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.Sam fought the vines, twisting and turning as the snakes moved toward her.One flicked out a forked tongue and tested the air, mere inches from her trapped ankle.She tried singing, but the vines held fast.Snarling, she forced her claws to elongate, calling upon her Lupine powers.Sam slashed at the vines, cutting them.She was free!Pushing away from the tree and the squirming snakes, she sprang to her feet and fled.As she was about to set foot on the bridge, a mighty groan sounded and thick tree roots pushed up from the soil, coiling toward her.Panicking, Sam shifted into wolf-skin and released a long, low howl, the pack distress call Kara had taught her.And then she heard the blessed response of several deep howls, and wolves raced down the path toward the bridge.The tree roots began pushing her toward the river.Whatever held them in enchantment wanted to drown her.Her paws frantically scrabbling at the earth, she whined and fought.And then she bit her own hind leg, desperate to free herself.Blood flowed down her leg, onto her paw and the tree root.Suddenly the tree released her.Whining, she splashed into the river, the shock of the icy water forcing her to shift back into Skin.“Sam!” Darius shouted and suddenly he was there, his strong arms wrapped around her, lifting her from the water, his voice murmuring soothingly in her ear.Shaking violently, she let him hold her, absorbing his warmth and strength.After a few minutes, she regained her composure.He smoothed the hair back from her face.Carrying her in his arms, he walked up the riverbank.The others joined him on the shore, now also in Skin.Darius set her down, shrugged out of his shirt and wrapped it around her.“What happened?”Sam gulped down a breath.“Whatever Aiden plans, let’s do it.Because I’m running out of time.And the longer I stay here, the more I put the pack in danger.”At twilight, they gathered in the field; all the members of Ryder’s pack who’d accompanied him to Oregon, along with Aiden, Darius, Sam, Ryder and Kara.The powerful Mitchell alpha held the same dagger used to cut Darius’ hand for him to swear fidelity to Ryder.Dressed in a white, flowing ceremonial dress with long bell sleeves, her hair unbound and flowing in the breeze, Sam felt a surge of unreality.She, who had only wanted to live the Skin life, now straddled an OtherWorld between two species.For too long, she’d never felt at home anywhere, not even in her own skin.She never knew what she was.Now she knew why she’d always felt alone.Healing Kara had given her a sense of purpose and peace Sam had never felt before.But she still wasn’t certain where she fit in.Sam only hoped this bonding ceremony would solidify her powers as Lupine, because her Elven powers were sorely sapped.She needed to be as strong as possible.The males dressed in black tunics, black leather vests, black leather pants and soft leather boots.The females were attired in the same manner as Sam.It was very formal and Other, and she couldn’t help be a bit nervous.Ryder glanced at Darius, who nodded brusquely.“Do it.”“Samantha Evers, future mate of Darius, do you give permission to bond with me through blood?” Ryder asked.She sucked in a breath.“I do.”Ryder held up the blade.“As alpha, I give you my strength to make you powerful, my courage to give you heart, and my blood to keep you safe.Hold out your hand.”As she did, the alpha took the ceremonial blade and slashed her palm.Sam winced at the cold burn.Blood welled from the laceration.He slashed his own hand and pressed their open wounds together.“Blood of the alpha, flow into this Lupine female, give her my strength when she needs to call on powers greater than her own,” he murmured.Aiden stepped forward and did the same.Then Darius faced her.Sam held up her bleeding hands.“I have no more hands left to give you,” she joked weakly, wanting to reduce the intensity of the moment.“Our bonding doesn’t take place with blood, sweetheart.” Darius rubbed his thumbs over her wounds.Stunned, she watched the cuts heal beneath his touch.He gripped her hand.“Come with me.”As the others headed back to their townhomes, Darius led her across the bridge into the forest.He did not stop until reaching the small glade where she’d witnessed Trey and Lauren copulating as wolves.Two soft blankets were piled by a tree.Sam gave him a worried look.“We’re not going to have sex as wolves, are we?”“That’s for later and the mating rite.” Darius cupped her cheek, his gaze tender.“But here in the forest, beneath the open sky, will amplify our experience, and strengthen our bond together as Lupines.”She looked around.“After what happened earlier today, how do we know it’s safe here and something else won’t come after me?”“Aiden, Ryder and I warded the circle with our blood.No one can break through the circle to cause us harm, sweetheart.As long as we remain here, you’ll be safe.”He snapped out the blanket on the ground.Pulling her down with him, he kissed her.Then they undressed.Darius stroked a finger down her cheek, and desire raced through her.His moist, full mouth was close to hers, his sweet breath fanning over her lips as he leaned close.“Did you ever dream of making love beneath the stars? Have you ever had the desire to be wild, free and close to nature?”A strangled gasp of pleasure escaped her as Darius cupped her breast, teasing her nipple.She could not speak as he leaned closer, whispering seductively into her ear.“Has your wolf ever dreamed of me fulfilling every single erotic fantasy you could imagine?”He lightly pinched her nipple, and she moaned.Moisture wept between her legs.“I’m Lupine, wild, free and essentially sexual.And tonight, so are you, Sam.”His mouth descended on hers, roughly.His kiss inflamed.Sam made a sound against his mouth, bit his lower lip, and ground her hips against his [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]