Hunter's Revenge

He leaned down and inhaled deeply. "Have I ever told you how much I love the way you smell?" His body pressed closer and she felt herself stiffen. "All you need to do is tell me to back away, moya. If anything I say or do hurts or frightens you, just tell me and I will stop immediately."

He didn't frighten her. She frightened herself. How could she feel such want, such desire, when only a few days ago she'd been brutally handled by the Black Rose's men? She'd learned the woman was his sister, by his own admission. How could one be so good and the other so evil? It was almost as if every moment she spent in his presence, she were waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Now that you have seen who I am, will you consent to the mating? Only the true mating will tie us together, bind us to one another in such a way that no one will ever be able to separate us."

His breath fanned her ear and heat rushed though her blood to pool in her middle. Her panties grew moist, a sure sign that her body was willing to mate with him, whatever her thoughts and feelings were on the matter.

She licked her lips, watching as his eyes darkened to a deep jade, so dark they were almost black.

"Will you mate with me, moya?" His hands slid down her arms, his fingers tangling with hers. "Will you take this chance and accept my love?"

She gazed down. His erection was so large it threatened to burst the seams of his pants. Yet he still asked her. He kept his touch gentle as his fingers trailed lightly over her skin. She knew he wanted her. She even knew how much. She felt his inner lion raging at him to take her despite her feelings and still he held back, waiting for her acquiescence.

She looked around the garden he'd taken her to. It was like an indoor greenhouse. It amazed her that the farther they strolled into it, the more beautiful it became. She looked up at the towering trees over their heads, barely realizing that their hands were clasped. Their fingers intertwined and she inhaled at the rightness of it. This was right. He was right. If only she could overcome her fears and allow him to do what he wanted.

"I would never hurt you, Amy. I would stop if you said to stop. I swear it."

Tears slid down her cheeks and she wondered if she really could have the happiness Eve seemed to have found with Taliff. She glanced over at Hunter, felt his need to have her, his even stronger need to protect her and led him further into the lush green garden.

They'd gone what seemed a long distance when she led him to a clearing dominated by a pool of glimmering turquoise water so clear, she could see the bottom. Surrounding the pool were marble benches that invited her to sit while she basked in the tranquil setting. Scattered around in an almost haphazard fashion were flowering bushes with pink and orange blossoms. Between the benches were statues of men and women, all undressed, in various sexual poses.

Even though the whole clearing seemed designed for sex, for mating, a sense of peace and tranquility washed over her. It was as though she belonged here and someone, something, was welcoming her home.

Something about the turquoise water of the shimmering pool called to part of her deep within. She had the overwhelming urge to strip and walk into its soothing depths.

She turned to look at Hunter. "Can I wade into the pool? Something within me needs to wade, to swim in these waters. Can I?"

He took her hands in his, bending to kiss them. "Tonight, moya, listen to your instincts in all things. If you wish to bathe, by all means, bathe. If you wish me to join you, you need only to voice your request."

He turned around, facing the other direction. "I shall even look the other way as you undress if it makes you more comfortable. Remove your clothing and let the waters of the Goddess wash your tensions away. This night in the pool is your night. If you wish to complete the bond, you merely need to direct me to your wishes. If there is something you wish do to, do it. If there is something you wish to say, say it. In this pool, you are the one in charge."

Amy nodded, though he couldn't see her with his back turned. Quickly, she stripped off her clothing and waded into the pool until the water covered her breasts. Something about being in the pool both relaxed and rejuvenated her. Still, something didn't feel quite right. It was as though a part of her was missing.

Invite him into the pool, Amy. It is your destiny--and his. He will not harm you. In fact, he loves you so much already that to harm you would be to harm himself. Invite him into the pool and welcome your destiny.

Amy licked her lips, nervous. What if he hurts me? With the others it always hurt. Fear gripped her at what she was about to do, about to allow. Yet how do you ignore an instruction from the Goddess herself?

He will not. The Matebonds make it easy to know your fears, your feelings. As soon as you complete the ritual, he will know exactly what to do to please you. Show him he is mated to a strong woman who will face her fears rather than run from them. Reach out to him and offer to wash him, comfort him.

Amy looked away to make her offer, unable to watch as he undressed. "Will you join me in the pool, Hunter?"

It didn't take long to receive his answer. She heard the unmistakable whisper of his zipper as he shrugged out of his uniform and the rustle of the material landing at his feet.

She turned back to face him when she felt sure that he was in the water deep enough to cover the part of him that frightened her, then realized she hadn't waited quite long enough.

He was so tall his hips were still above the water. That part of him she'd hoped to miss jutted up from a nest of red-gold hair, a drop of clear fluid at its tip. She felt his need to be inside her, to feel her lips wrapped around his shaft. Her face burned at the thought. For now, she'd do as the Goddess suggested and offer to wash him.

Strangely, she wanted to bathe him with her own hands, feel his flesh beneath her fingers. She could almost feel the rippling of his muscles beneath her fingertips already.

He moved deeper into the pool, covering that part of him that made her so nervous. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if the waters were drugged some how, but the slight shake of his head told her no. What was happening to her? She actually wanted to seduce this man, to feel his hands and lips on her skin. Why him when so many others had made her shudder with revulsion?

Remembering the TV shows she'd watched on Earth and how the other women seduced their mates, she used that knowledge to bring Hunter closer.

She had no sexual experience barring what she'd endured during her captivity. She couldn't draw from that. According to Eve, that had been an abomination. Sex between two people who loved each other was a beautiful thing, or so she said.

Amy moved closer, just close enough to take his hand and lead him into the center of the pool. After reaching the center, she circled him. Stopping behind him, she splashed water on his back, watching as the silver droplets ran down his muscles in rivulets.

She massaged the water into his shoulders, growing bolder by the minute as he stood and accepted her ministrations. Pulling on his shoulders, she dunked his head beneath the water, rubbing his scalp, massaging his head and rinsing the day's perspiration from his hair.

When he turned around, his hair slicked back from his face and the muscles of his chest rippling, she almost panicked, almost ran from the pool. But as the Goddess said, she was a strong woman, willing to face what she feared.

She could barely believe she was really standing here in this pool with a naked man and not running for her life. Hunter stood so still, he could have been one of the statues surrounding the pool. She wondered at what kept him from grabbing her and sinking his cock into her, willing or not. She knew she was young, relatively pretty and standing quite naked in front of him. She had never witnessed any restraint like his before. Either the man had extraordinary self-control or he truly cared about her. Perhaps even both.

She washed his chest and stomach, moving lower and lower, stopping just short of his jerking cock. She stared at it for a moment, wondering how much control it took for a man like him to keep his hands to himself. She stole a glance beneath the clear water at his clenched fists. His tightly clenched hands and his heavy breathing were the only indication she even affected him in any way.

She wasn't sure what to do next. She'd washed him, like the Goddess suggested--what was next?