Free Prince of Fire by Linda Winstead Jones

grace and crossed their small camp to drop down beside Keelia.
    She found herself holding her breath as he moved the rough rope aside and examined her skin, which was somewhat reddened. By morning her wrists would be raw if he insisted that she wear the bonds all night, but at the moment her thoughts were more focused on die way his fingertips brushed against her skin. The transformation from woman to wolf came with a kind of lightning that coursed through her body, and his touch elicited the same sort of sensation. Lightning. Fire.
    But to lie with a Caradon would make her forever different.
    "How do I know you won't run in the night, or slash my throat with your claws while I sleep?" Joryn asked.
    Keelia stared at his strong sun-kissed hand against her pale arm. That simple sight reminded her of many dreams, of fantasies she had retreated to when her Queen's fertile time demanded release. Thank goodness it was not time for that heat to be upon her, because if she was caught in that frenzy and he was here, she would not be able to contain herself.
    And her firstborn child would be half-Caradon, and forever different.
    It was not her fertile time, however, so a half-breed child was not a concern. She did not think of their differences at this moment, but of what they could share if they chose to do so. Not as lifelong mates, but as temporary lovers. If he could ease the quivering need inside her, if he could offer her delight and pleasure in a difficult time, shouldn't she allow it to happen?
    As the unwanted lightning coursed through her body, she dismissed all her reservations and wondered what it would be like to take Joryn as a lover. Not during her fertile time, but now, or tomorrow, or in the days to come, just so she would know if reality was better than fantasy. No one but the two of them would ever have to know, and when their duty was done, they would part forever, and she would be free to discover the Anwyn male she was meant to spend her life with.
    Had the priestesses not told her time and again that it was not only her right but her duty to celebrate all aspects of the body? Hadn't her mother offered the supposition that if she took a lover, her powers would be restored in their entirety? Logically Keelia knew she was grasping for any excuse to allow her mind to accept what her body already knew ... and she didn't care. Not when Joryn was so close.
    "I promise you I will not harm you, nor will I escape. I am as dedicated as you to finding the wizard and destroying the stone he called upon to begin this blight."
    "Stone?" Joryn asked.^
    Keelia sighed. She had not yet told him all about the vision. "A green glowing stone. The wizard we seek works in a Cave, and he protects the stone because he knows if it is destroyed, the curse will be ended, and the demon will destroy him in retribution."
    Joryn nodded. "We will need something more specific than a cave as our destination. There are many caves in these mountains. Perhaps together you and the Grandmother will be able to discover more."
    "I will find him," Keelia said confidently. Joryn said the Grandmother had answers they would need, but she wasn't sure about involving the old woman in their truce. She had put her faith in Joryn, but to ally herself with an endless number of Caradon... she could not quite grasp the possibility. "Trust me." She leaned slightly closer to him, and the backs of her fingers caressed his arm. 'Trust me."
    He hesitated only a moment, and then he retrieved the dagger from his belt. The dagger had a simple but pretty handle, she noticed as he used the blade to slice the rope he had earlier used to bind her hands. It wasn't fancy, but there was a simple scroll pattern in the cross-guard. The blade was well tended, sharp and without nicks in the steel.
    Keel i a stretched her freed arms and rubbed her wrists as Joryn backed away from her. The bracelet he wore kept her from peeking into his mind, but she saw one^comforting truth in his green