“What I always do. Steal.” Russell stuffed some paper plates into the bag. It was full now. “Later.”
“Wait!” Howard came to a halt at the pantry door. “I just heard the latest report. Rajiv is frantic. What happened to Jia?”
“She’s fine. I need to get back to her.”
Howard gave him a worried look. “Is it true what Xiao Fang told them? That Han is your brother?”
Russell’s jaw clenched. The news was out.
Howard grimaced. “Holy crap. What are—”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of him.”
“Listen, you’re not in this alone. Will you—”
Russell teleported back to the cave. The last thing he wanted to hear now was sympathy. He checked on Jia. Still dead.
He spread the food out on the table and soon had a paper plate stacked with four ham and cheese sandwiches. He was just opening the bag of potato chips when he heard a soft gasp.
Jia was waking to her second life.
Chapter Eighteen
Jia inhaled deeply as a feeling of euphoria swept through her. She was alive, but so much more alive than before. Every nerve seemed to tingle with heightened sensibility. Even the air she breathed was more refreshing.
She opened her eyes, and her vision was sharper. In spite of the dim light, she could see every crack and crevice in the rock ceiling overhead. Heat surged through her, igniting every muscle with extra strength and more flexibility. Her heart pounded so loud that it deafened her.
The tiger inside her growled, elated with the gift of more power. The heat increased, simmering in her chest like a fire. She kicked off the blanket and sat up.
“Jia, you’re back! Thank God.”
She glanced to the side. Russell was approaching her, a relieved, happy look on his face. He seemed to be glowing with a golden hue. Were her eyes doing something odd? No matter, for he looked more gorgeous than ever.
“Jia?”
Her heart pounded so loud that his voice seemed to be coming from a mile away. He was asking her something, but it was hard to concentrate, when the fire inside her was creeping up her neck. Sweat trickled between her breasts, and she rubbed her chest. What was she wearing? It looked like one of Russell’s T-shirts.
“Jia!” He raised his voice as he stepped closer. “Are you all right?”
Was she? Had the wound healed? She pulled the T-shirt up to look.
“Sheesh.” Russell spun about, putting his back to her. “I—” He cleared his throat. “I made some sandwiches in case you’re hungry. You should probably eat. Get your strength back. You’ve been through a lot.”
His words made her smile. He didn’t realize how strong she felt. She was naked underneath the shirt and fairly clean. All the blood was gone, so he must have washed it away. She felt along her rib cage. Her skin was intact. And tingling.
She recognized the feeling. Her skin was burning and itching, as if she needed to escape her human shell. Even though the moon wasn’t full, she was going to shift. From now on, she would be able to shift whenever she wanted.
What freedom and power! With a grin, she yanked the T-shirt off and tossed it aside. It landed by Russell’s feet.
He glanced at it, his back still turned toward her. “Do you want some new clothes? There are some clean ones on the drying rack. I can—”
His voice grew dim as her heartbeat thundered in her ears and the fire exploded in her head. She crouched on all fours, digging her fingers into the blanket. A cry escaped her mouth as her body shifted.
“What’s wrong?” Russell turned back to her. “Oh, shit!”
Her bones crackled, seeking a new shape. Fur sprouted from her skin. Her skull expanded, her teeth grew longer. Sharper. Claws shot from the end of her fingers as her hands transformed into paws.
“Damn.” He stepped back. “I didn’t realize you were going to—”
She threw her head back and roared. Power surged through her, fueled by the inner fire. Never had she felt so alive.
“Okay.” He watched her warily. “I guess you don’t need any clothes right now. How about some food?”
Her muscles rippled, begging to be used. She pushed off the bed with a graceful leap and landed, knocking Russell over with her front legs. She settled half on top of him, pinning him to the ground.
He grimaced. “That was impressive.”
She flexed the paw that rested on his chest, and when her claws emerged, she sliced open his shirt a few inches.
His eyes widened. “Nice claws.” He lifted a hand to pat her head, but when she grinned, he jerked his hand back. “Nice teeth.”
She growled low in her throat.
He gulped. “By the way, when I mentioned food, I wasn’t referring to myself.” He motioned to the table. “Sandwich?”
She eased closer to his face.
He stiffened. “Jia? You’re in there, right? Those are your eyes. They were glowing before, but they look more normal now.”
She butted her forehead against his, then turned to the table. Stretching up, she placed her front paws on the table and gobbled down the sandwiches.
He scrambled to his feet. “That was fast. I’ll make some more.”
The heat inside her ratcheted up till she felt she would combust. She ran into the stream and settled up to her neck in the cool water.
He smiled. “I’ve heard that tigers like water.” He moved behind the table to make more sandwiches. “You had me worried there for a second. I thought I might have to teleport away.”
Even in the stream, she was still on fire. Her skin tingled, signaling her body was ready to shift back to human form. She closed her eyes and let it happen. Maybe the fire would go away once she was back to normal.
The shift didn’t hurt this time. With a whoosh, her bones adjusted and her fur receded. Grinning, she opened her eyes. Was shifting going to be that quick and easy from now on?
“That was amazing.” Russell watched her with a stunned look. “How do you feel?”
She was still crouched in the stream up to her neck. “I feel wonderful. So strong and . . .” She sucked in a breath, suddenly aware of how the water current was sweeping across her skin. It felt so good. As if all her nerve endings were being caressed. The burning sensation receded from her head and moved down her body.
“The sun will rise in about twenty minutes. I brought plenty of food to get you through the day.” He motioned to the new stack of sandwiches he’d just made. “Are you hungry?”
“I’m fine.” She shivered as the rushing water sent tingles up her arms and down her spine. The fire burned in her belly, but her skin was pebbled with goose bumps. How could she feel hot and cold at the same time?
She unbraided her hair and leaned her head back to wash it. As she arched her back, the water tickled her breasts.
With a gasp, she sat up. Her nipples had hardened. The fire inside her moved between her legs, scorching her with a sudden need. A hunger.
She squeezed her thighs together, hoping to squelch the fire, but the flames grew hotter. What was happening to her? She crossed her arms, hugging herself, but that only made her breasts ache to be touched.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“I-I’m fine.” Was this what Rajiv had warned her about? An overwhelming desire to . . . Her breath hitched as she looked at Russell. God help her, she did want to mate.
He tilted his head, studying her. “You don’t seem fine.”
The sizzling sensation between her legs was growing stronger. The heat unbearable. Pressing her thighs together just made her more sensitive. More desperate. A whimper escaped her mouth.
“You look like you’re in pain.” He grabbed a towel and walked toward her. “Maybe you should lie down. Get some more rest.”
She stood up, the water waist high, her long hair concealing her breasts. “Russell.”
“Come on out.” He stopped at the river’s edge and stretched the towel out between his arms. “I won’t look.”
“But I want you to.” With a sudden move, she shoved her hair behind her shoulders.
He stiffened, his eyes flashing red before he turned his head.
A thrill of victory shot through her. He wanted her. And she needed him. He would know how to quench the fire inside her. But she needed to hurry. He would go into his death-sleep when the sun rose.
She strode toward him, and the movement of her thighs brushing against each other made her want to scream. She had to mate. She wasn’t sure how, but Russell would know. He would help her through this.
She ripped the towel out of his hands and tossed it aside.
“What are you—?” He turned back to her. His gaze swept over her quickly, and his eyes turned a darker, more intense red. “Jia—”
She placed her hands on his chest. “Russell.”
He stepped back. “Do you want a . . . sandwich?”
“No.” She kept moving toward him, and he retreated till he bumped into the table. “I want you.”
“But—”
“I need you.” She smoothed her hands over his T-shirt, then slipped her fingers into the hole she’d made earlier with her claws and ripped the shirt in two.
“Sheesh! You can’t—I have a limited number of shirts, you know.” He hissed in a breath as she caressed his bare chest.
His skin was so smooth, so deliciously sculpted over his chest and abs. He was a beautiful man, and he would be her mate. If she could just figure out how to go about it.
A kiss. Didn’t people kiss before mating? She grabbed him by the shoulders and went up on her toes to plant her mouth firmly against his.
He reeled back, but she leaned forward, puckering her lips and pressing hard against his mouth. When her breasts touched his bare chest, she gasped.
He seized her by the upper arms and moved her back. “What the hell has gotten into you?”
The kiss hadn’t done much for her. But she’d definitely liked the feel of her bare skin against his. Obviously, they both needed to be naked. She unbuckled his belt.
He grabbed her wrists. “Jia! We can’t do this.”
“Of course we can.” She struggled to undo the button at the waistband.
He lifted her hands up, away from his trousers. “You’re engaged.”
“I don’t care.” She jerked her hands away and pulled down his zipper.
“I care! I’m not—shit!” He stiffened when she yanked his trousers and underwear down to his thighs.
She gasped as his manhood sprang free. It was thick and swollen. The longer she stared at it, the bigger it seemed to grow. And the more she throbbed and burned between her legs. “I’ve never seen a man look like this.”
“I should hope not,” he muttered, reaching for the waistband of his underwear.
Before he could cover himself up, she curled a hand around him. His manhood jerked against her palm.
He hissed in another breath. “Dammit, Jia. I’m not doing this. Not when you’re engaged.”
She shoved him toward the bed and he stumbled, his trousers falling to his ankles.
“Would you stop—” He leaned over to make another grab for his underwear, but she took advantage of his position by planting her hands on his rump and giving him a hard push.
He sprawled on the bed, grunting when his swollen groin hit the surface. Quickly, he rolled onto his back, but she was just as quick to grab his trousers and underwear and yank them off completely.
“What the—” He started to sit up but fell back when she lifted his legs onto the bed. “Jia—”
She jumped on top, straddling him on her hands and knees. “I need you. And I know you want me. Your eyes are red. Rajiv warned me what that meant.”
Russell gritted his teeth. “Of course they’re red. I’m seeing you naked. But that doesn’t mean we should—”
“I have to.” She glanced down at his manhood. It was erect and pointed right at her belly. “Will that really fit inside me? It looks too big.”
He snorted. “Have you forgotten what it means to be engaged to someone else?”
She inched forward on her knees till his erection was in line with her private parts. “How do we do it?”
He grabbed her shoulders, holding her back. “You’re a virgin, right? Why are you doing this?”
“I need—” She lowered her hips till the tip of his erection grazed against her. A blast of sensation shot from her core, and she shuddered. Oh God, if she didn’t mate, she felt like she would burn to death. “I have to do this! Help me, please.”
“You can’t—” He grasped her hips to stop her. “You’re going to hurt yourself. You can’t just . . . fall on the sword. You have to be ready.”
She gave his so-called sword a dubious look. “Isn’t it ready? How much bigger can you get?”
“I’m talking about you. There are certain steps that should be followed to make—”
“What steps?”
“Well . . . generally speaking, you would start off with some kissing.”
She rolled her eyes. “We did that. What’s the next step?”
He scoffed. “That wasn’t a kiss.”
“Of course it was.”
“Two mouths colliding don’t make a kiss.”
“Next step!”
He frowned at her. “Touching.”
She dragged her hands down his chest. “Okay, done.”
“I would have to touch you, too.”
“Can we just get on with this?” She clasped his manhood in her hand and positioned herself over it.
“Wait!”
“What now?”
“You need to be . . . ready.” He sat up and slid a hand between her legs.
She shuddered at the feel of his probing fingers. “Oh, God, Russell, help me.” She grasped his shoulders and moaned when moisture seeped from her core.
He closed his eyes briefly, scowling as if he was angry with himself. “You’re ready.”
She pressed against him, crying out with relief as he guided her to the right place. Shudders racked her body as she felt him sliding inside her, deeper, until he hit a barrier.
“Is that it?”
He clenched his teeth. “We should stop now so you’ll still be—” He gasped when she sat down hard. “Shit.”
The burst of pain made her cry out, but then she sank further and further, taking more of him inside her. Oh, God, yes, this was what she needed. She hugged him tight, pressing her breasts against him.
“I’m on fire, Russell. Can you feel it?”
“Yes.” His hands skimmed up her back.
She rocked gently against him. “What do I do?”
“You’re doing good.”
Her hands slipped to his neck and entwined in his hair. “I’m so glad you were here. That it was you.”
His hands tightened on her, then with a groan, he suddenly rolled her onto her back. His manhood slipped almost completely out, but then he plunged back in, making her gasp.
He stroked her breasts, then took a nipple into his mouth. She arched her back, moaning from the sweetness of it. Again and again, he thrust into her. Harder and harder till she was gasping for air, swirling in a sea of sensation that grew stronger and stronger.
Just when she thought she was going to drown, the sensations shattered. She cried out, holding onto him tight. With a shout, he pumped into her, then collapsed, holding his weight on his elbows.
His fangs shot out. With a groan, he rolled onto his back.
She pressed a hand to her chest, waiting for her pounding heart to calm. She squeezed her thighs together. The sweet throbbing was still going on.
She’d done it. She’d mated for the first time. A laugh bubbled up her throat. The fire was gone, and she felt so strong and free.
Russell rose from the bed and strode toward the ice chest. Keeping his back to her, he stuck a bottle of blood into the microwave and waited for it to warm up.
She rolled onto her side to admire the sight of his back and butt
ocks. “Thank you.”
He stiffened, but didn’t turn around, didn’t say a word.
Was he angry with her? She sat up. “Are you all right?”
He removed the bottle and took a sip. “The sun will be up in a few minutes. After I’m dead, you should call your cousin to let him know you’re all right. Xiao Fang told him you were wounded, so I’m sure he’s been worried.”
She winced. She would have to admit that she’d progressed to her second life. And Rajiv would want to know if she’d mated. He would not be thrilled that the were-tiger princess had mated with a vampire. Especially when she was engaged.
Was that why Russell was refusing to look at her? Did he feel guilty? It wasn’t his fault. She was the one who had practically forced him.
She gasped. Oh God, she had forced him. He’d tried over and over to stop her, but she hadn’t listened. She’d been totally engulfed in a feverish need to mate. “Russell, I—”
“Get some rest.” He tossed the empty bottle into a plastic bin. “We can talk when I wake up.” He strode to the far end of the cave where he’d left a blanket and pillow.
He wasn’t going to share the bed with her? Her heart sank.
“Goodnight.” He stretched out and closed his eyes.
Tears stung her eyes when his breathing stopped. “I’m so sorry.”
He had every right to be angry. He’d tried to stop her. He’d reminded her that she was engaged. And she had ignored his objections.
Rajiv would be angry, too. She’d have to explain to him that she didn’t care if her engagement fell through. She didn’t know the were-tiger prince. As far as she was concerned, he could jump in a lake.
But Russell . . . She walked over to him and adjusted his blanket. She did care about him. He was the one who believed in her, the one who filled her thoughts and pulled at her heart. It would kill her if she lost his friendship. Or lost his respect.
A tear rolled down her cheek. “Please don’t hate me. You’re my . . . my partner. My cowboy. I need you.” Her heart squeezed in her chest with a painful realization. She needed him to love her.
Because she loved him.
Chapter Nineteen
When Russell woke up that evening, he found Jia asleep in the bed, wearing one of his T-shirts. There were signs that she’d been busy during the day. His clothes and coat¸ which he’d left soaking in the stream, were washed and drying. All the laundry had been done, and the cave cleaned up.