Gryffin Strain: His Mistress When Promise clips her new slave’s barbs, she doesn’t know it will harm him. She doesn’t realize the venomous barbs beneath his hackled knuckles are used not only for protecting his fold—they’re an important part of the Gryffin mating ritual. Drugged at the auction block, Tranth awakens to the searing pain of his barbs being cut away. For a long time afterwards, he’s ill. The lovely human who helps him during his recovery tempts him to the point of agony as his broken hackles pull back and his barbs try to shoot into position whenever she’s near. This reaction is pure instinct on his part. As a Gryffin male approaches climax, he’s driven to stripe his mate with his barbs. But Tranth’s reaction to his new owner is more than pure instinct. He’s in love with the strong, beautiful human. When Promise’s complicity in his disfigurement is revealed, Tranth suffers a new anguish. The anguish of betrayal. When he pulls open his slave collar and wraps it around Promise’s neck, it’s a weight she willingly accepts, determined to earn Tranth’s forgiveness and win back his love. What Promise doesn’t know is that Tranth has never stopped loving her. |
| Cover Art by Syneca |
Excerpt “Can a Gryffin not use a crossbow for hunting,” Promise ventured tremulously, “as do humans?” “He could,” the doctor answered with apparent reservation, “but you need to understand that a Gryffin’s barbs are not only necessary for hunting and fighting and protecting his flock—they’re also part of the Gryffin courting and mating ritual.” “Mating ritual,” Promise breathed on a pale whisper. She felt the blood drain from her lips. Fieldnig nodded, warming to his subject with a scholar’s enthusiasm. “Gryffin males fight amongst themselves for the right to claim females into their harems.” “Folds,” Tranth corrected the doctor. The doctor barely halted in his explanation. “In addition, female Gryffins kiss their males’ hackles and suck on their poisonous barbs. It’s an act of submission on the part of the female.” “It’s an act of affection,” Tranth corrected him with dry irritation, “and very stimulating for the male.” Promise turned her gaze on the copper Gryffin. Tranth ran his calloused thumb over his broken hackles as his gaze focused on the middle distance. His neon eyes closed a moment then opened again. “It’s stimulating,” he repeated. “Pleasurable. As the male approaches orgasm, the pressure builds in his barbs, beneath his hackles. When he’s especially aroused, the poison will actually weep from his barbs. At this point the pressure is intense. His females perform him a great service when they suck him off.” Promise just stared. Faced with the full barbarity of what she’d done, she couldn’t bring forth a single word. Apparently unaware of Promise’s reaction to all this, the doctor continued conversationally. “Did you know that the Gryffin male takes several mates? Whereas in our society, a wealthy woman may take on more than one husband, among Gryffins it’s the male who takes several females.” Promise dipped her chin. “Two or three?” she managed to contribute. Fieldnig shook his head. “Five to eight isn’t unusual. Only one out of five Gryffins is born male. So naturally, each male keeps a large harem.” “Fold,” Tranth corrected him again. “Fold,” the doctor conceded with a nod. “But a fold is more than a harem,” Tranth added somewhat defensively. “It’s a family. There are usually many childings as well as several females.” “No doubt,” the doctor allowed, lifting his eyebrow. “At any rate, perhaps it’s just as well your Gryffin has been cut, Mistress Promise.” Promise shook her head in mute disagreement. “Mistress, there’s something you should know about Gryffins,” the doctor told her matter- of-factly. “You might consider this creature nothing more than an animal. You might think you have nothing to fear from him…sexually. But you should know that Gryffin males treasure human women as mates.” He shot an uncompromising look at Tranth, which the Gryffin returned coolly. “In fact, a Gryffin will go to incredible lengths to procure a human female. Even if it means taking her captive, holding her against her will, mating her against her will.” He turned his open gaze on Tranth. “Is that not so?” Tranth’s jaw tightened. “That is not generally the case,” he gritted. “Although it has been known to happen. There is villainy in every race. And there is nobility. My friend Jarrk rescued a human female from just such a fate when he fought another Gryffin for the right to claim her.” Ignoring Tranth, the doctor continued his argument. “But there’s more, Mistress, and this is the reason why it might be just as well your male has been cut. Although Gryffins treasure their human mates, the unfortunate women are often killed during copulation, when the male loses his head and marks his female.” Promise stared. “Marks his female?” Fieldnig nodded. “With his barbs. If a Gryffin gets carried away during orgasm, he’ll often revert to his baser instincts. He’ll drag his barbs over the female’s flesh—across her chest or over her buttocks. This doesn’t harm the Gryffin females in the least. It leaves a blue tattoo-like trail on her skin. In fact, a female Gryffin will proudly flaunt these marks as proof of her male’s interest in her. But when a Gryffin attempts to mark his human female, the result is fatal.” Promise gasped. “Fatal?” “Not always,” Tranth interceded quietly. |
| Other Books in the Gryffin Strain Series |
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madison hayes
Gryffin Strain: His Mistress
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Ellora's Cave
Ellora's Cave
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