Mated to the Warg (Wargs of the Outland, #1)

The Heart

Rowan dug her heels in the ground. "No one said anything about eating raw hearts!" Her eyes turned pleading. "It's poisonous, isn't it? We have to cook the venom off first!"

Thrax gave a slow shake of his head. "Where's my fearless Har Kani? You slew the troll, now you must eat the heart and wear its tusks with pride."

She pinched her eyes shut, but she could still feel every warg gaze trained on her. Thrax's was heaviest of all. "Fine. If I die of food poisoning, it'll be on your conscience."

Smirking, he prodded her forward. There, in the middle of the giant chest, was an equally giant heart. And it was still beating! Gorge rise thick in her mouth.

"It's delicious, trust me," Thrax urged, his voice thick with emotion. "Eat it now while it's still fresh." His eyes were following the curve of her breasts in a slow, voluptuous caress. "You won't regret it."

Something in his look was answered by something animal in her blood. The beat of her heart soared, saliva pooling in her mouth. Suddenly she was ravenous. Without another thought, she knelt beside her kill. After severing the warm roots with Sting, she stowed her dagger and reached down with both hands to pluck out the heavy organ. It twitched, slippery in her hands.

Her eyes locked with Thrax's as she took her first bite. Hot blood spurted into her mouth. It was fragrant and salty, bursting with flavor. The flesh was surprisingly tender. She was almost tempted to take another bite.

"Now pass it around," Thrax instructed.

She looked around, her eyes landing on Meera first. Meera who stood beside her hulking grey warg. It was towards her friend that she held out the heart. A human who was as much a part of the Carthyrk pack as she was. Her eyes shone with the night gift.

As expected, Meera didn't balk. She drove her teeth into the heart with gusto. Rowan's own heart swelled, her lips curling up. The meat was then passed on to Thresh next, his stump of a tail twitching eagerly. Then it went to Thesta who only licked it. On and on, until there was nothing left, and all the pack had licked or bitten their share. Those mated took bites, and those who were not only licked it. All except Thrax.

Rowan's brow creased when Barthac finished the last bite, leaving nothing for his brother. "What about you?" she asked her mate.

He didn't answer. He merely grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger, the fire in his gaze jumping. He pulled her close with his other hand so that her breasts hugged the smooth ridges of his upper abdomen. A delicious zing rushed into her belly, flooding it like hot wine.

She barely even noticed as the other wargs began to melt away into the night. Torgon and Odoth lifted the troll up between them, one at the shoulders and the other at the knees. Then they trailed after the stragglers, each wearing a knowing grin.

"You didn't have any," she whispered against his lips.

Thrax slanted his mouth over hers in a deep kiss, his tongue a hot caress. When he pulled away, his mouth glistened with blood. "That's because the wargrex always eats last. And the best morsel is that which I'll take from your lips." He began pulling at the ties of her skirt, nipping at her lips with gentle fangs.

The skirt dropped to the floor with a heavy whisper. Deft fingers soon had her vest off, too. Her hands were just as busy, delving around his shoulders and wide back as though for the first time, hungry and impatient. Each time was no less heady than the time before. He was so large and so beautiful that there was always new terrain to explore. Except this time was very different. The moment especially intense, her head spinning with more than desire.