He growled, irritated with himself and her. He wouldn’t be thinking about fucking her if she wasn’t riding him. He took a deep breath and swiftly regretted it. Her scent was stronger now, between them sweating and with her throat so close to his mouth. She smelled good.

Veso focused on climbing, finally seeing the top. The line of trees assured him there was space above him that would be more than another ledge.

“Almost there.” He wasn’t certain if he’d repeated that for her, or to assure himself that he’d be rid of her soon.

She liked to use a man’s name. He refused to call her that. It was best if he kept her angry. “Did you hear me, Glenda?”

“I heard,” she whispered. “You said not to talk.”

He reached the top and found a good place to brace his toes. “This is the difficult part. I have to find something to hold on to that won’t slide off the side. Just hang on.”

He blindly reached up, feeling grass. It was loose when he dug his claws in, and he had to duck his head when it rained down on them, hitting their bodies. She clung to him tighter and he dug his claws in deeper, finding something solid under the dirt. It felt like rock and he pulled hard, seeing if it would come down too. It held.

He climbed a few inches higher and hoped her added weight and bulk wasn’t going to be an issue. He got high enough to peer over the top, seeing forest and trees. The opening to the mine where he’d been taken inside loomed, but the truck wasn’t parked near the entrance anymore.

It infuriated him as he reached down and hooked Glenda under her ass with his free arm. There was no way he could make the rest of the climb with her in front of him. His weight might snap her back when he dragged himself over the ledge.

“Listen to me,” he demanded. “I’m tired and I won’t argue with you. Do exactly as I say. Ready?”

“Shit. Yes.”

“Lift your head up and look above us.”

She did as she was told. “We’re here.”

“Almost.” He braced his legs and moved the arm under her ass. He used it to reach up, finding another spot to grab that didn’t crumble so both of his arms were pinning her in between the cliff and his body. “You can step on my thighs. Just stand up, brace your hands on my shoulders. Then turn and climb the rest of the way.”

Her soft brown eyes widened and he identified fear. “What?”

“Would you prefer to climb around me and cling to my back with your arms while the rest of your body is just hanging?”

“No.”

“Then do it. I’m braced. You won’t fall. I’m not going to let you.”

She swallowed hard and nodded. “Okay.”

He almost felt proud of her as she eased her grip with her thighs and tried to follow his instructions. He bent a little, giving her more room to maneuver between him and the rock face. One of her feet found his calf after she wiggled a bit. It was hell since it meant her pussy rubbed against his erection trapped under the borrowed skirt. He silently swore to personally rip off the head of the master who called himself a king.

And so way would he return home in Glenda’s skirt. He’d have to steal clothes first or he’d shift into his other form.

She managed to use his calf as a foothold, then lift herself enough to find purchase with her second foot on his thigh. She stopped hugging his shoulders and gripped them instead. She wobbled, reminding him of a baby moose first learning how to stand. He was amused watching her expressions. She was terrified but had a determined look on her face. He gave her credit one more for bravery.

Straightening put her breasts directly in his face. The shirt separated them from his view, but he was more than aware of those soft mounds as she moved around. The bra had been left inside their cell. He would have forgotten about that except her breasts jiggled when she trembled again, her balance unsteady.

He clenched his teeth. “Turn and climb now.”

“Easier said than done,” she muttered but she released his shoulder with one hand, throwing an arm out and finding something to grab. She looked down, moved one foot, turning it. “Are you sure you have me?”

“You’re not getting any lighter, Glenda. Move your ass.”

She turned and started to climb. He lifted slightly, giving her a boost. She bent over in front of him, her shirt rising up with her arms. It gave him a clear view of the silky black panties she wore. She had a nice ass, both sides of it clearly revealed with the cut of the small material.

He had the urge to lean in and shove his nose between her legs to take a sniff at her pussy. He closed his eyes after she wiggled her ass, almost teasing him with it. His dick suffered the consequences. He wanted to fuck her. He couldn’t see anymore but the memory seemed imprinted onto his brain.

He growled when she lifted one foot off his thigh and he had to look at her to make sure she didn’t fall back and land on him. She almost kicked him in the chest as she wiggled again, gaining more of her upper body on solid ground. He stared at her ass, suffering. She made it to the top and crawled away.

He used his fury to yank his body over the top—and froze when he made it all the way up.

Glenda was just a few feet away from him. Her ass was in the air, her chest against the grass. The woman seemed to be kissing the ground.

He arched his eyebrows but couldn’t look away from her rear end.

Veso moved before he could stop himself, crawling forward until he was on top of her, his limbs bracing her into position.

She gasped and twisted her head, her eyes wide.

He froze again, realizing what he was doing. The urge to tear off the clothes between them and just take her was so strong, he battled with it.

“What are you doing?” She lifted her chest and it bumped her ass against his dick. She jerked away but her shoulders hit his arms that were locked in front of her, keeping him from crushing her with his upper body, his hands braced on the ground.

“Hold still.” He needed to think around the desire to fuck her. It would be so easy to take her. That scrap of material she called panties was flimsy. The skirt he wore made him very aware when the breeze blew that it wasn’t an obstacle, since every draft hit his balls.

She hunched her shoulders and tried to squeeze forward between his arms. He growled. He didn’t like her trying to get away from him. She stopped, her gaze locked with his over her shoulder.

“What are you doing, Veso?”