Seduced by the Beast by Jaide Fox Page B

Hunters
can drink blood or suffuse their power through sensual means.  Or so I’ve been
told.”
                “Why do you tell
me these things?” Swan asked, looking at her with suspicion.
                “Just as
warning.  I had no foreknowledge myself.  I would not have my brethren helpless
to defend herself.  Besides, I enjoy the thought of Raphael having to work hard
for a lady’s favor.”  She laughed softly, cradling her belly.  “The men here
are used to getting their way in everything.  A challenge is hard to find.”
                “Thank you, but I
have no need to protect myself from Raphael.  He helps me of his own free
will.”  And there was no challenge as far as she was concerned.  No one would
possess her let alone control her mind.  To believe talk of mind magic would
drive her mad.  It couldn’t possibly be true, but she realized she would have
to question him to make certain.  Then again, what man had ever told her the
truth?
                “I think he may
have more on his hands than he is aware.”
                Ashanti struggled
to sit forward, and Swan rose and helped her to her feet.  “My thanks, Swan.  I
will be glad to hold this babe in my arms rather than my belly.  Come, eat. 
Raphael joins you soon.  You should be ready for his arrival.”
                Surprised, Swan
stopped mid-motion, unable to resist looking at the bed.  There would be no
avoiding it once he was in the room.  Nobility fled in a rush of unbidden
heat.  “He can’t possibly sleep here.  It isn’t proper.”
                “But it is. 
Human rules do not apply here, dear Swan.”  She gave her a pitying look.  “As
women, we adapt.  I suggest you not leave this room.  You’ll find in
Shadowmere, as a human, having a man’s protection is vital to your survival
whether you wish it or not.”

 
     
     
    CHAPTER SEVEN
     
                Swan heard soft
footsteps stop before her door and knew immediately who stood there. 
Determined not to be caught without defense, she hurried from her position near
the fire, around the largest obstacle in the room--the bed.
                The door opened
and Raphael stepped inside, closing it behind him with a finality that
tightened her nerves.  He leaned back against the wood paneling, crossing his
arms over his chest, looking pleased.  A slow smile curled his lips as he
caught sight of her across the wide space and dragged his gaze down her body.
                She’d bathed the
dirt of travel off and changed into a gown Ashanti had lent her.  If anything,
the loose robes that covered her with no peep of skin showing save her head,
hands and feet only seemed to incite him further. 
                How she could be
so covered and still entice his gaze, she didn’t know.  She suspected it was
merely his sexual appetite that held him enamored to her.  Or the chase, as
Ashanti had alluded.
                Swan’s skin
tingled beneath the garment as if caressed by his leisurely appraisal.  Hier
nipples tightened like he’d brushed a palm against them and her belly quivered
with raw need that she refused to acknowledge.  She gritted her teeth to
control her response, incensed at herself and his bold perusal.
                “What makes you
smile so?” Swan asked tightly.
                Again he answered
with that slow, lazy smile that set her nerves on edge.  No man should look so
enticing.  That he stood with his body on display for her eyes made her teeth
grit.  Carelessly, she’d looked him over and found him mightily enticing, from
the broad width of his shoulders, the strange markings on his bronze skin. 
Idly, she wondered how their bodies would look tangled together, how his
manhood would appear disappearing inside her dark nether lips.
                She flushed
hotly, wondering at the turn