkyr working on it.”
Viper wasn’t completely convinced that the only way to find the Heart of the Cat was through the symbol on the heirs. Something told him there had been another way. A way that had been hidden in the scroll that the cleric had died protecting.
Viper shook his head, refocusing on the present. Vox had turned the investigation over to Titan and his brother. He was ready to let it go. He would give Walkyr the scroll and tell him what he knew in a few days when they returned to the palace for more supplies. Right now, right now, he had been given an order by his King to enjoy himself. That was one order that he would not argue about.
“Welcome to your new home,” he said as he set Tina on her feet in their bedroom.
He chuckled when she turned in his arms and pulled his head down toward her. It would appear she had been given the same order as he had. His tongue swept between her parted lips. She met him with a matching passion. A low groan escaped him when he felt her hands working at the buttons of shirt.
“I need a shower,” he mumbled, pulling the shirt she was wearing from the waistband of her pants.
“Good idea,” she muttered as she stepped back to undo the rest of his shirt. “I always wanted to know what it would be like to make love in a shower.” She paused to look up at him with a raised eyebrow. “As long as it is bigger than a telephone booth.”
“Telephone booth?” He asked with a look of confusion.
“Never mind,” she whispered, watching as he shrugged his shirt off. “With you, even a telephone booth would be exciting.”
A chuckle escaped Viper. He had no idea what she was talking about, but if she thought it would be exciting, he was willing to try it.”
It didn’t take long for them to shed their clothes. They had finally given up on undressing each other to undress themselves in their impatience. He jumped when he felt a sharp smack to his ass. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Tina’s eyes dancing with mischief and invitation. His eyes darkened in response. If she wanted to get a little ‘frisky’ he was more than willing to accommodate her.
Turning quickly, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her up against his hard body. He could see the surprise in her eyes. She had forgotten just how strong he was.
“Viper,” she whispered huskily against his lips.
“You are mine, Tina,” he said in a voice filled with need. “My cat wants his mate. He needs her.”
“How?” She started to say looking at him in confusion, before clearing her throat. “How?”
“I will teach you,” he promised, wrapping his arms around her. “Just accept them.”
Tina nodded. She wasn’t sure what was about to happen, but she had opened her heart and given it to Viper unconditionally. Pearl’s Rule Number Ten fit this situation better than anything she had ever experienced before and made her wonder if her grandmother had somehow known that this might happen one day. Was she ready for this? Yes. Yes, she was and she was going to go for it with everything inside her.
Yes, a low, soft purr whispered.
“What?!” She gasped, looking at Viper in surprise.
“Accept her,” he whispered, drawing her forward into the large shower with him.
Tina nodded as she tried to focus on the voice she had heard in her head. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to listen. What she saw wasn’t the darkness that she normally encountered. This time she saw the faint form shifting in the inky blackness. Focusing harder, she felt like she was moving through space. For a moment, all she saw was the shadowy image, but as she moved closer, she saw a glimmer of… gold.
Who are you? She thought, trying to understand who the figure of the woman was and what she was doing.
Welcome, the golden figure whispered back, rising from where she had been kneeling.
Who are you? Tina asked again, confused.
The figure tilted her head to look down at Tina. She knew what the human was thinking. It was a thought that was often associated with her. Turning, the figure waved her hand down over the darkened shape lying at her feet. A swirling wave of gold dust floated down, turning and dancing as if caught in a whirlwind. As the dust settled, the dark shape slowly rose. Tina stood stunned. She knew that shape. She recognized the dark brown hair and matching eyes. Only these eyes had pupils that were elongated, like a cat.
A gift to you, human, the golden figure answered with a smile. A gift to you and your warrior.
Who… Tina opened her eyes and blinked up at Viper as the whispered name of the golden Goddess flowed through her as the figure disappeared. He was standing still, watching her with dark, knowing eyes. A smile curved his lips when her lips parted and they said the name of the figure together in one breath.
“Aikaterina.”
Viper gazed down into the eyes of his mate. Eyes that were the same and yet different. Dark brown eyes with the pupils of her cat.
“Come to me,” he commanded as he shifted right there in the shower.
*.*.*
Tina blinked in surprise. The shower suddenly seemed bigger. She shook her head and sneezed. Raising a paw to her nose, she wiped at it.
Paw, she thought suddenly, freezing.
Looking down, she raised her paw and turned it over. She bent her head and brushed the tip of her nose against it before jerking back in shock. In wonder, she put it down onto the cold tile of the shower and watched as the water ran aro
und it. Picking it up, she held it over the water before touching the floor again.
She turned when she felt a slight nudge against her shoulder. Turning, she stared in shock at Viper. His huge black cat was sitting under the pouring fountain of water watching her. Out of the corner of her eyes, Tina caught sight of a long slender tail brush over his shoulder and back. She focused and the tail moved until it was curling at the end around Viper’s muzzle.
A low rumble escaped her when he turned and nipped it with his long, sharp teeth. Surprised by the touch of pain, along with the pleasure, she stared back at him in uncertainty. He must have realized that she didn’t know what to do next.
He rose and pushed on the glass door of the shower. He stood for a moment, looking back at her. Understanding that he wanted her to follow him, she glanced up at the water falling from the shower head one more time before she stepped cautiously out of the shower.
The moment the door closed behind her, the flow of water decreased until it turned off. She turned back to look at Viper and tilted her head. The huge black cat stepped up to her and ran its long, rough tongue down along her jaw in reassurance before he turned and stepped toward the double doors that led out onto a small balcony.
Tina watched in amazement as the doors parted and Viper padded out onto the balcony and jumped up onto it. She hesitated for a moment before she followed. Not sure of her balance yet, she rose on her hind legs and placed her front paws on the wide ledge.
A low, half-cry, half-purr escaped her as she tried to understand what she was supposed to do. The black cat reached over the edge and nipped her on her ear. When she shook her head at him, he jumped down and pressed against her, pushing at her to jump.
What does he want? Tina cried out in silent frustration.
Mate wants us to follow, the soft voice she heard earlier whispered.
Who…?
You… Came the response.
It took a minute for Tina to comprehend that it was her cat’s voice she was hearing. The short, disjointed word and flashing images were her cat’s way of speaking to her. She turned when she felt another nudge against her before Viper jumped back up onto the ledge and paced back and forth with an ease born from instinct.
Releasing a low cry of uncertainty, Tina pulled back and whispered for her cat to take over. This was something she wasn’t used to, but something told her that her cat would have no problems following her mate. Viper swatted at her as she landed on the ledge with surprising agility.
She turned in surprise and hissed at him. The larger male must have thought it was funny because he just shook his head and yawned at her. Her cat must have taken offense to his behavior because she turned on the ledge, smacked him with her tail and jumped. Only her cat could hear Tina scream as she flew almost six feet through the air to land on a long branch. In a flash, her cat pushed off again.
Wow! Tina thought in awe as she suddenly found herself racing through the forest, bounding from one limb to the other with an ease of a circus performer. This is… incredible!
Wait until mate catch us, her cat responded, running, ducking, and flying across the thick branches.
What will happen? Tina asked breathless as excitement built inside her.
You see, her cat retorted in glee. He come.
He… Tina’s conscious thought fled as fast as her cat had just a few minutes earlier.
They had not gone far. Her cat had was gradually moving to the lower branches until she jumped down onto an animal trail. The second she did, she tore off down the path as fast as her slick body could run. She was still no match for the larger male. He nipped at her tail several times, pushing her in a different direction until they came out into a grassy meadow near a wide river.
Tina felt her body rolling as the male jumped on her. She rolled several times through the soft grass before she stumbled to her feet. She turned, hissing, and flashed her teeth at the male in warning. The swipe of his large paw forced her to stumble backwards. Tina was thankful he had kept his claws in. Something told her that if he had raked her with them out, she wouldn’t have stood much of a chance.
Snarling at him, she flashed her teeth again. Her body moved in an ever tightening circle as he walked around her. She was just about to turn again when he struck.
Tina felt his massive jaws lock down on her throat. A startled cry escaped her when he pushed her down and slowly crawled over her until she was penned under his larger body. She fought to escape, but he just tightened his hold on her neck and snarled.
A loud gasp escaped her when she felt his long cock brush against her. It finally dawned on her what he was about to do. A hot flush scorched Tina as she watched, as well as felt, Viper’s huge, black cat claim his mate.
Oh dear, Tina whispered when she felt the first touch of Viper’s cock as he drove into her cat.
A shudder rippled through her body as the male’s penis grew larger and he began to rock in long, powerful strokes deep inside her. Her cat hissed softly, winding her long tail around his in an effort to help keep them locked together.
Explosions of pleasure erupted inside her at the power behind the male’s possession. His front paws moved in closer, caging her under him as he adjusted his grip on her. He bit down again, breaking the skin at her neck. The combination of pleasure and pain sent an instinctive reaction to her cat and she lift her hips to give him deeper access to her feminine core.
He was locked to her, the curved tip at the end of his cock attached to her womb as he continued to piston faster and faster into her. She knew he was about to come. His cock had become so engorged, that she could feel it stretching her.
He released her neck and roared as his body began to spasm. His release and the heated wash of his semen inside her triggered her own cat. All Tina could do was watch and feel as Viper truly claimed his mate.
Chapter 23
Viper gently laid Tina down in their bed. The afternoon had been an incredible one. His cat was… catatonic for want of a better word. The huge male had a lot of years to make up for. He had tried to caution him that he didn’t need to make up for them all in one afternoon, but it hadn’t listened.
“Viper,” Tina whispered drowsily.
“Hush, little one,” he said, smoothing her tangled hair back from her face. “I’m going to go get our bags.”
He watched as she tried to open her eyes, but finally gave up. “’Kay, do you need any help?” She asked in a slightly slurred voice.
He chuckled and bent to press a kiss to her temple. “No, sleep while you can. Both my cat and I have plans for you later,” he teased.
A low groan escaped her and she buried her face in the pillow. “Go away,” she mumbled before he heard the sound of her soft snores.
Chuckling, he pushed up off the bed. He picked up their clothes that they had thrown off earlier and placed them in the refresher unit. He quickly showered and dressed.
He would prepare them a meal and retrieve their bags before he woke her. Glancing at the bed as he walked through the room, he shook his head and laughed again. She was lying on her back with her arms and legs thrown out in all four directions. He could see the tips of her toes peeking out from under the covers. His eyes darkened when he thought of what he could do to her tied up in that position. Shaking his head, he muttered a low curse. She needed food and rest. He could at least give her that before he tied her to the bed.
Though… he thought in longing before shaking his head and chiding himself for even thinking of taking her again before feeding her.
Cursing under his breath at his cat for making him hornier than hell, he stepped out of the room and descended the stairs to the lower level. Twenty minutes later, he closed the oven door. He had installed a slow cook device in addition to the replicator. Tonight, he wanted to treat Tina to a real meal in her new home, not a freeze-dried dish.
Opening the front door, he breathed in the fresh scent of the forest. The sounds of the creatures of the night were silent tonight.
Viper paused on the front porch and glanced up at sky. He frowned, it was clear, the stars shining through the trees. It was possible there was a storm coming. The creatures often predicted it first. He would have asked his cat, but the damn thing was almost comatose at the moment.
“You better be nice to me for a while, my friend,” Viper muttered softly as he stepped down the front steps. “What you did today was enough to make me envious?”
He didn’t receive an answer. It wasn’t like he was really expecting one, but still, the least his cat could do was thank him. Walking down the narrow path to the building he had built to store items, including his air bike, he chuckled as he thought about the afternoon.
The warning from his cat came a moment too late as he opened the door and stepped inside. He started to turn when he felt the cold metal against his neck. A curse exploded from his lips as the powerful drug in the injector took hold and paralyzed him. He tried to release a warning cry to his mate, but no sound escaped his throat as darkness descended around him.
*.*.*
Tina jerked awake, twisting and thrusting her long hair out of her eyes. Something had woken her up. She glanced frantically around, trying to understand what had woken her. The room was dark and the house was quiet.
Mate, her cat hissed.
What about mate? Tina asked confused as she rubbed her eyes.
Danger, I feel danger, her cat growled, pacing back and forth.
“Viper,” Tina whispered, knowing that her cat was right.
Shoving the covers aside, she slid out of the bed looking furious around for her clothes. Her eyes swept the room twice before she caught the glimmer of light coming from a refresher unit in the wall. Hurrying over to it, she opened the panel and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the clothes that she had worn earlier mixed with Viper’s.
Tina quickly pulled them on before sliding her feet into her boots and twisting her hair up into a knot. She was just finishing when she heard the sound of the front door opening. Caution, born from her years of living in bad neighborhoods and natural distrust of people, kept her silent as she walked over to the opened door of the bedroom.