Adara raced over the dense forest
floor, trying to escape the shadow closing on her heels. Fear pumped
adrenaline through her body as she ran toward her village through the
darkness. Panic tangled with the sheer need to survive. If only I'd
listened. What was I thinking, coming out alone?
She shot a glance over her shoulder.
Her foot smacked against a tree root in the moment of distraction,
pitching her body forward. The fall came in slow motion.
Cursing under her breath, she rolled
onto her back. Dry leaves clung to her blonde hair. The subtle, musty
scent of slow rot rose from the rich soil, mixed with something coming
from behind her. The dark shadow loomed. Her gaze rose to take in her
pursuer, wondering if the beast would be her doom.
The tall, broad-shouldered creature
towered over her. Watching. It wasn't human or animal. The village wise
woman had warned her of beings like this, but they'd seemed like
fables. How could something so fantastical be real?
Even as she trembled with fear, this
creature captivated her. The black and orange stripes covering his
shoulders and arms evoked a distant memory, yet the design was uncommon
in the Amazon.
His hair hung in straight, black
strands like a human's, but his face had the nose, mouth, and eyes of a
feline. His muscular, naked body reflected a splendid combination of
both species. Sweat-shiny skin glistened through the inch-long fur that
covered him. His white chest intrigued her, all the way to the patch of
fur barely covering his groin. Leaves and branches framed his face with
a lush green background. He crouched over her. His piercing golden eyes
focused solely on her. His stare reminded her of a cat from her village
staring at a small rodent before pouncing.
As he leaned down, she grabbed her
kris from the garter on her thigh and pushed it against his stomach.
She didn't want today to be the day she died. Her people needed her.
She wouldn't let this beast deny them their princess.
The animal cocked his head at her. He
brushed his lips over her throat, whiskers tickling her chin.
Her body stiffened. What is he doing?
Bewilderment spread through her as his feline lips touched her neck.
Instead of biting her, his canines grazed lightly, gently, from just
below her ear down to her shoulder, almost as if exploring her flesh,
instead of seeking to rip open her throat.
She tensed. Even with her weapon
pressed against the beast's stomach, she still feared for her life. As
an Amazon princess, she wasn't easily scared. But this feline made her
heart pound. If only she had brought Rubia with her. She wouldn't be in
this situation and could've stood a better chance against this feline.
Why does he persist in toying with me?
Adara swallowed as a low burn started in the pit of her stomach. These
feelings confused her.
A soft sniffing sounded in her ear
right before his tongue scraped rough caresses on her skin. Other
jungle cats marked their territory. Did this animal believe she was
his? She didn't want to find out.
Without waiting for the feline's next
move, Adara drove the kris deep into his stomach, meeting resistance as
it plunged through flesh and muscle. She forced it further as his blood
flowed onto her hands, making the hilt of the kris slick, weakening her
grip.
He roared and leapt back with her kris
still embedded in his abdomen.
She scrambled to her feet. His scream
so near the side of her face made her ear ring. Bringing up a hand to
her ear, Adara felt a trail of his wet blood drip along her cheek.
He straightened his spine and strode
back to her, her kris still buried in him. It seemed as if it were
nothing more than a minor annoyance to him. She clenched her hands into
fists and dropped them to her sides.
The reality of what she saw struck
her. She froze. How could he act so unaffected? He shouldn't have been
able to move around so casually. It wasn't possible. How can I outrun
something like that? This can't be happening. Her mother had always
warned her to be careful when traveling through the forest. Why hadn't
she listened? And how could she feel so drawn to this animal when he
intimidated her?
"Who are you?" Gritting her teeth, she
forced her voice to resonate with the commanding tones of an Amazon
huntress, and fervently hoped it didn't betray the panic racing through
her veins. Her people's beliefs restricted them from showing fear in
front of strangers. Not that they saw many. But her tribeswomen were
survivors in dangerous times. Their history brimmed with reminders.
The feline bared pointed white teeth.
"Call me Rei." His husky voice reverberated like a deep growl.
He launched into the air and, before
she could react, flattened her to the ground. Air whooshed out of her
lungs. Her eyes widened and locked onto his.
He pinned her arms next to her head
and pressed his feline lips to hers. His tongue scraped across her
lower lip, causing nips of pain to cut through the alluring sensation.
She shook her head hard, breaking the
kiss. Her breath rushed out short and quick. Never before had she
kissed anyone. His mouth on hers created fiery stirrings within her
body that felt almost too good. Her racing pulse only spread the warmth
throughout her body that much faster.
Twice a year, her tribeswomen
associated with Indian men. The younger girls were forced to stay in a
hut during those visits, although Adara had snuck out once with Rubia
in a fit of rebellion. She'd spotted one of her kin pressing her mouth
against an Indian male's. Could this be what happens?
But men weren't to be trusted. Her kin
had learned that the hard way many, many years ago.
Her mind flashed to the tales she'd
heard from the wise woman. Horrible reminders assaulted her, memories
of the men from long ago, enslaving her kind, killing them ruthlessly
with diseases and swords.
She could imagine the cruelty of the
conquering, pillaging men as vividly as if she had been there herself,
so strongly had the wise woman spoken. It had taken weeks for her to
sleep soundly after listening to that story.
Sudden panic swept away the lust that
burned inside her. This creature could do the same. He's chased me,
after all.
"What do you want from me?" Adara
asked, trying to sound forceful, but instead her voice came out husky.
She cleared her throat and returned his gaze.
Talking with an animal! Rubia would be
jealous. Her tribeswomen would never believe this story... if she
survived the encounter.
Rei smiled, warmth emanating from him.
"You." His chest rumbled, and he rolled the word off his tongue like an
exotic purr.
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