strap loosened. He wound the remainder of it around his wrist, tightening it against her flesh. She gasped as he pushed his cock between her lips. She sucked hard. He slid one hand in her long black hair to keep her exactly where he wanted her.
Her hands fisted behind her back as he flexed the leather back and forth. His balls tightened unbearably as she continued to suck him deep down her throat. As he fought for breath he realized that she was shuddering and crying out, climaxing without him laying a finger on her. With a roar, he exploded into her mouth, felt his come cascade in thick, flowing waves down her throat, wished he was buried deep in her sex.
He unwrapped the leather and released her hands. To his surprise she seemed content to simply lie in his arms, her breathing ragged, and her body still shaking with the aftereffects of her orgasm. Sleep pricked at his eyes and he allowed it to rise over him. For the first time in his life he had a woman in his bed who refused to have sex with him. Yet he felt as relaxed and fulfilled as a man who had experienced a hundred couplings.
In his desperate desire for a child, he’d forgotten that, alongside their physical passion, his parents had liked and respected each other. Like a prize bull, he’d begun to see females as something to fertilize rather than as potential life mates. Douglass had changed all that. His desire to sleep deserted him as he stroked her hair. What spell had this challenging slip of a woman cast over him and why was he content just to hold her in his arms?
* * * * *
In the massive palace stable yard, Douglass approached the creature warily from one side. Despite her initial concern, it seemed to be dozing in the bright sunlight. Its overall shape, especially the long nose and sharp teeth, reminded her of a dragon but it was covered in silky green feathers. She glanced up at Marcus who was grinning at her.
“What exactly is it?”
“It’s a wulfrun .” He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you have them on Earth?”
The beast shifted on its clawed feet and sighed, blowing hot fetid air in Douglass’ face.
She took a hasty step back. “No, unfortunately, we don’t. It looks like something from a fairy tale or a legend.”
Marcus reached forward and patted the animal’s neck. “They are quite safe. We use them for all our transport needs.” He nodded to one of the stable hands who threw a blanket over the wulfrun ’s back and strapped on a bridle. A second animal was brought forward and tied up beside the first.
“I thought you wanted to get out of the palace, consort?” Marcus mounted the larger of the two wulfruns and sat looking down at her. “Are you too afraid to risk your skin?”
Douglass held his challenging stare as she approached the wulfrun . With Sven’s help, she managed to clamber onto the back of the creature. She gripped the reins before giving Marcus a triumphant smile. Beneath her butt, the coiled muscles of the animal shifted.
“I’m not scared, Sire. I enjoy a good ride.”
Marcus winked at her. “I know that, consort.” He clicked his teeth and headed for the archway which led out of the high-walled stable yard. Letting out a deep breath, Douglass squeezed her legs against the wulfrun ’s soft sides and tightened her left rein.
To her surprise, the wulfrun ’s gait was similar to a horse. She quickly adjusted to the smooth rhythm of the creature’s long stride and caught up with Marcus. For the first time in over two months she had the opportunity to look around her. To her annoyance, the eight men spread out around her and the king kept her from seeing much more than she had inside the palace.
“Are all these men necessary?” Douglass gestured at their escort.
Marcus looked surprised. “It’s only my bodyguard.”
“But I can’t see anything. They are blocking my view.”
“That’s the general idea. They are here to protect you.”
Douglass brought the wulfrun to a halt. “I thought you
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