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away from her face and emotion slashed across his eyes. She’d almost missed it, but it had been there. Somewhere in him, he still harbored a soul. The wicked twist of his smile, however, dropped her stomach to the floor like she’d just fallen off a cliff.
    “Spread your legs,” he murmured.
    He wouldn’t touch her. It wasn’t his way to take a woman against her will. His pride was too big to admit a woman didn’t want him. Instead, he’d been patiently hunting her for weeks, driving her to inferno as her heat had grown stronger.
    Hormones were her traitorous little enemies. Like a wanton woman, she pulled her hands away from her sex and splayed her legs. Nathan pushed to the edge of his throne until his jutting erection was inches from her entrance.
    “Be mine.”
    “Nathan,” she pleaded, voice shaking. “I can’t. I want more than what you can give me.”
    “I can give you everything,” he said, crouching on the floor. His powerful muscles tensed as he lowered himself in front of her thighs. His warm breath caressed the building moisture there and she shuddered and let her head drop backward. Her eyes rolled closed.
    “You’re so ripe, Joanna. I could make you come with my breath if you wished it.”
    She was burning. It didn’t matter if it was Nathan, or any other man touching her, she felt reckless to be held. Stupid heat.
    “Do you wish it?” he asked, his breath tickling her sensitive skin.
    She couldn’t remember how to talk. Forming words was suddenly beyond her abilities and her knees, those double-crossing little bitches, gave. His caressing tongue slid into her and his hands gripped her hips, holding her upright. It was the first time he’d touched her and the pain of his fingers digging into her flesh overpowered the ecstasy of his deep thrusting tongue.
    This wasn’t what she wanted. It was what her body wanted, but not her heart.
    “Stop,” she whispered half-heartedly.
    His touch disappeared immediately. When she opened her eyes, he was standing to his full height, much taller than her. His eyes were so dilated, the green had all but disappeared, replaced by searing blackness.
    “Can’t you see what you do to me?” he asked low.
    His hands were clenched at his sides and his erection jutted hard as a stone between them. He never let anyone see this kind of emotion. She knew, because she watched for it. But how could she explain monogamy to someone more animal than man?
    “I want to be with one man,” she said, swaying toward him like her body still required his heat. “And I want to be his only mate. You can’t give that to me. I need more.”
    His face grew ruddy and his eyes took on a dangerous glint. “You would have me forsake all other women, just so I could be with you?”
    She lifted her chin defiantly. “Yes.” Her mother and father had mated for life. Blood Den encouraged those kinds of relationships and she’d dreamt of one day finding that. Nathan was powerful and sexy, but Long Claws had never lived by clan rules. They felt they were above them and gave more power to their animals, forsaking human instincts.
    Nathan didn’ t want a mate. He wanted breeders.
    “My love?” Anya asked from the entrance to the stairway. She was a slight thing, mousey almost, with dirty blonde ringlets and an easy smile for Nathan. She always looked at him so adoringly, Joanna had mistaken it for love when he’d first started collecting his mates. It wasn’t though. She was like his other women. High on the power that being mated to the alpha brought, and very well-bedded. That probably looked a lot like love to bear shifters raised to expect this kind of pairing. To Joanna, who’d seen real love, it was terrifying to think she could be like Anya someday.
    With long strides, Nathan reached Anya and slid his hands around her waist. He kissed her, lingering as if addicted to the taste of her. His hand drew up and cupped the back of her head and he tilted her back, and dipped his