Bonds Unbroken - 11. Epilogue

I never expected his tenderness. Cats were said to be fierce lovers, mating with passion once their bonds were formed. With Natham and me... nothing was as it 'usually was'. Our bond, our differing clans, and the attack we both survived from his father had delayed our mating. I felt so close to him it was hard to remember that we had met only once before our bond was formed. A courtship normally went on much longer with both our species.

I had resisted Natham foolishly. I could no longer push him away; I didn't want to. I had asked him to take me and then I was overcome with shyness. We were both still, sitting motionless, staring at each other. Natham laughed softly, a warm masculine sound. I shivered; his deep voice had always aroused me. He stood up, drawing me to my feet along with him. He let go of me to move toward the door, shutting it firmly before he turned to look at me.

"Take off your shirt," he said huskily.

My eyes flared open. His voice... I moaned.

It was just his voice but it had the same effect as his hands on me did. I wanted to do the same to him, make his cock as hard as mine was without even touching him. I didn't know how to act sexy but Falcon had a long history of displaying ourselves for our females. We strutted and posed for them, courting them with our bodies. My hips began to sway as I slid my hands up my body to bury in my hair.

I let my head fall back, exposing my neck. I knew how much he loved nuzzling it, kissing and sucking. I used the tips of my talons, tracing down my neck and chest and across my stomach. I caressed my hips before sliding my hands into my waistband and pulling my shirt, easing it slowly until it pulled free.

I teasingly bared only an inch of my stomach before letting the hem fall back down to cover the pale expanse of my skin. I slid my fingers up the line of buttons, circling each with in a slow movement until I reached the top. I slipped the button from the hole and a small vee appeared at my neck exposing the pale, white hollow of my throat.

I didn't move on to the next button. I slid my fingers into the exposed triangle at the base of my neck and swirled my fingers across the warm flesh. I could hear Natham's breath hitch and I smiled coyly. I began to carefully slip each button out of the hole all the way to the bottom.

When the last button was open I paused. I'd been looking down as I began to bare my body for my mate, unable to see Natham's reaction but for this I had to see his face. I slowly raised my eyes, up his strong legs to the thick bulge behind his zipper and up his bare chest with to his pulse pounding in his throat.

His soft lips distracted me, the dark pink curves barely parted so that I could see the tip of his tongue. I craved them; his kisses made my head spin. His eyes were what really drew me in though. A dark brown that was almost black, they shone like obsidian. They were hungry and full of desire, as he watched me with a predatory gaze.

I smiled invitingly and then lifted my arms. Slowly I stretched my wings out behind me, lifting them out until they reached past my arms. My shirt spread open so the rippling muscles of my stomach gleamed in the light.

Natham's nostrils flared and he took a step toward me.

I held up one hand and he stopped. Capturing his gaze, I pulled my wings back in and then snapped them open. The air swirled in the room and my shirt ripped right down the back. One shrug of my shoulders and both halves slid down my outstretched arms to flutter to the floor. My black pants were fastened so low they hung on my hips, exposing my six pack to Natham's hungry gaze.

He took two rapid steps to me and yanked me into his arms. He fisted one hand in my hair while the other wrapped around my waist to drag my hips against him. He ground against me as he claimed my mouth, kissing me until I was weak in the knees and panting.

"God that was hot," he said breathily. "I have to touch you."

Instead of devouring my mouth again, Natham began hungrily nuzzling my neck with his cheeks and nibbling on me. He held me firmly to his body rocking his hips against me as he used his rough tongue to swirl around the sensitive skin behind my ear. When I whimpered in pleasure he began purring, the deep rumble vibrating his chest against mine. His hand behind my back was flexing; I could feel the small pricks as his claws extended and dug into my low back over and over. I shuddered against him, thrusting my hips forward into his in a sharp movement, driving a small mewl from his own throat.

I knew he could feel how hard I was. If he didn't take my pants off soon I just might drill a hole in them.

Walking me backward, Natham eased me down until I was lying on the bed with my legs dangling off the edge. My wings were folded under me but the snow white curves cushioned my head. He began kissing down my body, laving each nipple with the soft tip of his tongue and then licking with the broad flat that was rough and rasping. I shuddered at the contrast and then moaned when Natham closed his mouth over one sensitive nub and sucked hard.

"Ohhh, that feels good," I moaned. Natham looked up at me and grinned. He switched to my other nipple, sending shocks of pleasure through me. I writhed as he kept teasing it until I was whimpering.

"Please."

He gave my nipple a sudden nip before pulling off. Sitting up, his legs straddled my hips close to the edge of my bed. His hands caressed my face as he stared down at me.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time."

"No more waiting," I said, "I want you now."

He leaned down and gently kissed me, his lips caressing mine and his tongue entering my mouth to swirl delicately around my tongue. I closed my eyes and clutched at his shoulders, caged by his body and loving it. "Mmm, you taste good," he said, pulling back to caress my body with his hands.

"Natham," I whispered, my senses overcome. My hands slid up his back and then down his chest and back up again. My fingers traced swirling paths along his golden skin until I reached up and pulled the tie out of his hair, letting it fall in a dark cascade all around us. He made a pleased sound as I caressed it.

"What do you want?" he asked me as I slid my fingers through the waterfall of his hair. I couldn't think, too lost in the feelings and sensations he was giving me. His hair sliding along tickling my skin, the warm prickle of his claws kneading my chest and the slight rub of his hips on mine all made me shudder in need.

Too slow, we were going too slow.

"More, please!" I begged.

"Are you ready for me to take you?" he asked. "Once I bare your body I won't be able to stop myself. Your scent, the sounds coming from your lovely throat are already too much and if I see you--" Natham broke off with a groan as I jerked my hips up into him.

"No more talking. I want you now," I said as I did it again.

His eyes went wide and then narrowed as he let out a lust fueled snarl. Then the gentleness ended. His claws came out and sliced through my belt. Standing up swiftly, Natham yanked my pants and underwear down my legs and then tore his own off until he stood before me fully naked.

His cock jutted out toward me. I stared at it as I slid backward on the bed to fall against the pillows at the head. Natham's muscles flared and moved sinuously as he stalked across the mattress to me on his hands and knees. He loomed over me, his body so much bigger than mine.

He laughed throatily.

His hands and mouth were everywhere, touching and probing my body. I was moaning continuously as he brought me to the brink of orgasm over and over. I was barely aware, lost in the pleasure surging through my body, when he flipped me over and moved a pillow under my stomach. I ground the front of my body into the silky softness and he chuckled.

"Oh no you don’t. You’re not cumming until I’m inside you," he said, stilling me with firm hands on my hips. I whimpered as I lost the friction that had sent such lovely shocks of pleasure into my body. My legs were parted and he knelt between them. He ran his hands up and down my back as I backed away from the edge of my orgasm. I caught my breath as I felt him press his erection against me and push forward. The head slipped in and I winced a little, tensing my body.

He began kissing my shoulders and neck, keeping his hips still until I relaxed. He pulled back, still sucking at my neck. I felt him slip back out and then his hands tilted my hips just a little more. When he pushed forward and pushed into me, he held my hips still. I tensed and whimpered until I felt him bite down on my neck. My instincts relaxed me as soon as he bit down and he slowly slid inside my body until his hips were nestled against the curves of my ass.

I felt a shivering warmth and fullness, pain and pleasure together from the bite and my body stretching for my mate. His heavy weight blanketed my body and I felt safe and cherished. I let out a small cry when he began purring; the vibration rumbled through his body and teased my sensitive nerve endings. I arched under him and began to move. His teeth slid from my skin and he began to kiss and soothe the mark on my neck and caressing me with his hands.

My hips moved back and forth with his rhythm, the sharp pleasure of him taking me combining with the silky caress of the pillow had me crying out breathily with each stroke. His voice joined mine as we began to move faster, pleasure building as we raced to that final peak. It was only minutes from the first joining before our voices rose in tandem, my shriek blending with his roar as our skin slapped together one final time and our climax flared over us.

Our bond snapped into place. I felt my body shifting slightly as it finished changing and the sudden heat behind me indicated a spike in Natham's body temperature. The faint feelings and sensations I'd felt before through the link became crystal clear. I could feel his pride from claiming me and the pleasure of his climax still rocking him even as he shared my shuddering finish. We were locked together for long minutes in a loop of pleasure as our minds met and blended together. When it pulled back and left us each within our own minds again we collapsed on the bed, sweaty and panting.

Relaxing from the intense physical and emotional release we snuggled up together on the middle of the bed. I lay on my side and Natham was curled up in front of me, one arm under my body and the other stroking my wings that rose above my shoulders. He was experimenting with the new physical side of our bond, catching his breath when he touched a sensitive area. I nuzzled his chest creating a soft pleasure for both of us.

"I should confess..." he began.

My looked up in alarm. I could feel his hesitancy and some anxiety through our bond.

He took a deep breath. "I didn't know if this would work between us, a real bond," he admitted. "I was afraid you would reject me so that you could find a true mate with one of your own kind. I doubted your feelings."

I smiled up at him. "I had doubts of many things. But this... with you." I blushed, unable to say what we had just done out loud. Natham smiled tenderly at me and I was able to go on.

"I asked questions too. I was told it should work but when it came down to it, I didn't care if it worked to complete our bond or not. I wanted you; I've wanted you since I fell into your arms in the hallway at school the first day we met." I ducked my head into his chest, enjoying the musky scent of cat. "I could feel you, all of you at the end. Do you still doubt me or our bond?"

"No. This is real, our bond, as unusual as it is. You have me," he said as he stroked my hair, "and I have you. We are meant to be together. You will rule the clans and I will stand beside you."

"Always?" I asked with my face still buried in his chest. I wanted this more than anything I had ever wanted before. Now that our bond was complete I wasn’t sure if I could ever live without it; the love, the pleasure, the feeling of never being alone to face the harshness of the world. I needed Natham as much as I needed to breathe.

His hand came up and lifted my face so that he could stare into my eyes. I sighed at the look of love and devotion, feeling both flow from him through our bond.

"For as long as my heart beats," Natham vowed.