«I cannot,» Sebastian breathed, knowing he shouldn't, but wanting nothing more than to join with the woman whose eyes pled with him, whose heart tugged at his.
«Sebastian,» she panted, in an agony of desire, «I need you. Please! I'm begging you!»
It was the begging note in her voice that pushed him beyond reason. With a growl, Sebastian lost control of the beast within. He tugged down his loose pants and knelt on the couch in front of her, between Matt's legs. With a single, harsh thrust, he joined with her, plunging and fucking like a wild animal.
Teeth bared, he pulled her forward, his cock tight within her pussy while Matt's filled her behind, but Sebastian was too far gone to know or care for possible consequences. He fucked her hard, nuzzling into her neck, panting hot breaths across her skin as she did the same. His mouth sought and found the point of her pulse, the sweet spot of her neck, savoring only a moment before plunging home with his fangs at the same time as his cock.
Dimly, he registered the feel of her petite fangs buried in his flesh and the wonderful feel of her sucking sent him over the edge of all reason. He sucked and fucked, coming to a blinding orgasm in a huge fireball of urgency that swept all three of them up in it together.
He blacked out for a while, but as he came back, knowledge filled him.
She was in him.
As he was in her.
Her blood, her body, her lovely mind was joined with his, as he was with her. They were true mates. She was his One.
«Christina.»
«Sebastian? What is this?»
«The true bond. Can't you feel it? We're joined. Now and forever more.»
He lifted away from her and pulled free of her luscious body. In the wonder of finding his mate, he'd forgotten momentarily about the shapeshifter. He'd been part of them as the bond had formed. What consequences could that have? He didn't know.
«Matt? Are you all right?»
The werecougar shook his head as if coming out of a stupor. And perhaps he was. «Holy shit. What was that?»
CHAPTER 5
«You felt it?» Sebastian eyed his old friend.
«I felt…» Matt hesitated, a look of wonder coming over his features. «It was the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced in my life. But…what was it, exactly?»
Sebastian pulled her into his arms and rested against the soft couch. «Christina is my mate. She will be my bride.»
«But I'm already married.» He heard the objection in his mind, joined as they were. They shared thoughts now, as only true mates could.
«Not for long.»
«What does that mean?»
«We'll discuss it later. Right now, we need to deal with Matt.»
«I heard that,» Matt groused, out of breath still and looking dazed. «You two are buzzing at the back of my mind. Almost, but not quite out of earshot. This is weird. What's going on?»
«I fear some of our bond may have extended to you.» Sebastian's mind raced. This was unprecedented. He'd never heard of such a thing happening before, but then, vampire and were rarely shared words, much less a lover between them. This was uncharted territory. «I'm sorry, Matt. It's my fault. I wasn't strong enough to resist.»
«It's not your fault,» Christina stroked his cheek, love shining in her eyes. «I enticed you. I begged you.»
«Never be sorry for that, my dear. I should have been stronger. I should have waited until we were alone.» He turned to his friend. «Matt, I don't know exactly what ramifications this will have.»
«I hear you, buddy. In my ears and in my mind. Is that how your kind joins? You can share thoughts, like telepathy?»
«Not quite telepathy. It's something much deeper. We share minds and souls. Right now, my mind is open to Christina's as hers is open to me. Over time, we will come to know each other as deeply as if we were one person.» Sebastian took a moment to seek outside himself, comparing the amazing connection with Christina to the fainter connection formed between them both and Matt. «The good news is, from what I can see, you've received only a backwash of what we have. It's faint, but it's there, Matt, and for that I apologize. I didn't intend to cause you harm.»
Matt put a hand to his chest and rubbed over his heart, wonder in his eyes. «This doesn't feel like harm, Sebastian. It's…it's…really beautiful. Like nothing I've ever known before. It's amazing, man. I feel the love between you. I feel the glow of discovery, the connection. It's kind of humbling.»
Sebastian felt Christina's heart open up to the other man, but experienced no jealousy. He was in her mind, in her soul, and he knew the kind of affection she held for Matt was quite different from the deep and true feelings that flowed from her heart to his and back again. In that moment they were of one mind. As long as Matt didn't suffer, they would gladly share the echoes of their love with him. It was a joyous thing, meant to be shared with friends, not hidden.
Okay, most friends wouldn't share their new connection on this deep a level, but Matt had always been a special case. He was one of the few were whom Sebastian-and now Christina-thought of as family. They were brothers under the skin and had been close for many years. Oh, Matt was still a youngster compared to Sebastian's three centuries, but the kinship they shared went beyond their differences.
Christina learned all this as Sebastian thought it. He reveled in the close bond they shared and marveled at the compassion and friendship she felt for the werecougar. Sebastian understood the depth of her gratefulness for the gift Matt had bestowed. Sebastian also saw how she liked the idea Matt would learn what love should be by hearing some of their internal discussion. Sebastian took it one step further and thought of the potential uses such a connection could have.
«Can you hear me, Matt?» Sebastian asked.
«Loud and clear. Well, not real loud, but that time was definitely louder than before. It's like you're speaking to me through a door. Weird.»
«This could be useful. I wonder if the connection works both ways. Try thinking something back at me.»
«Your woman has the sweetest pussy I've ever tasted.»
Christina blushed to the roots of her hair and Sebastian laughed out loud. Leave it to Matt to be as audacious as possible.
«I guess you heard that, huh?» Matt winked at her, a broad, unapologetic grin on his face. Christina lobbed a throw pillow at his head, but he ducked.
«Do us a favor and stick around here today, Matt. Unless you have other business.» Sebastian was thinking fast, planning ahead.
«Nothing that can't wait.»
«Good. See if you can figure out what Jeff Kinsey has been up to.»
«Who's Jeff Kinsey?» Matt wanted to know.
Christina stiffened in Sebastian's arms. «My husband.»
«The swine who hurt her. I want to know if he's still in jail. And if he is, I want you to use your contacts on the police force to get someone to notify us the minute he gets out. If he's already out, I want you to call that were private eye and get him on surveillance. He'll do it for you, though I suspect if I asked, he wouldn't give me the time of day. I'll pay, of course.»
«Hastings owes me a favor. If Kinsey is out, he'll be watched by were twenty-four/seven. Count on it. Now,» Matt rose and stood in front of them for a moment, unashamed of his nudity, «I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. I'll be outside prowling the grounds.» He shimmered with magic and a moment later, the man was replaced by a golden cougar with topaz eyes. He padded out the door with a last look over his shoulder and the wink of one feline eye.
Sebastian took Christy back to his room-their room now-the luxurious master suite, built on the interior of the fortress-like house, with no windows and heavy doors.
She knew from the memories he now shared with her that this room was his retreat, but he seldom slept here. No, this room had a well-concealed secret doorway which led downward into the sublevels of the house, below ground.