Cush watched as his Chosen paced the room like a caged tiger. Her long black ponytail lashed around her like an angry whip and her breathing was shallow and fast. She was beautiful and he wanted her. A lot of what she said was true but not all of it. He wasn’t upset that he’d found her, taken off guard, definitely, but he wasn’t disappointed. And as he stared at the passionate, selfless woman before him, he realized that he was a fool. The Forest Lords had created Chosens for the elves for a reason and it was becoming obvious that one of the reasons was to show them their own weaknesses and then to give them the strength to move past those weaknesses. Yes, he wanted her and he was done fighting it.

It took two large strides and he had his arm wrapped around her waist. He wrapped his other hand around the back of her neck, holding her still as his lips took hers. Everything wrong suddenly disappeared and all Cush could see was her, his Little Raven. For one heartbeat she pushed against him, but when she gasped at the contact of his lips, he took advantage of her open mouth and invaded. Her taste flooded his senses and suddenly his whole world was Elora. She tasted of the sweetest honey. Her tongue danced with his, boldly pushing back. Her lips were soft and firm at the same time and he swore they were branding him as hers. He pushed her back until she was pressed against the wall. Her body pressed closed to his and the warmth of her filled every empty place in him. He released her waist and wrapped both arms around her, pulling her tighter against him. She moaned and Cush pressed impossibly closer. He wanted to give her all of him, wanted to feel her soul, but he held himself back. He didn’t let their souls meet, not yet, not until she understood. He felt her small hands on his face and he pulled back to look down at her. Her lips were swollen and glistened with the moisture from their kiss, her eyes were heavy with unreserved passion, and her breathing was just as heavy as his own.

“You look well-loved, Little Raven,” he whispered.

She ran a finger across his lips and he nipped it with his teeth causing a giggle to erupt from her.

“You just giggled.”

“I don’t giggle,” Elora told him sternly, though a smile danced on her beautiful lips.

“I think I could find ways to make you giggle,” he teased her as his hands ran down her back.

Elora’s eyes narrowed. “Are you bipolar? Because a second ago you were lining up reasons as to why we couldn’t do this.”

Cush leaned his forehead against hers. “You gave a compelling argument and I’m a fast learner.”

Elora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. His scent enveloped her and she knew that if she told him she didn’t want this, didn’t want him, she would be lying through her ever loving teeth. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He was gorgeous, rugged, breathtakingly handsome and she wanted him, she did.

“I want this,” she said boldly. “I want you.”

Cush stared into the eyes of his Chosen and saw her resolve.

“I want you,” he told her. “I want you with a fierceness that I don’t know if you can begin to understand. You’re mine, Elora, my Chosen, made for me and I know that if I give into it, if I accept this, I won’t let you go, ever. That’s the price.” He took her face in his hands and tilted her head so that she was looking directly into his eyes. “Do you hear me, Little Raven? If you let me have you, if I make you mine, I will never let you go. I will want to possess you in every way possible. I will want to be the air you breathe; I will want to be as close to you as your own skin. I will need you and you will need me to the extent that separation will be painful. Are you willing to pay that price?”

Elora shuddered at the possessiveness she saw in his eyes and the desire she felt in his hands. She felt his soul then, for the first time, he was letting her in.

“Show me,” she whispered and closed her eyes, waiting.

Cush leaned down and pressed his lips to hers again, but this time he didn’t hold back. This time he let his soul free and it lunged for her. Elora’s soul rose up to meet his and he growled low as he felt her cling to him. Her arms came up around his neck and she pulled him down tight against her as if she couldn’t get close enough and he understood the feeling. He let his hands roam freely as his mouth explored hers and their souls danced for the first time. He didn’t know how long he stood their ravishing his Chosen, but he knew if they didn’t stop, he might just make her his right there on the floor.

“I’m not complaining.” He heard her thoughts in his mind and grinned.

“Little Raven,” he nipped her bottom lip and pulled back from their kiss.

“Are you done running?” she asked him as he smoothed her hair back from her face and let his hands slide down to rest on her hips.

“I won’t let you go, Elora. There is no breaking up, or divorces, or whatever other silly things you humans do when you tire of your mate.”

“No worries, love. I kill my men when I’m done with them,” she told him with a wicked smile and a wink. This brought out a bark of laughter from him.

“Okay, okay,” he chuckled, “then I’m done running and you are mine.” His eyes darkened and his voice lowered, “For eternity, Elora, you are mine.”

She pressed a tender kiss to his lips and then pulled back and narrowed her eyes at him. “So no more wishy-washy stuff? No more of this, I don’t know what I want, I’m a warrior, I kill things and don’t have room for you, blah-blah-blah?”