Free Rapture's Etesian by Charlotte Boyett-Compo

moment. “Even if it meant changing as I change?” she questioned.
    “Perhaps.”
    “It is a very painful thing to Transition,” she told him.
    “Life is painful, milady.”
    “Not as painful as Transitioning,” she scoffed.
    He pulled his hands from his pockets and folded his arms over his chest. “Let me ask you a question.”
    She nodded.
    “If I had possessed the powers you have when your aunt and her rapists attacked me, would I have been able to fend them off?”
    “Easily,” she responded.
    “No matter that there were five of them?”
    “No matter had there been ten of them.”
    He thought about that for a moment. “I believe I would like being a part-time wolf.”
    Kynthia snorted. “You think so now, but the reality of change is a bitter road to travel.”
    Leksi shrugged. “Would it mean having you to mate if I were to change?”
    The smile slipped from Kynthia’s face. “So you can use me whenever the mood struck?”
    “So I could make love to you when we were both of a mind to do so?” he offered.
    Kynthia came toe-to-toe with him. “Make love to or fuck?”
    “Whichever you prefer,” he answered honestly.
    “I’ve been fucked,” she spat, her eyes flashing. “The bastard raped me. He hurt me so badly I swore no man would ever touch me again!”
    Leksi unfolded his arms and reached out a hand to touch her cheek, surprised when she did not flinch or pull away. Gently, he moved the pad of his thumb under her left eye, tracing the dark shadow that dwelt there.
    “Give me his name and I will skin him alive,” the warrior vowed.
    Kynthia felt a funny little quiver in her belly at his touch, and his words drove straight to her heart.
    “ One day ,”Cainer Cree had prophesied,“ you will meet a man whose hand will start a fire in your loins, milady. His gentlest touch will stoke that fire until it is a blazing inferno only his male potency can extinguish. When you find such a man, hold fast to him for you will know you have found your life-mate. ”
    “Tell me who he is and he is as good as dead, milady.”
    Kynthia mentally shook herself. “No need,” she said, her voice husky. “I killed the Basarabian bastard long ago.”
    The warrior put his other hand to her face. “I would slay a hundred dragons for you if you but asked.”
    “Dragons don’t exist, Helios,” she sneered.
    “There are dragons, and then there are dragons,” he said, gazing deeply into her eyes.
    She made no move to stop him as he brought his face to hers and his lips touched her mouth in a soft, fleeting contact that made her heart race. When he drew back—his eyes locked on hers—she felt weak in the knees. Standing so close to him, she could see every little sun wrinkle and shaving nick on his face, and she reached up a finger to touch one spot where he had cut himself just that morning. The fresh scab came away on her finger and a single bead of blood bubbled to the surface. She caught it with her nail then brought it to her mouth.
    Leksi groaned softly as his lady flicked out her tongue and tasted his blood. “I would never hurt you,” he swore. “Nor would I ever allow anyone or anything to hurt you. I would cherish you as you deserve to be cherished and I would—”
    He got no further for Kynthia threw her arms around him and jerked him to her, her lips closing over his in a hot, passionate possessiveness that made his head reel. His arms went about her waist and held her to him just as tightly. Her mouth was slanted across his, the tip of her tongue darting in and out between his teeth, dueling with his own tongue. Her fingernails were arched against his back and when he lowered his hands to her ass, she jumped, locking her legs around his hips, her ankles crossed behind him.
    Leksi pulled his head back, his breath coming in a harsh pant. A throbbing erection was pressing intimately against her belly and when she wiggled against the feeling, he thought he would come.
    “Easy, milady. Easy,” he