Dark Challenge. Christine Feehan. Dark Series – book 5

He took the right-hand tunnel entrance, drawing the directions from her mind. The path opened almost immediately into a wide chamber. At once he waved a hand to open the earth. “It is early dawn, cara, and I would spend more time enjoying your company, but you have performed in front of so many people, and you are tired.”

“I do not mind, Julian,” she told him. “I rather like the way you spend your time with me.” She pressed closer to him, her naked breasts against his bare chest. His answering kiss was slow and tender, a gentle exploration. “In this one thing I will have to insist. Your health must come before all things, even our pleasure. On the next rising we will have more time together. This dawn you must rest.”

She tried to keep the amusement out of her mind. He was so positive he was giving her an order. “Of course,

Julian,” she murmured softly, her long lashes feathering down to cover her dark eyes. Her body moved restlessly against his, her full breasts pushing into the heavy muscles of his chest. “If you say we cannot, then I must agree with you, but I am sorry to hear that it is so.” Her hands were moving over his buttocks, her fingers tracing their toned muscles. Her fingers moved to his hips, caressed his thighs, worked their way to cup the weight of his rising desire in her palm. “I will do as you say, lifemate, if that is what truly pleases you.” Her mouth drifted down over his throat and chest, following the pattern of golden hair to the taut muscles of his belly.

Beneath her caressing fingers, his body thickened and hardened in response, his gut clenched hotly, and the breath seemed to slam out of him. “You are deliberately testing my resolve, piccola, and I am failing the test miserably.”

“That is exactly what I wanted to hear,” she answered complacently, her mind already occupied with much more interesting matters.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

The bus limped along, the engine sputtering and coughing, growing louder and louder with each passing mile, leaving thin trails of dark smoke. Even the air inside the vehicle seemed thick, making it difficult to breathe. The two leopards growled uneasily from time to time, the tips of their tails twitching in protest.

The entire experience was making Julian wary. He was restless in such proximity to so many of his kind. The leopards had to be watched and controlled. They had quick, unreliable tempers and even among the Carpathians they were quite capable of doing great damage if riled within such close confines. In any case, Julian felt a disturbance in the balance of power around him and knew the other males were also aware of it. The crowded dimensions of the bus gave him the feeling of being trapped, although he could easily dissolve into molecules and flow through the open windows if he so desired. The edginess of the males was communicating itself to the animals, making it all the more difficult to control their wild natures. Darius was wasting precious energy keeping the cats in check. Julian shook his head at the insanity of the way this family unit lived.

Desari drummed her fingers impatiently on the back of her seat, wanting to kick her brother. The entire mood inside the bus was one of intense frustration. Darius had insisted they travel together, leaving the other vehicles in a campground. It was uncomfortable to say the least. She wanted to be alone with Julian, and she knew he was unused to being so confined with others. He would be hating this.

Darius glanced at his sister just once, his black eyes empty. “I do not have to explain myself,” he reminded her quietly. He didn’t bother to point out the disturbance in the air. One of their kind was near, but one who had long ago chosen to trade honor, his very soul, for a few moments of high during a kill. Darius knew the enemy was far too close to avoid a confrontation, and the women were the target. All of them knew it. Desari also needed more time to be alone with Julian. The couple needed space to get to know one another. Darius watched Julian closely. He respected his sister’s lifemate, his casual strength, the way he chose to keep Desari happy at the cost of his own comfort.