Her skin was pale and her eyes were glassy, but she stared at him, and for the first time tonight, she looked lucid. “Thirsty,” she whispered in a dry voice. “Can I have some water?”

Madoc nodded and eased off the bed. He retrieved the spilled cup from the floor, rinsed it out, and filled it up at the bathroom sink. As he was coming back, he saw Nika try to sit up and fail. Her arms weren’t strong enough to support even her meager weight.

Which meant he was going to have to touch her again. Holy fuck, he didn’t want to do that. Not that what he wanted had ever really mattered in the scheme of things.

He set the cup down and slid his arm beneath her shoulders to lift her up. She was bony as hell and weighed about as much as his cheerful disposition. He held the cup for her so she wouldn’t spill—not that it would matter with the mess of food the bed was already covered in. She emptied the cup and slumped as if even that small effort had drained her.

“Thanks,” she told him, and still she seemed sane.

It creeped him out more than a little.

“Can I have some toast or crackers?”

“You want to eat?” asked Madoc, unable to hide his shock.

“If it’s not too much trouble.”

Trouble? Just what the fuck did she think was all over the bed? Looked like a whole hell of a lot of trouble to him. “You gonna throw it at me or try to chop my dick off with the edge of the cracker?”

This time she was the one looking at him as if he were crazy. “That isn’t my first choice, no. I’d rather eat it.”

A package of crackers had come along with all of the other food. Madoc found it under a bowl of macaroni and cheese and wiped off the majority of the mess with his shirt, adding to the mix of foods soiling it. He tore the plastic open and held out the sleeve to her.

She reached for it, but her hand was shaking so hard, Madoc pulled it away. “I’ll do it,” he told her, sounding disgusted.

He pulled a saltine out and held it to her mouth. She took a bite, chewed, and her eyes closed on a blissful moan. “God, that’s good.”

Madoc frowned at the cracker and looked at it, searching for the secret ingredient that made her so happy. Whatever it was, he’d like to cover himself with it and let her lick it—

Holy hell. He was so not going to go there with her. Not in a million years. Not if every hooker on the face of the planet keeled over and he had no one left to fuck.

Nika was clean. Precious. Breakable. And not his.

Besides, he didn’t like bony chicks. At least, he didn’t think he did. His dick thought different, but then it had always had a mind of its own.

“More?” she asked.

Madoc fed her another bite and watched her eat. She was pretty enough, though he imagined that with an extra twenty or thirty pounds she’d be drop-dead gorgeous. Way out of his league.

Besides, even if she were stronger, she’d probably still be too fragile for the kind of fucking he liked to give—hard and fast and often. Hell, she’d probably be the kind of woman who wanted him to stick around afterward to cuddle, too. He couldn’t stand that shit. He just wanted to get off and get out.

The line of thought made his cock throb, and the remains of the cracker turned to powder in his grasp. He shifted his hips so she couldn’t see his boner and grabbed another saltine.

After eating about six of the crackers, she fizzled out as if she were full.

“Do you think I could convince you to run me a bath?” she asked, looking at the food stains on her clothes. “I’m a mess.”

“You sure you’re up to it?”

“I know I’m not up to sleeping in this filth all night.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“If you don’t have time, I’m sure Andra will help me.”

Like hell. This was his job tonight, and he was damn well going to do it. “She’s busy.”

Nika gave a little hurt frown that made him want to kiss it away.

Whoa. He really was losing it. Since when did he want to kiss anyone? He couldn’t even stand to kiss the women he screwed.

A hopeful suspicion lit him up and he looked down at his ring again for some kind of sign. Nothing. Not a fucking thing.

Hope died a swift death, which was exactly as it should be.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Andra was swiftly having second thoughts about taunting Paul—practically daring him to have sex with her. Something in him had changed the moment he’d given her that warning. She saw it in his eyes, a kind of predatory glow lighting the golden chips. Even his posture had changed. He was no longer offering her comfort. His hold on her was hot and hard. Possessive.

Andra tried to shift, but his grip tightened. His thick arm wrapped around her back and held her in place. His other hand was still clenched around her hair, holding her so tight it almost hurt. She probably could have escaped if she’d really put her mind to it, but she wasn’t sure how long her escape would last. That predatory vibe coming off him was strong, warning her that if she tried to run, he’d be right behind her. And those long, powerful legs of his would have no trouble catching her.

“What are you doing?” she asked him.

His voice was quiet, so she had to strain to hear over the singing crickets. “Giving you what you want. The power to help Nika.”

“Good. Okay. I can deal with that.”

“Whatever it takes?” he asked, and his mouth brushed her ear, his words trickling into her like a dark seduction.

Andra’s stomach tightened and her voice dried up. She nodded.

He let go of her hair and moved around her body until his fingers encircled her throat, covering the luceria. Sparks leaped from his fingertips and sank into her, sliding down her body and into the earth. She stiffened at the intensity, but Paul soothed her with small strokes of his thumb. “Shhh. I’ll stop if you want, and we’ll go inside. We can try another day.”

Nika didn’t have many days left if things didn’t change. “Just get on with it. I can take it.”

He chuckled and she felt the vibration all the way to her toes. This man was swiftly going to her head, and she wasn’t sure how safe that was for her.

His thumb continued to stroke a lazy path over her neck. She fought the urge to squirm so he’d move lower.

“So brave on the outside. But I know how you really feel. Your heart is racing,” he told her. “I’d almost think you were afraid.”

Pride rose up inside her, making her spine straighten. “I’m not afraid. I just don’t know what you’re going to do.”

“Yes, you do,” he said as he lowered his head toward hers.

It was no gentle, coaxing kiss, as before. It was hot and demanding, and stole the breath from her lungs. He thrust his tongue inside and pressed his body down upon hers, forcing her legs wide to make room for him.

She probably should have shoved him away for being so forward, but she didn’t want to, God help her. She wanted what he was giving her, and then some.

A moment later, another wave of energy rushed through her and left her shaking in its wake. Her body felt as if it were on fire, burning from the inside out. An achy hollowness settled low in her belly, and she needed to find a way to make it stop. Not being one for long-term relationships, Andra knew sexual frustration, but this was beyond anything she’d ever felt before. This was not a want, but a need, like breathing.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to feel this desperate for anyone, but she didn’t have much of a choice. Not anymore.

She ground herself against his thigh, trying to find some kind of relief, but there was none to be had that way. There were too many clothes blocking her skin. She needed more contact. More friction.

A rough moan rose up out of her, shocking her with the frantic, needy sound.

“That’s right,” Paul murmured against her mouth. “Now we’re getting there.”

She didn’t know exactly what he meant by that, but she didn’t really care anymore. She needed to get him naked and inside her. Right now.

Andra pulled at his shirt and heard fabric rip under the force of her desperation. The fabric fell away from his chest, revealing the tree tattoo she’d seen earlier, only now it was no longer bare. Small buds had formed all along the branches, making it look almost fuzzy.

She ran her finger over it, distracted from his body by the way it had changed. “More magic?” she asked.

“Nothing compared to what’s in store for you.”

Chapter 14

Paul had to pace himself or he was going to hurt her. He wanted her too much. Needed her. He thought it was bad before, but now that he’d seen inside her mind, it was much, much worse.

She was beautiful inside. So caring and generous. So afraid of being alone. So afraid of failing Nika again. That fear made all of Paul’s oversize protective instincts stand up and roar. He was going to make sure she was never alone again—that her family was safe. Whatever it took, whatever it cost, Paul was going to protect her from the one thing she feared most. Losing Nika.

He had no idea how he was going to do it, but he would find a way. They’d find a way together.

And he was going to start by making sure she could use as much of his power as she could stand. It was what they both wanted. All he had to do was make sure he held back enough that she didn’t end up getting hurt.

He opened his eyes and stared down at her. She was so beautiful in the moonlight he could hardly believe she was real. Her cheeks were flushed and her mouth was open, her breath coming in fast, panting bursts. He swore he could almost see the shimmer of heat rising from her skin.

Mine.

She’d taken his luceria, and that made her his. Bound her to him.

“Open your mouth,” he ordered. He’d been dying to kiss her all night and hadn’t had nearly enough to appease him. Not even close.

A look of concern crossed her face. “Paul, are you—”

“Open. Your. Mouth.”

She did, just a little, and Paul kissed her deep and hard. She hadn’t opened wide enough for him, so he urged her to give him more. Take more.

She tasted so damn good, he’d never get enough of her. He licked along her lips and tilted her head back so he could get a better, deeper angle. Her soft sigh told him she didn’t mind one bit. In fact, her arms came around his neck and she held him tight, as if trying to keep him from getting away.

Like he’d stop now. Not a chance. He had warned her this might not be safe, but she hadn’t listened, and now she deserved everything she got.

Heat poured off of him until he thought he’d combust. His dick strained against his jeans, begging for release. His heart pounded hard and fast, and the power inside him swelled and pulsed as if it knew what he had planned for her and couldn’t wait to be let free.

Paul shoved her shirt and bra up, baring her breasts to the moonlight. She was beautiful here, too. Perfectly shaped to fill his hand, her nipples puckered and tight. It wasn’t cold out here, which left only one other reason. She wanted this, too. Maybe not as much as he did, but he was going to fix that.

He covered her breast with his palm, groaning at the intoxicating feel of her naked skin against his. Her tight nipple jutted up into his hand, making him crazy. He knew his hands were rough from years of combat, but he didn’t care. He had to touch her, feel her naked skin against his own. He rubbed his palm across her nipple, making her suck in a sharp breath. His mind was too fogged to figure out whether that sound was good or bad, but he knew one thing she’d like for sure—one place he wasn’t too rough for her.