Looking up,CassandracaughtRavik’seyes again—which looked decidedly more golden and less cloudy by now.
“I’m going to kiss you deeper now, okay?”she asked him.“Goingto take you in my mouth—just to heal you.Canyou let me do that, big guy?”
Ravik frowned, as though trying to understand.
“Mate will suck?”he asked, at last.“Youwant…to suck…my shaft?”
“Just a little bit,”Cassandraheld up her thumb and forefinger with a small space between them.“Justto make you feel better.”
Ravik nodded.
“All right.Matecan suck.”
“Good.”Andleaning down, she sucked the broad crown of his cock into her mouth.
Severin bit back a curse as his own cock throbbed between his thighs.Gods, it was like watching a live-action sex show!Hereminded himself again it was all for science and tried to ignore how his fangs were throbbing and his cock was aching.
Ravik was certainly feeling it too.TheBeastKindred’shead fell back and his hand slipped intoCassandra’shair, but he didn’t try to force her down.Heonly stroked her long brown hair carefully, his big fingers gentle, despite the obvious effort it cost him to remain still and not thrust into her mouth.
His eyes were almost completely clear now,Severinnoted—the milky film fading more with every secondCassandrakept her mouth on him.Withevery soft suck of her lush lips, his mind came back a little more.
Data,Severinreminded himself desperately—this wasdata.
The improvement was undeniable.Ravik’sposture had relaxed.Hisvocalization was coherent.Hismotor control was improved.Hisaggression was nil.Hisfocus was entirely onCassandra, but not in a predatory way.Ina mate-bonded way—a protective way—a pleasure-response way.
Cassandra’s mouth was delivering topical analgesic and dermal regenerator to a burn site while simultaneously exposingRavikto her saliva, scent, breath, and emotional care,Severinobserved, attempting to be scientific.Hereally did need to know which element mattered most.
Was it her mouth?Herscent?Herwarmth?Herwillingness to kneel betweenRavik’sthighs and take him in her mouth and swirl her tongue around his…
No.Severinattempted to push the thought away.
“Hmm,”Ravikrumbled asCassandrakept sucking.“Feelsgood…feels good when mate sucks my cock.”
“It…it sounds like it’s working.”Severin’svoice came out slightly ragged.“You’dbetter keep it up, though—that’s a sensitive area,” he added.
Ravik groaned again, deeper this time.
Cassandra’s eyes flicked up toSeverin, and for one dangerous second, he thought she saw too much—saw the hunger in him.Sawthe way his hand gripped the table…saw the rigid line of his shoulders and the fact that his fangs were fully descended now.
But if she noticed, she said nothing.
She only looked back atRavikand continued sucking the head of his cock.
AndSeverinstood at the end of the table, his burned hand throbbing, his body aching, his mind racing, and watched the woman who might be the key to saving them all wrap her warm mouth around his best friend’s shaft.
For science, he told himself.Forhealing.ForRavik.
All of it was true…but none of it was the whole truth.
25
CASSIE
Cassie told herself this was still about healing, but that was getting harder and harder to believe.
At first, it had been easy enough to pretend that she was simply applying burn ointment in a very unusual way.Ravikhad been hurt, frightened, and regressed almost back into that foggy, half-feral state he’d been in when he first rescued her from theDeadZone.Hewouldn’t let her put the ointment on with her fingers and the only thing that seemed to calm him was her scent, her voice, and her touch.Sokissing his burns better had made a certain amount of sense.
Sort of.
