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  The tigon rolled to his feet as Braydon stalked toward him. Killian swiped the tiger’s backside with a claw as they charged each other. The tiger stumbled to the edge of the circle the bone showing through his opened back. Braydon went around the tigon, and it stood in the center of the clearing. The tiger moved to the side of the tigon and went in low to rip the stomach of the tigon.

  Killian snarled and lunged forward, biting at Braydon’s throat. His claws raked the muscles of his back to grab his backbone. He rammed claws through his spine, crushing the vertebrae. Killian gave a violent yank, and it split in two. A scream of pain roared from the tiger’s throat, his eyes widened and body stiffened before he crumpled to the ground. The body twitched in the final throes of death and then lay motionless.

  Killian backed away from the body and shifted back to his human form. Malachi rushed over to him as he still held a piece of Braydon’s spine in his hand. His friend caught him as he stumbled to the edge of the clearing. His friend took the bones from his hand and threw them next to the body.

  Killian saw the Elders walking toward them. Before he could say anything, he heard Malachi’s voice.

  “He won the challenge. Whatever you have to say can wait,” Malachi told them.

  Killian saw their eyes widen before he turned them both around and helped him walk to the path leading out the clearing.

  Chapter Thirty

  Bella stared out the window that looked over the front of the house. It was past one in the morning, but she wanted to be awake for Killian’s return.

  “He will be back soon. Malachi texted—he won, and he wanted to clean up before he came to you,” Julien told her. “Your streak knows he is a tigon.”

  She looked toward him. “What was that?”

  “Your streak knows he is a hybrid,” Julien repeated as he watched her pacing in front of the window.

  “It doesn’t matter. Most of the streak are not bigots, not even the Elders. Braydon was really the one who hated hybrids. No one really knows why.” Her eyes wandered to the window again. Bella bit her lips, waiting for some type of sign of Killian returning. Only the light from the full moon seeped through the darkness of the empty yard in front of the cottage.

  “Julien,” she uttered as her eyes focused on him before she spoke. “You don’t have to stay with me, I’m fine.”

  He tilted his head and smiled, not making a move to leave. Her eyes drifted back to look out the window. She stared out again for several minutes before she spun around to look around the cottage. Her eyes settled on the crackling fire in the sitting room. Julien must have started it because she didn’t remember doing it.

  She gazed at the miniature grandfather clock on the mantel above the fireplace. It showed it was forty-five minutes after one. A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Julien’s head was raised and turned to the door.

  “They’re back.”

  Bella’s gaze went to the window. She could see from the moonlight the silhouette of two forms walking toward the house from a distance. One of the figures veered to right to walk down another path.

  Julien moved to the door, opened it, and stepped out onto the porch.

  By the time she made it to the doorway, she saw Julien as he gave him a one-armed hug and then clapped Killian on the back. They spoke for a moment before Julien turned and walked toward the Pride house.

  Bella stood on the porch as Killian walked through the open gate and up the steps to stop in front of her.

  “Killian.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. The weight in her stomach lifted as she pressed her body into him. She sank into his warmth. She inhaled deep, the feel and scent of him calming her. His warmth seeped into her, comforting her.

  “Are you okay?”

  She felt his answer as he embraced her, his head resting on the top of hers. They stood there holding each other. Without saying anything, they parted and walked into the cottage, arms wrapped around each other.

  He kicked the door closed with his foot and picked her up and carried her up the stairs to their room. He placed her on the bed. He rested on his arms beside her shoulders. They held most of his weight so as not to crush her as he settled his body over hers. She raised her head to gaze into his eyes.

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  “I love you. You are my heart, my soul, my mate.”

  The heat of his body and the touch of his fingers against her skin was driving her crazy. His fingers stilled, and then he started toying with her hair again. She glanced at him. His eyes warmed as he looked down at her.

  Bella raised one of her hands to her face and trapped his hand with hers. Guiding it to her lips, she kissed the palm of his hand. He hissed when her mouth made contact. Pulling his hand away from hers, he placed both his palms on the pillow on either side of her face. Slowly, he lowered his head until his lips were touched hers.

  Bella raised her lips to his and kissed him back. She outlined the shape of his lips with her tongue, enjoying the taste of them. His lips tasted exotic and spicy.

  Her entire body was burning, filled with a restless energy that was focused between her thighs. Taking his time, he traced a slow path down her neck with his fingers. The pulse at the base fluttered wildly, and he bent forward and licked it. His tongue was hot, his teeth sharp as he nipped her, leaving her feeling branded by him. He framed her face with his hands, his thumbs brushing her cheeks. She opened her mouth and stroked his tongue with hers. He laughed at her playfulness, before his tongue plunged between her lips. There was no part of her mouth and tongue left unexplored. Bella was light-headed, hardly able to breathe as he continued to kiss her with abandon. Her fingers grasped at his shoulders, and her nails dug into his skin, leaving small crescent shapes on his back.

  Pulling away from her mouth, he left a trail of hot kisses along her jaw before his tongue swirled around the outside of her ear. She gasped for breath, her chest lifting with heavy breaths as he continued to arouse her. His tongue pressed into her ear and flicked along the inside whorls before he nipped playfully at her earlobe.

  He licked her neck and shoulders with his tongue, lingering over the mating mark he’d placed there before going downward to her throbbing breasts. Her nipples were hard buds of desire, her back arching toward him in a voiceless offering. Killian cupped both breasts in his hands and rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. His head was bent. The ends of his hair traced across her sensitive skin, making her shiver with desire.

  Inside her body felt like a raging inferno. She could feel the wetness and a throbbing emptiness between her legs. Her legs moved restlessly against the sheets as he lowered his head and lapped at her breasts. The rough texture of his tongue made her cry out with pleasure. Pushing her breasts together, he tugged a nipple into his mouth and sucked hard for a moment before sliding to the other side and pleasuring the other in the same way. The passion inside her grew with each lash of his tongue.

  Reaching out her hands, she touched him wherever she could reach him. His neck and back were thick with muscle, and she could feel them tighten as she stroked his flesh.

  Leaving her breasts damp and throbbing, he kissed a trail down her stomach, nipping at her waist and hips. Using his large shoulders, he pushed her legs wider and draped one of her legs over his shoulder. Bella was completely exposed to him. She opened herself even wider to him, withholding nothing.

  Bending forward, he breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of her arousal. She raised her hips toward him. “Please,” she whispered pleadingly. She wanted him to taste her, to take her. Her blood was pumping through her body. An enormous need washed through her. He took his time to trace the moist folds of her sex with his fingers before he brought them again to his mouth to taste her essence. He moved closer to her waiting core. His warm breath feathered over her clit, and she burned with desire.

  He licked at the sensitive folds of flesh as he inserted one long finger inside her
expecting body. His teeth closed gently over her bud and held it imprisoned as he flicked his tongue back and forth over it. She threw her head on the pillow as waves of pleasure washed over her body. Instead of pleasing her, it only worked to make her burn more. A familiar wildness grew within her as he continued to pleasure her. Power and desire surged through her blood. Passion consumed her.

  Pulling her leg over his shoulder, she placed her foot on his chest and pushed at him until he released her. As she moved away from him, he growled at her. His beasts raged at being deprived of its soul mate. She threw herself at him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth, moving it in an imitation of erotic play. She rubbed her breast against the hard planes of his chest to help relieve the throbbing ache he had created, moaning when the crisp hair of his chest rasped her nipples. She moved her hands between his legs and then encircled them around his pulsing cock, running them up and down.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Killian held her head captive in one large hand as he began to plunder her mouth. He shoved her legs apart and pushed several fingers deep within her pussy and began to move them in and out. Bella pumped her hips in time with his fingers, as she continued to do the same with her hands around his cock.

  He removed her hands away from his body. “On your hands and knees. I want to take you from behind.” His husky command filled her with desire. The need to have him inside her was too much to disagree. She rolled to her hands and knees and thrust her bottom toward him.

  “Spread your legs wider.”

  She instantly obeyed him, pushing her legs wide until they could go no further. He knelt behind her with his knees spread inside her open thighs, making it impossible to close her legs. His chest covered her back as his hands came to rest on the mattress beside hers. His body surrounded hers totally.

  Flexing his hips, his cock pressed its way deep inside her. Bella bit her lip as a mixture of pleasure and pain raced through her. His cock was massive and hungry for her. He paused for a moment, giving her body time to adjust to his cock. Her breasts hung heavy in front of her, nipples hard peaks that ached for his touch. She could feel the hot cream of her arousal as it escaped her core.

  When he was seated to the hilt, he bit the back of her neck, holding her completely immobile. She felt totally dominated by him, but a feeling of safety was also there. The flames inside her burned even higher as she felt his teeth pierce the delicate skin on her neck. Her body reacted violently, and she came hard and fast. Her inner muscles clasped his cock in a hard vise, but he did not move. She shuddered as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. Bella wanted to slump forward onto the bed, but he did not release his hold on her neck.

  He licked her neck with his tongue, reducing the sting of his bite as he retracted his teeth from her. He drew back and wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her as he began to plunge deeply inside her. Bella was instantly aroused again. She pushed her bottom back to meet his hammering thrusts. He moved his other arm down between her spread legs and teased her clit with light touches followed by stronger caresses.

  Her entire body shuddered around his, and hissing sounds came from deep inside her throat. She was totally out of control as he plunged his cock in and out of her body. Her heart was beating in her chest, the fiery flames of passion threatening to consume her. Her breasts swung, her body rocked by the power of his plunges. They felt heavy, the motion stimulating to her senses.

  She could feel another orgasm quickening. Coming again, she yielded to it. As the swell of sensation charged her, she heard his low growl and felt him come inside her. His cock pulsed deep inside her as his hot semen soaked her. She collapsed on the bed. The rasp of coarse breathing filled her ears. His weight pressed her to the bed. Their wet, slicked skin grew cool as they returned to earth. He pulled up on his arms and withdrew from her body.

  Killian turned her gently on the bed. He wrapped his strong arms around her. Her back to his front, the warmth of his embrace cocooned her. His lips were soft on hers as he kissed her, lingering for a moment. She lay comfortably in his arms. Easing his arms from around her, he pulled the covers up and tucked her tenderly under the covers. Bella began to drift off to sleep, and she sighed with pleasure.

  “I love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  Her fingers caressed his forearm. “They know you are a hybrid.”

  “Yeah, they do,” he said as he moved his lips against her hair. “How is Lucas?”

  “He’s such a great little guy. No matter how much of a bastard Braydon was to me, he was good to him.”

  He shifted. He pulled her close, so they lay face-to-face. He dipped his head and kissed her, just a light caress on the lips.

  “He’s gone. No one will ever hurt you again.” He made it a vow.

  She stroked his cheek with gentle fingers, a flirty smile on her lips. “I know.”

  THE END

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