couldn’t. The beast wanted more—needed more. He growled as he continued to ravish her mouth.
“Need to get it off,” she panted when she managed to pull away from his lips.
Khet cupped her ass with both hands, keeping them connected while she pushed off him long enough to let the mangled shirt fall from her arms. As soon as the material was off and she had it tossed to the side, she closed the gap, taking his lips in another searing kiss.
He had to put an end to it, but her mouth was on his, and her hands stroked his neck, shoulders, and arms—wherever she could reach. And he was powerless to stop. The beast had the upper hand.
With a mighty growl, he flipped her so that she was on her back and he was covering her. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t struggle. Didn’t protest. Take. Claim. Mate. Now. The chant grew louder and louder until he could hear nothing else.
Damn it. He wouldn’t hurt her. He fought the need to tear the rest of her clothes off. He gentled his kiss, but couldn’t quite break it. She burrowed her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer as she arched into him.
She pulled her lips away, turning from his kiss. “Yes, more,” she whispered as the wrapped her legs around his waist.
With another moan, he kissed her jaw, and down the column of her neck. He didn’t stop until he reached one gorgeous breast. He tongued her nipple, flicking it back and forth with the tip of his tongue until she writhed beneath him and thrust her hips up to meet his. He took the hardened peak into his mouth and sucked. She gasped and moaned, pulling at his hair, yet bringing him closer. Claim. Mate. Take , the beast demanded.
When she slipped one hand between them and stroked the bulge of his cock, all thought vanished. He couldn’t hold the beast back. Blood pounded through him like a tribal drum, punctuating each word the beast screamed at him. Mate. Now. Claim. Mate. Now. Take. Its frenzied litany had him growling and reaching for her jeans. He couldn’t slow down. Couldn’t stop. There was no denying the beast.
A series of coughs and grunts outside his tent had him stiffening, but he didn’t release her nipple. “Wesken will come for you himself if you don’t get out of the tent.” Orrin, the youngest of their pack, said in the ancient language.
Khet growled, the sound deep and vicious. His arms tightened around Delana, and he thrust his hips against hers again. She wouldn’t get away.
Orrin just laughed.
The young Erritrol had no sense. Khet would beat the stupidity out of him later.
“It was just a warning. The sun will be up in the sky soon. We’ve left this one for last, but your tent is next to come down. It’s up to you if you want us all to watch.”
Delana gasped, and her body stilled beneath his. Orrin had spoken in the human tongue. The young Erritrol’s energy faded as he retreated, leaving him alone with Delana again.
“Shit,” she whispered against his neck. Then she did the unthinkable. She licked him again.
He braced some of his weight on his elbows and let the tension seep out of his body with each labored breath he drew. It took all his concentration to subdue the beast. Only then did he lift his head from where he’d tucked it next to hers.
“Damn it,” he whispered under his breath. It took everything in him to move away from her body. Everything inside him screamed to continue what they’d started, but he wasn’t being given a choice in the matter. “They won’t give us much time. If we don’t dress now, the tent will come down around us.”
“You’re kidding, right?” her eyes grew wide as she heard grunts coming closer to the tent.
“I’m afraid not.” Khet rolled to the side, letting her move out from beneath him.
Delana reached for her shirt, then cried out when she found it shredded. “I can’t wear this.”
He reached behind him and grabbed one of his. “It’s going to be big, but you can wear this,” he offered. Anything was better than