Free Shadowlander by Theresa Meyers

the need to do just that was hungry and eating him alive from the inside out.
    Cate emerged from the woods, looking every bit as elegant, every bit as magickal to him as any of the Ragnorian- or Makcay-caste fae. The way she held her shoulders, the tilt of her chin, and the very elegance with which she moved marked her as regal. The powerful among the court would fight him to have a taste of her. And he would fight back. Cate was his .
    “Are you ready to see the capital?” He extended his hands to lift her into the saddle of her catamount.
    Cate wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing them into brain-searing contact that burned away his rational thoughts. “Kind of a silly question,” she said with a tilt of her head, her eyes bright. “A person can’t be ready for something they’ve never experienced before.”
    Oh, he doubted that. He’d been ready and waiting for her for fourteen of her years. A mere smidgen of time in his world, but once he’d discovered she could actually see him, could touch him, each second she wasn’t totally his stretched into infinity.
    He bent down, unable to resist the lure of her lush mouth, and kissed her, putting all the energy, the fevered rush she brought out in him into the kiss. She melted into him, her body pliant, soft, and willing. Gods, he’d never expected this with her.
    Rook broke their kiss, both of them breathing hard, their hearts pounding against each other. “Very true,” he said. He’d been utterly unprepared for the all-out assault Cate waged on his good sense. He was not an animal or Illith fae, commanded by his basest needs. He had intellect. He had training. He had a sacred duty to serve his people. He could not simply throw it all out the window for a tumble with the most exotic, amazing creature he’d ever encountered. “But as a Seer, you’ve already discovered far more about us than most Uplanders will ever know. So it should be easy for you to adapt.”
    He swung her up into the saddle, his resistance tested by the brush of her soft curls against his face and the feel of her curves beneath his hands. The sweet sensual fragrance of her skin clung to his clothes, reminding him of her with every inhalation. He had to rein himself in or this was going to be the longest day of his life.
    Cate gathered the reigns in her hand. “Up!”
    Her hips rolled with the motion as the big cat rose to all four paws, its tail sweeping back and forth, whiskers twitching. She learned fast. That pleased him. She’d need to if they were to face the Shadow Court together and declare her off-limits to all other fae.
    Rook climbed into his own saddle and ordered the catamount to rise. “From here on, the catamounts will follow the mountain road leading to Seaneath. Bend low over your saddle and keep your arms in toward your side. It’ll make the run easier for the cat and less tiring for you.”
    She gave him one quick nod, her face full of determination and focus. Gods, she was glorious. Rook gave a nudge to his catamount and forced himself to focus on the dangers ahead. “Forward!”
§
    Cate nearly lost her breath as her catamount leapt forward, keeping pace with Rook’s animal at a ground-eating run. The forest became a blur, the air growing colder as afternoon wore on into evening. Grateful now for the heavy velvet-and-fur coat, Cate clamped her mouth shut and forced herself to breathe through her nose to keep the chill from knifing into her lungs.
    Snow began to fall, casting everything in a whirl of white and a blanket of quiet. Rook slowed the catamounts to a walk. Well, really, it was more of a stalk. Their massive bodies were tense and ears flattened back as they moved slowly and deliberately through the trees.
    “Where are we?” Cate whispered.
    “The border with Wyldwood. It’s the fastest route to the capital but not the safest.”
    Her body went rigid as she glanced around. What exactly did he mean? If the catamounts were used for transportation, then