Page 38 of Pleasured By the Panther
“Oh,” she sighed, her hips shifting reflexively. The stretch was delicious— tender and achy at the same time, like a reminder of just how much of him she’d taken.
“Beautiful,” Korrath murmured against her ear, his deep voice a low purr. “So beautiful in the morning light, with my cock still inside you.”
Her cheeks heated, but she couldn’t help smiling.
“What time is it?”
He pressed a kiss to her hair.
“Early still. You have some time before you must return to your world.”
She relaxed at that, snuggling back against him. His fur was warm and velvety against her back.
“Good. I’m not ready to face everything yet.”
He stroked her thigh where it rested over his, still holding her open for him.
“Will you come back to me, Miranda?” he asked softly. “After the Joining ceremony? Will you think about letting me knot you one day—letting me Bond you to me forever?”
Her heart squeezed in her chest. She wanted to say yes—but reality came crashing back. She thought of Hanna, thought of the future that stretched before her.
“I don’t know, Korrath,” she said slowly. “I don’t want to be so far from my daughter. She’ll be married soon. I’m hoping she’ll have babies—and I want to be there for them. To be a grandmother.”
“I will go to Earth for you,” he promised fiercely, his arm tightening around her. “Anywhere you want to be, I will follow. You are my fate.”
His words pierced her, both thrilling and terrifying. And then—almost casually—he added,
“It’s the reason I called your daughter to the General Draft. I knew you would come with her, and I couldn’t get you to come to me otherwise.”
Miranda froze. She pulled away from him, off of him. Then she twisted to face the big Monstrum, her eyes wide.
“Wait. What did you just say? You called Hanna on purpose to get to me?”
Korrath nodded.
“Of course. It was the only way to reach you. You were not in the Draft but your daughter was.”
Her heart stuttered painfully.
“Did you know how busy we were? How much stress you caused her? We were preparing for her wedding, Korrath! Her wedding! And you—you said you saw me in your dreams. So you must have known.”
“I did,” he admitted quietly.
Her throat closed around a lump of fury and hurt.
“Do you have any idea how upset Hanna was? How terrified she was when she thought she’d been called as a Monstrum bride? And all along, it was never about her—it was about me. Why didn’t you just call me?”
His eyes softened, but his voice was unflinching.
“If I had called you, would you have answered? I think not. And I had no legal standing to summon you. Your name wasn’t in the Draft.”
“That’s because I’m too old for the Draft!”
Suddenly, everything felt like too much. She’d been living in a fairytale for the past twenty-four hours, but fairytales didn’t last. It was time to get back to reality—which didn’t include a seven-foot-tall Monstrum Warrior. She felt tears stinging her eyes, and she didn’t even try to hold back.
“I’m too old for the Draft and I’m too old for you!”
The silence between them was sharp and awful. Korrath reached for her, but Miranda flinched away.
