Page 50 of Deck the Skulls
She dropped to her knees. “I always wanted a cat.”
***
Zan
Rissa’s reaction to his cat was everything he could’ve hoped for. When she sank her fingers into his fur and started running them down his head and neck, he wanted to melt. Purring loudly, he dropped to his belly and rolled over, inviting her to touch him more.
“You’re so soft!” she exclaimed, leaning over to rub her hand up and down his belly. Oh, dear goddess of the hunt, he was in heaven!
“I can feel Zan’s pleasure,” Anatoly told her.
“Yeah?” she asked, pausing for a moment to look up at the vampire. Zan huffed and batted gently at her shoulder to bring her attention back to him.
Laughing, she grabbed his paw and examined it. “This is as big as my face!”
He carefully extended his claws so she could see them. She was suitably impressed, making him feel amazing. Retracting his claws, he used his paw to knock Rissa down on top of him.
“Uff,” she exclaimed, sprawling out on him. His cat liked having her this close. The mountain lion he shared his body and soul with wanted to stay shifted and spend the night curled around her.
Anatoly sat back to give them a little room. Zan could feel the vampire’s contentedness at Rissa’s easy acceptance of the mountain lion. “That didn’t take long.”
“What didn’t take long?” she asked, relaxing into the new position on top of him.
“Accepting Zan’s cat,” Anatoly said, reaching out to rub Zan’s head. Having both his mates touching his cat form made his purring even stronger.
“Wow, your whole body rumbles when you purr,” Rissa murmured.
“This is a beautiful picture,” Anatoly said. Zan could feel the vampire's adoration for his flock. “I feel so fortunate.”
Fighting his cat for control, Zan shifted so Rissa was now lying on his naked human body. “I can think of other things we could be doing on the floor.”
“Such a boy!” Rissa said with a laugh and tried to sit up.
Zan was quick to grab her hips and move her body, so she ended up straddling his torso. “That’s better!”
“I’m sure,” she responded dryly, but didn’t try to dismount. It was too bad she was still dressed. He wished there was a way he could make her clothes melt off or disappear, but he’d settle for a kiss.
“Show me you’re not afraid,” he said, his voice husky with sudden need.
Her expression went from laughing to intense and she moved her face to his. Anatoly’s hand tightened on his shoulder as they kissed.
She ended the kiss too soon and pulled away, her gaze gentle as she looked down at him. “I could never be afraid of you.”
He could hear the truth in her words.
“What about me?” Anatoly asked. Although his question sounded confident and his expression was calm, Zan could feel his fear.
Rissa looked up and smiled. “You too,” she agreed, holding out a hand. Anatoly took it and let her pull him forward for a kiss.
When he pulled away, Zan noticed Anatoly’s emotions were so powerful, they were turning his eyes slightly red. He didn’t need to ask what emotion the vampire was feeling; it was coming through their bond.
Relief and joy.
Rissa was accepting them. She might not be ready to soul bond yet, but she knew what they were and wasn’t running away. As long as she stayed, there was hope and that’s all he needed.
Chapter 17
Rissa