He buried his face in her neck as the ripples continued and he stayed inside her, riding them out with her. Her breasts felt soft and right against his hard chest. Her body was small, but fit perfectly. He’d been brutal in his possession of her and she was going to be sore. He needed to attend to her, and she was going to be embarrassed and angry when she came down from the high.

He lifted his head and pressed his mouth to the corner of hers. “Are you okay?”

She took a breath and curled her fingers in his hair, looking confused. Her gaze started to slide from his but he caught her chin.

“No, Kitten. We’re past that. We’re moving forward, and you’re not going to be embarrassed at what we did together.”

“I don’t even like you,” she whispered. “I don’t even know you and I was all over you. This isn’t even your fault. It’s mine. I did this. I couldn’t stop myself.”

He smoothed back her hair, stroking little soothing caresses over her scalp. “It’s going to be all right.”

“It isn’t though. I used you. I didn’t even try to control myself. The burning was terrible. My skin hurt, everything hurt. I didn’t think about you, only myself and some way to try to stop it.”

She sounded close to tears. He brushed kisses on each eyelid and then trailed more to the corner of her mouth. He still felt her tight sheath surrounding him. He should have been empty. Finished. But he was still hard. All that scorching fire and that honey and spice. But she was done. She needed care. Time to come to terms with what happened between them.

“This isn’t your fault, Catarina. It just is. We’re shifters. We didn’t ask to be shifters, and this comes with the territory. I know you’re afraid of her. Your leopard, but you don’t have to be . . .”

“Are you kidding? I would never have attacked you in a million years. She did that. She made me into a slut.”

His hands tightened on her and he gave her a little shake. “Don’t you ever call yourself that, Cat. She didn’t make you anything but what you’re supposed to be. My mate. She recognized my leopard and mine recognized yours. It’s that simple. She’ll give you a freedom you’ve never had, one that no one can take from you. When you run in that form, there’s nothing like it on earth, except this. What we have together.”