Honest Cravings (6 page)

Alison licked her lips. “I…” She sighed her frustration when the words didn’t come.

“You’ve done nothing wrong,” Aaron assured her, brushing a few strands of hair from in front of her face. “In fact, you’ve done everything right.” He trailed his fingers down the back of her neck, pulling her in close to his chest. Resting his chin on her head, he said, “If I asked you to be my Domme again, would you do it? For me?”

Alison frowned at him. “You mean full-time?”

Aaron laughed and draped his arms around her. “No, I would never pressure you like that. Besides, I like being a Dom so much more. But, I also like being your sub. So, I ask you again, would you be willing to be my Domme again?” His last question came out in a growl and made the hairs on the back of Alison’s neck stand on end.

She dropped her gaze, knowing that voice better than any other. “Yes, Master.”

“Good girl.”

Also available from Total-E-Bound Publishing:

Bonded

Erin Lark

Excerpt

Chapter One

A chill wind bit at Tara’s face as she descended from the shadowed plane into her lesser human form. The world had changed since her departure nearly a month before—her safe haven of a home had burnt down during her absence. Heat brushed her cheeks, and she forced back her anxiety. The home had very little meaning to her. By now, she’d learned not to get too attached to this world or the material possessions most humans tried to collect.

She raised her eyes to a moonless sky, envisioning the new moon and the power it held behind her xaran curse. Tara bit her tongue—she knew better than to second-guess the decisions of the Divine.
You need to play your part just like everyone else.

She clicked her tongue. It didn’t matter if her being human now kept balance between both planes. The shift always made her uneasy, especially when she was left inside her weaker form. Even so, she’d be stuck here another month, so it was best if she got used to it.

Rousing herself from behind the charred supports of her home, Tara inhaled the scents of alcohol, raw sewage, car exhaust fumes and a long winter’s night. She coughed around the unappetising fragrance, wondering if it was too late to go back—to fall into darkness for another month.

Her lack of a home wasn’t what troubled her, and clothes could easily be replaced—but none had ever seemed to fit her as well as her furred, xaran skin.
Damn this plane and its foolish human creatures.
She spat into the snow at her feet. Although her xaran spirit remained, her appearance cloned those she so readily mocked. She was on their plane now, stuck in her human form with all its attached weaknesses.

Such was the xaran curse—one month of a human’s frail life to every month served under the Divine. Supposedly, it was to retain some form of balance between the shadowed plane and the one connected to everyone else on Earth. It didn’t help that, each time she shifted, she returned a month later than when she left, which usually meant different circumstances.
A lot can change in a month.

Tara growled under her breath and bit her lower lip as she inspected her scant articles of clothing—not nearly enough to keep her warm during the last days of winter. She’d have to get indoors and hope no one took notice of her short blouse, knee-length skirt and fierce, feline-like eyes.
Just keep your head down and mind your own,
she chided herself. Making eye contact with another human usually translated as a formal invitation for conversation and company. She wasn’t interested in either one.

Rolling her shoulders back, Tara straightened her blue blouse and buttoned up the front. Her nipples hardened from the cold, causing the thin fabric to tighten around them. She wouldn’t need to make eye contact at all, not when it came to her lacking a bra and having such a pale complexion.

Tara pulled her raven-black hair from under the back of her shirt, brushing the few flakes of snow from it. The corners of her mouth curled as she imagined her hair looking much like her xaran skin, black as night speckled with dark brown and white flecks. She purred at the memory of the warmth of her xaran skin and everything it entailed.
Put those thoughts out of your mind. Get somewhere warm if you hope to return to that plane again.

Stepping out of her crumpled home, Tara turned left, picking up her pace as she headed for the local bar. Even if she didn’t want the company, the bar was a lot better than standing out in the cold. And that was all this was about—survival.

Tara pressed through the doors to the bar, delighting in the warm air as it blew against her face. Goose bumps emerged all over her body, reacting to the changing temperature and the man staring at her from the far end of the room. Tara averted her eyes and made for the bar, gingerly perching on one of the stools when she got there.

She raised her eyes to the barkeep, inspecting him from under her long eyelashes.

“Tara.” The barkeep beamed, leaning over the bar to greet her. “Haven’t seen you for a time.”

“Evening, brother,” Tara said smoothly.

“Is the night serving you well?”

Tara eyed her blouse, then looked back at him. “You tell me.”

“Ah, I see what you mean.” His eyes grew distant. “I assume you visited your home before you came here.”

“What’s left of it, yes. What happened?”

“Electrical fire.” He cleared his throat. “We have some spare clothes for you in the back, should you need to change into something warm.”

“Thank you, Illistar, but I’ll manage for now,” Tara purred, smiling at the other xaran. “I didn’t see you at the Awakening earlier this evening. Everything all right?”

The barkeep’s eyes widened and he leaned in closer. “The Divine, is she not pleased?”

“She didn’t say. I only ask out of concern for an old friend. Did you not embrace the change?”

Illistar shook his head, gesturing to the space around them. “Someone’s got to look after them,” he explained, referring to his patrons. “Besides, you know I’ve never been one for the shift.”

He was lying of course. He craved it—looked forward to it. Illistar had always shifted at the same time she did. The bar was owned by two of the xaran, each one watching it one month at a time. Last month would’ve been Skyler’s turn to look after it, but, if he had, she couldn’t understand why Illistar hadn’t joined her along with the others.

“How did you do it?” Tara asked, placing her elbows on the edge of the counter.

“Keep from changing?”

Tara nodded gently.

“By keeping my distance from the other xaran.” Illistar ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair, his blue eyes reflecting the bar’s dim lighting. “I had to close the bar for a day or two.”

Tara nodded. She knew their ability to shift and jump planes depended solely on their sexual desires. By removing temptation, Illistar must have been able to keep from shifting.

“You look well for missing a month,” Tara said.

More than well, in fact. Tara crossed her legs, ignoring the fact that she and Illistar had shared a few moments of their own during the cycle before last. He was older than most of the other xaran. Tara breathed in his earthy scent, her eyes feeding on his well-formed biceps—the same ones he’d used to claim her as his bonded mate.

Only on the other plane.
The relationship she and Illistar shared within the shadowed realm was out of necessity. A bonded pair was stronger than those without a mate. Healthier. It was rare to see an adult xaran without a mate, but that didn’t mean they loved one another.

“It takes time to look this good, I assure you,” Illistar purred, breaking Tara from her thoughts. “So, what will it be?”

“You know what I like,” Tara said, placing her hand under her chin. “I’m mostly in here to get warm.”

Illistar nodded, his eyes moving from her frame to someone standing behind her. “May I help you?”

Tara turned her head away from the man brushing against her right side. He ordered his drinks and left.

“You sure you don’t want to get out of those clothes of yours?” Illistar teased, handing her a small soda.

“That depends.” Tara smiled at him. “Would you join me?”

“Mmm, your scent is rather appetising this evening.”

Tara’s body tensed, her brown eyes falling to her lap. Her body pulsed under his gaze—his attraction. Illistar knew as well as she did that the xaran were sexually driven during the new moon. And he’d likely take advantage of the fact if she let him. It would take time for her body to cool down.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Illistar warned, his voice firm. “Not with the new moon still upon us.”

“The humans don’t know.”

“No, but I do. It’s risky, Tara. And the xaran in this room don’t need to smell your sexual urges to come on to you. Any lass that comes through that door is fair game to them.”

“And you know as well as I do that the new moon makes one feral. Let them try, Illistar. I guarantee anyone that does will feel it in the morning.”

Illistar nodded at that and went to turn away. “Enjoy your drink.”

He gave Tara a final, warning glance.
Finish your drink, gather your clothes and leave.
Tara knew her closeness bothered him. Even though this was his month to remain on the plane with the humans, that didn’t mean the new moon wouldn’t affect him. After not seeing Illistar at the last Awakening, she was certain he wouldn’t be able to resist his urges this time around. It would be best for them both if she took care of herself and left before the night was through.

Tara eyed her drink, plucking a single red cherry from her Coke. She sucked on it before squeezing it against the roof of her mouth. She might not have liked being human, but they sure had a way with food. Tara savoured the tangy, sweet juices as they slithered down her throat.

She was about to take a sip from her glass when she caught the whiff of another’s scent. Someone was looking at her, and not just anyone. It was the man she’d seen staring at her when she’d first walked in the door. The same man who’d smiled at her when she’d sat down.

She didn’t need to glance back in his direction to know he was studying her smaller form. She was the only female in the room. Tara grimaced, and she sniffed the air, taking in the human’s scent—and his sexual desire upon it.
He’s drunk,
Tara assured herself.
You’re just a piece of meat to him.
Meat or not, his undivided attention intrigued her.

“That one’s been watching you since you got here,” Illistar warned as he mopped up the counter beside her. “Want me to get rid of him?”

Tara shook her head. “It’s fine.”

Tara drew in a deep breath and waited for Illistar to leave. The other xaran did so without question, but she could sense his eyes on her, even though he was off serving other patrons.
Risky, indeed.
If she hadn’t known any better, she could’ve sworn he wanted her for himself.
Not now.
Not with the new moon still hanging overhead. But, if he did, he hid his desire fairly well, which wasn’t possible for a xaran during a new moon. Sexual desire wasn’t something they could turn off. As a xaran, the night of the new moon meant pleasure and the company of another. It must be agonising for Illistar to have missed a new moon and the companionship that went with it, even now, as the night drew closer to morning.

Tara sighed as she traced the rim of her glass with her index finger. Her thoughts took her elsewhere, to the sexual pleasures she’d left in the night and the potential ones that were present within the room. She picked up the human’s scent again, his musk thick but inviting. He wore no cologne, which made it easy for her to sense his sexual intentions.

He might not have come to the bar tonight in the hope of attracting a female, but, now that she was here, his eyes hadn’t left her body. She let him grope her by sight alone, his gaze tracing every curve of her body, his spicy scent growing stronger than before.

Tara gripped her glass around the base with long fingers, and she closed her eyes. Her body shuddered as the door to the bar opened, then closed. With one leg crossed over the other, Tara flexed her thigh muscles, tightening them. A small part of her begged her to leave, to head into the unisex bathroom and relieve her sexual frustration before things could get any worse.

She remained, figuring it was better to suffer through the pain than to possibly bump into something on her way there. Tara’s heart raced when the man from the far end of the room glided towards her. His eyes were locked on to her, and only her. She could’ve left the bar right then and it wouldn’t have mattered. He’d be her pet for the night.

He settled down on the stool beside her, giving her a long sideways glance until she returned the favour. His green eyes widened as she bore into him, likely shocked by the pair of yellow orbs giving him equal attention. But he didn’t leave. Instead, he moved in closer, his breath caressing her cheek. Tara blinked, and, with a bit of effort on her part, calmed her nerves just enough for her eyes to return to normal.

Her vision darkened, then cleared. She drew in a shaky breath.
Hold it together, Tara.

“Not a drinker, huh?” the man teased, nodding to her flat soda.

“Not really,” Tara said, impatiently bouncing her leg under the table.

“You nervous or something?”

Tara held her legs still and willed her breathing to return to normal.
Slow, even breaths.
She struggled with the breathing exercise, squeezing her glass even more. Her new companion reached across the bar, prising the glass from her hands. His arm brushed against one of her breasts, coaxing the nipple to peak through her clothing. He smiled, eyes feasting on the pink mound hidden under her blouse.