"Food," he whispered regretfully against her lips, drawing back and staring down at her somberly. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine." She was so damned horny now she thought she might melt in a puddle at his feet.
They dressed in the bedroom and headed through the cabin to the kitchen.
The refrigerator was filled with cold cuts, vegetables, and cold water that the caretaker had stocked before her arrival. The freezer held a variety of packaged steaks and other frozen goodies.
She grabbed the meat from the refrigerator and some lettuce and tomatoes. Thick, fresh bread was wrapped and stored in the cabinet. She removed it and set it on the counter.
Matthias was unusually quiet as he moved through the kitchen, the living room, then back to the kitchen. His expression was somber, the way he watched her finally grating on her nerves.
"Is there a problem?" She laid the bread knife down and watched him closely. "If you're still considering killing me, I should point out that has to be against the rules, or something."
His lips quirked as he shook his head. "That would be worse than suicide."
"Then what's bothering you?" She set the bread on plates and began heaping them with meat, cheese, and veggies.
"I just thought of something." He slid his hand into the pockets of his leather pants as he faced her. "What were you doing in Albrecht's suite?"
"He left a message on my machine, demanding my presence. I thought I would see what his problem was before I left."
"Why did you come back?" He was frowning curiously.
Grace waggled her brows. "My bikini. I forgot it. It was new, and I wanted to wear it while I was on vacation. I love swimming in the lake."
The frown eased away, as his whiskey eyes lit with arousal.
Grace snickered at the look, as she picked up the plates and moved them to the kitchen table, before grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge.
"A bikini, huh?" he asked, taking his seat across from her. "What kind of bikini?"
"A little black bikini." She clenched her thighs, the burning in her clit was becoming a bit irksome. Surely to God she could get through a meal without attacking him?
"I'd like to see it," he murmured, picking up his sandwich and biting into it with strong, white teeth.
Teeth that had bitten her. She could feel the mark at her shoulder throbbing and irrationally wished he would lick it again.
She ate her sandwich with more determination than actual hunger now. After they finished, she quickly cleaned the dishes. And Matthias was still quiet.
He had moved from the kitchen to the living room, where he stood in front of the wide picture window, staring out at the lake.
He looked almost regretful.
Maybe Breeds didn't like women with a weakness, she thought morosely, remembering how her breathing had seized up. It was a stress reaction, it wasn't like she was terminally ill or anything. To be honest, her climaxes had terrified her. She had never come so hard, never felt such pleasure ripping through her. It was no wonder she had panicked a little, especially when his cock had thickened, spreading her further and sending her into another, sharper series of orgasms.
"The panic attacks aren't a big deal," she finally said as she stepped into the living room. "They go away eventually."
He turned to stare at her, his eyes narrowing, flicking to her breasts. Her nipples were poking against the soft material of her dark blue shirt, and her pussy was clenching in need.
Violent need.
It didn't make sense. Before, she hadn't ached like this, not to the point that it was physically painful.
"I'm not worried about the panic attacks. If you were ill, I'd detect the scent of it."
Okay. That told her.
She pushed her fingers through her hair and glared at him.
"Then why are you moping around like it's the end of the world? Did I do something wrong?"
Maybe she hadn't pleased him sexually. A man could get a little out of sorts when a woman failed to pick up on something he was wanting but was too stupid to ask for it.
His jaw clenched as he inhaled roughly. "You didn't do anything wrong."
She nodded sharply. "You know, I understand that being a Breed could make you more testosterone-impaired than most men tend to be. But I can't read your thoughts any more than I can read other men's. If something is wrong, I'd prefer you just get it out in the open rather than making me miserable by pulling the silent treatment. Trust me, I have several brothers, I can handle your delicate sensibilities."
His brow lifted, as amusement glittered briefly in his eyes. Amusement, arousal, and something undefined. Anger, perhaps.
"My male sensibilities are functioning fine," he assured her, the corner of his lips tilting wryly.
Grace crossed her arms over her breasts, almost gasping at the feel of the material of her shirt raking over her hard nipples.
"Then what's your problem?"
"You're in pain," he said softly. "Aren't you?"
Grace shifted uncomfortably. "Not really."
"I wanted to hide from you exactly what the mating would do to you," he finally sighed. "There's still so much we don't know about it, or its effects. I should have waited."
"Now, you're starting to frighten me, Matthias."
"Do you know that only two of our wolf mates have produced children? In one of those, the wolf's genetics were so recessed that the scientists theorize that it made conception easier for his mate. The other was so brutally experimented on that she still has nightmares."
Grace flinched at the thought of such pain. "The Felines seem to have no problem."
"More than you know," he sighed. "It's true, the original pride initially had success in conception, but after that, the heat continued during the females' ovulation periods, and no other babies were conceived. It's been ten years. Scheme Tallant, the mate to the felines' head of public relations, is now carrying twins. One child has been born to Merinus and Callan, one to Veronica Andrews, and one to Kane Tyler's mate, Sherra. There is one child born to Dash Sinclair and his mate, and to Aiden's mate, Charity. For the Wolves, conception has proved extremely difficult, and the heat extremely severe."
His voice was heavy, his expression dark, remorseful.
"I tried to be honest with you, Grace." He shook his head, his lips tightening with what she now knew was self-anger. "But I hungered for you." A frown creased his brow, as he stared back at her as though that hunger still confused him. "Even now, my control is less than it should be." His frown deepened. "I tried to tell myself it would be different between us, but I knew better."
Her sex clenched as slick juices spilled between her thighs.
"Do you think explaining it any further to me would have made a difference?" she asked "I'm not a child, and I'm not completely ignorant. Once you told me what you had, I remembered the tabloid stories, I knew I could be looking at more than you were telling me. Evidently, I didn't care."
His head tilted as he watched her with confusion. "How could you not care, Grace? It will change your life forever. Place you in danger. It will restrict your life and will turn you into a target for the scientists out there, who are determined to destroy us."
"And that's what bothers you the most," she said softly. "That danger. Admit it, Matthias. You're frightened."
His lips tightened. "I will protect you."
"No matter the cost," she guessed. "You're afraid that your attempts to protect me will cause me to hate you."
He growled. That sound sent rapid little bursts of near-ecstasy to explode through her vagina, as it tightened her clit further.
"That isn't all," he admitted. "They want our mates." He stared back at her, tortured, desperate. "The mating causes a decrease in aging. The couples who have mated are aging only one year per every five to ten years. You will live far longer than you ever imagined, and it's because of this that the rogue scientists are so desperate to get their hands on mated pairs."