Free Therian Prize: 5 (Therian Heat) by Cyndi Friberg

didn’t seem as if he were trying to upset her, just forcing her to accept reality. Or his version of reality. “But we’re not forming the mating bond tonight. Right?”
    “Right. It’s dangerous to do it all at once. I’ll define you tonight and once you’ve adjusted to your new nature, I’ll return and claim my bride.” He made the last part sound dramatic and raised his eyebrows, drawing her attention to his captivating eyes. His hair was jet-black but his eyes were so light a blue they looked almost silver. “I’m willing to wait as long as the males in your pack have no doubt that you’re mine. The best way to back them off is to announce our engagement with my scent all over you.”
    Possessive hunger burned in Carlos’ eyes as he silently stroked her arms. She was suddenly glad she’d allowed her father to give her the injection. Despite Carlos’ assurances, it would be too easy for him to lose control once desire grabbed hold of him. If Carlos took the final step and bound their souls, David would be lost to her forever.
    “I’d rather wait until—”
    He grasped the back of her neck and silenced her with his mouth. The kiss was harsh and unexpected, so she tensed and tried to pull away. He allowed her to struggle just long enough to demonstrate the futility of the strategy. Then he shifted her head into the crook of his arm and slowed the thrust of his tongue. The kiss became patient and tender, coaxing without demand.
    “I won’t hurt you, Heather,” he whispered against her lips. “But you are mine now. Nothing can change that fact. You don’t need to be afraid.”
    She wasn’t afraid. David had showed her how amazing sex could be. But sharing those intimacies with anyone else felt disloyal and wrong.
    Without warning, he scooped her up in his arms and placed her in the middle of the bed. Oddly his sudden show of strength sent excitement zinging through her body. She watched his muscles bunch and flex as he crawled onto the bed and lay down beside her. Strength was vital to Therian wolves. A male must be strong enough to protect and provide for his mate and children. His courage and aggression determined their place in the pack. Her father was network Prime, so she was used to respect and privilege.
    “Have you ever had an orgasm?”
    Her face flamed at the personal question, but he was looking at her breasts, so it didn’t matter. “Yes.” She’d admitted that she wasn’t a virgin. Why were the details important now?
    He lightly pinched one of her nipples and then the other before he looked at her face again. “Did you get yourself off or was it the frat boy your father warned me about?”
    She tensed. She’d done everything she could to convince her father that her affair with David was over. After her father insisted that he would never sanction David as her mate, she’d begun planning her escape. Obviously Nate hadn’t believed her.
    “I’ve agreed to this alliance,” she whispered, “so my past no longer matters.”
    His smile took on a dark edge as he continued to tease her breasts. “Now all I have to do is make you believe it.” He covered her mound with his hand, his middle finger easing into her damp crease. “Look at me.” His fingertip circled her clit as he waited for her gaze to lock with his. “I will touch and taste you until you scream my name and then I’ll fill you so full that you will never think of your frat boy again.”
    The image undulated and blurred as if to foreshadow the terror to come. Carlos took his time, triggering her orgasm with his fingers and then his mouth. He’d been selfless and patient but all the while she’d been aware of his true motivation. He was staking his claim on her body, trying to burn away the memory of the man she loved.
    Heather tried to resist the seduction. She stubbornly clung to David’s image, refusing to let carnal pleasure erase all they meant to each other.
    After her third orgasm, Carlos flipped her over