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Category: Erotica/Erotic Science Fiction/Science Fiction
Description: Their past haunts them, their future together remains tantalizingly out of reach.... Once upon a time, Khalid Steinsson and Pran Devan were deeply in love. They were planning their future and planning a commitment ceremony to each other. The unthinkable happened and the two were torn apart. Both men have changed. Pran carries his fiery anger as a shield against everything around him. Khalid carries his pain hidden underneath layers of icy cool restraint. It will take something monumental to either bring them back together, or tear them apart forever.
eBook Publisher: Changeling Press LLC, 2008 2008
eBookwise Release Date: March 2009

80 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [104 KB]
Words: 20792
Reading time: 59-83 min.

"A wonderful addition to the Pridelands series."--Scandalous Minx, Literary Nymphs "There is a lot of sex, very physical and with an heavy dose of brutal force, but always tempered by love."--Elisa Rolle "I love The Pridelands series and think that, unlike some series, the books stay consistently good throughout. Khalid's Challenge is no exception to this rule. I can't wait to read the next offering in this scrumptious series!"--Hayley, Fallen Angel Reviews

"I wonder what she wants."

Pran rolled over on top of his lover, wrapping himself around Khalid. "I don't really care what your mother wants."

Khalid grinned, tilting his head to accept Pran's seeking lips. "No, really. Are you not curious? She says she needs to speak to me; that it is of utmost importance. I wonder..."

Pursing his lips, Pran ran his palms down Khalid's sides. Khalid was stretched out under him, sprawled comfortably in the grass. He looked ready to take this challenge on headfirst. The only hint of his youth was the twitching of his tail, a betraying motion he couldn't help. Pran grinned.

The cub was going to be bigger than him when he was fully grown, no doubt about it. Already they were nearly the same size, and Khalid still had a few more years until he'd reach his full maturity. Pran couldn't wait to see him develop. See the man Khalid was going to become. Not that Pran was all that much older than him but he knew enough about his family to know he wasn't going to be any taller than he was now. Already Pran was the same height as his father. Not quite as muscular, but that would come in time.

"You have an idea?"

"I think she's going to tell me who my father is."

Pran sat up, straddling Khalid's hips. "Really?" He wasn't sure how he felt about that. It would be great for Khalid to know where he came from, but there were just too many unknowns surrounding the man who had fathered him.

"Well, it's about time she does. Everyone knows I'm not full Tigris. I just wish I knew."

It was true. Everyone did know Khalid wasn't quite like the rest of them. It had been quite apparent even from birth that Khalid was part Leo. The Tigris on Himalay possessed short, lustrous coats of various shades ranging from the muted tan of the grasslands to the bright, vibrant red-orange of the sun. Stripes covered them from head to foot, patterns of black, brown, or gray unique to each individual. Their tails were smooth, the hair on their heads short and neat. The men and women were all sleek muscles, their hardened bodies perfectly suited for the extreme climate of their planet and the dominance games they played to survive.

Khalid was something else entirely. His fur was tawny gold with a hint of orange. His stripes were barely a shade darker than his fur, wrapping around his body. His hair was a wild mane, full and golden compared to his Tigris family. His body was built large, his barrel chest and thick, muscle-strewn limbs giving testament to his strength. A different kind of strength than the Tigris. His tail was tufted, giving further proof of his parentage.

No one quite knew who his father was, because it certainly wasn't Vasu Asher, the man who had raised him. Bala, Khalid's mother, had never talked about it as far as Pran was aware.

He was sure she had her reasons, he just didn't know if it would be better to keep the identity of Khalid's father to herself or not. "Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't, really."

Pran snorted, not fooled at all. He knew Khalid too well for the cub to try and act like he wasn't bothered by the fact that he was an illegitimate half-breed without a Leo pride to call his own. "Yes, it does. You know it does, so don't try lying to me, cub."

"Don't call me cub!"

Pran snickered. "Why, you don't want to acknowledge your age, cub?"

"I am not your cub." Khalid crossed his arms over his chest, his lower lip sticking out.

Pran couldn't resist. Leaning forward, placing his palms flat to the ground on either side of Khalid's head, he sucked that lip into his mouth, nipping at it with his teeth before soothing over it with his tongue.

Khalid purred, arching his back, almost unseating Pran. They both started to laugh, rolling over until Khalid was on top.

"Fuck me."

Running his hands along Khalid's ass, Pran winked. "You aren't sore from last time?"

"I want to feel you in me. Fuck me, please."

"You want to feel me in you when you are with your family?"

"You're all the family I need, Pran. You matter."

Turning his head to hide the moisture in his eyes, Pran coughed. "I thought you wanted to know your father."

"I do. I just wish you could be there with me. It won't be the same without you."

"I will be there, cub. I will always be with you." He placed his palm to Khalid's chest, feeling the reassuring beat of his heart.

Khalid melted, there was just no other word for it. His face relaxed, his body softened. "Cittaja," he whispered.

"Always."

Khalid bent his head, leaning down until his forehead rested against Pran's. Pran moved his hands, running them up Khalid's back, glorying in the strength he felt in his lover's body. His back was muscled perfection, covered in a layer of silky fur. It was a treat for the senses.

Inhaling, he brought their combined scent in, loving how much Khalid truly smelled like the two of them. It was nearly impossible to differentiate them now. They had spent so much time together, covering themselves in each other until their scents combined.

Grunting, Khalid shimmied his hips, his hardening shaft rubbing along Pran's own. Trust his little Cittaja to try and hasten things along.

"What do you need, cub?"

"You."