“A Sacred Blue chewchie is always the first choice for any kind of assistance,” Tisa informed him, grooming her tail fastidiously with her long pink tongue. “In fact—”
But her speech was interrupted by a low groan from Ellina.
Ty looked at her in concern. He had set her back on her feet when he saw Asher and realized the danger was over, but now she was doubled over, and when she looked up, there was an expression of agony on her lovely face.
“Ty,” she whispered, reaching for him. “It…it hurts.”
And then she crumpled to the ground.
Chapter Forty-nine
“Ellina? Gods, Ellina! What’s wrong? What happened?” Ty gathered her into his arms as Lor and Tisa scrambled up to sit on his shoulders. Both of the chewchies were making low, worried sounds of unease and through their link, Ty could sense a terrible pain flowing through the woman he loved.
“Ellina?” he said again. “Please, little one—talk to me!”
Ellina’s eyelids fluttered open and he saw agony in her Sacred Blue gaze.
“Breeding…pains,” she panted and her hands went to the spot between her legs and curled into fists. “Lust…dust…bringing on my…Heat Cycle, I think.”
“What kind of dust? What is she talking about?” Ty demanded, speaking to Tisa.
“Lor says that Kikbax blew a kind of dust in Ellina’s face,” his chewchie responded quickly. “The same stuff he used to try and drug her wine before—only you neutralized it with your fangs.”
“Tisa’s right,” Ellina whispered, her face pale with pain. “I thought—hoped—that I’d ingested enough…enough of your essence to make me immune. But I guess…guess I didn’t,” she finished with another wince of pain. “Oh gods and goddesses, Ty—it hurts!”
“What can I do?” Ty asked her desperately. “Tell me, Ellina—is there a doctor or healer I can take you to?”
She shook her head.
“No…no doctor can help me now. Only…only you.”
As though to explain her words, Lor transmitted a picture of Ty and Ellina together doing…well, doing things that would have made his shaft rock-hard if he hadn’t been out of his mind with worry for Ellina.
“I can’t do that now!” he protested, stroking her hair back from her face. “You’re hurting too much, little one!”
“It’s…it’s the only way,” Ellina moaned. “Please, Ty!”
“What is it? How can I help?” Asher asked over his shoulder. “Should I call Commander Sylvan? He’s a physician.”
“No, Sylvan can’t help her now—only I can,” Ty said grimly. He looked at his old friend. “Secure the prisoners here and make sure nobody gets away. I have to take Ellina back to the royal apartments.”
He rose with her in his arms. Cradling her close to his chest, he walked as quickly as he could towards the dungeon steps, leaving Asher to clean up the messy situation. For now he knew—the only help he could give was to breed her and bond her to him.
It was the only way to ease her pain—the only way to save her life.
Chapter Fifty
Ellina writhed in pain the moment he lay her down on the bed. The need inside her was huge—overwhelming. It was a desire so intense it caused her entire body to contract. Her womb was twisting within her, almost like her stomach did when she was extremely hungry. But she knew that no mere food could possibly satisfy this craving.
Seed—I need male seed, she thought. But I need it deep inside me—within my secret chamber.
She couldn’t help remembering all she had learned about breeding—that the door to that chamber, which lay deep within her sacred mouth—would have to be battered open—and that the pain would be intense.
“No, no, sweetheart,” Ty said earnestly, as he stripped off his clothing and helped her off with hers. “No, it’s not going to have to hurt. Remember when I touched you? Remember how the entrance to your secret mouth opened when I stroked it? You opened to me then easily, with pleasure—not pain.”
Ellina realized he was getting her thoughts and fears from the two chewchies, who sat at the foot of the bed watching them anxiously.
She shook her head.
“I wasn’t…wasn’t in my Heat Cycle when you…when you touched me before,” she told him. “Don’t think I…I’ll be able to open so easily this time.”
Indeed, her insides felt like a clenched fist—a knot that no amount of stroking could untie.
“Well, I’m not just going to ram myself inside you!” Ty sounded angry and upset at the very idea. “You’re a virgin, little one—I won’t make your first time about force and pain.”
“Ty, please…it’s the only way!” She moaned again, as a new spasm of need struck her. Gods, her grandmother had been right. The pain was so bad she was willing to endure anything to get rid of it—even a more intense agony—if it would only end.
But Ty seemed determined not to do what was so clearly necessary.
“Let me try something else first,” he told her, climbing onto the bed with her. “Let me just try something, Ellina.”
Ellina wanted to moan that nothing but him ramming between her legs and opening her to fill her with his seed would help, but then his big, warm hands were caressing her body.
She lay trembling at first, naked and afraid, but slowly…very slowly…she felt her body beginning to calm. It was as though the big Kindred’s touch had an almost hypnotic effect and the awful shivering began to ease. The pain was still there, but she didn’t feel quite so knotted up by it.
“There now…slowly,” Ty murmured as his big hands stroked over her bare breasts and down her sides and hips. “Take it slowly, little one.”
“I…I don’t know if I can,” she said in a high, unsteady voice.
“Just try,” he urged her. “Your body craves to be bred, but
