by T. A. Grey
She didn’t see his fist coming but she sure as shit felt it. Her head cracked into the wall and dry wall fell down around her.
“You are mine. You will always be mine and no one else’s.”
“Oh, yeah. Says who?”
“Said your father. Says me.” Cassie pushed him away with everything she had and made a dash to the left. She pushed her mind hard, envisioning a swinging door she could push right through. Relief filled her as it appeared. She ran into it but it wouldn’t budge. She screamed and slammed her fists into it, kicking it as footsteps came closer behind her.
“Nu uh uh. I’m not ready for you to go.” He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, trapping her arms to her side. A hand moved, cupped her breast, started fondling her it with a possessive touch. Revulsion and spitting anger engulfed her like fire.
“No!” She whipped her head back and caught his nose in a hard smack. He loosened his hold and she willed the door open again. This time it opened, and she ran through it.
“You better fucking run, Cassandra because I’m closer than you even know. I’m going to get you back!”
Cassie was running through the forest again, but suddenly the scenery changed. The cold in her bones left her in a quick rush that had her faltering to a stop. Her face no longer hurt from the hit nor did the top of her head from where she’d lost her hair.
Cassie looked around as suddenly she was back in the cabin with Darien. She wasn’t laying on his lap anymore because he had slid down beside her and now spooned with her from behind.
Was this a trick from Daniel? No it couldn’t be. He didn’t have those kinds of powers. He didn’t even know what Darien looked like if he could conjure a fake one up.
This must be her own dream now. Darien was pressed against her back; his heat like a big blanket around her.
He pulled up the front of her shirt and cupped her naked breast in his big hot hand. She sucked in a breath as his scratchy palm grazed over her soft nipple. He growled, thrusting his hips against her ass. He acted like a pleased animal, encouraging her sexual prowess with his growls and thrusts.
She’d never had a wet dream before but if this was what they were like then she was totally on board. He pinched and tugged at her nipple before making a frustrated sound and turning her to face. With a roll, he grabbed her waist and lifted her until she was on top of him. Then he popped her hard nipple into his mouth and sucked fiercely.
A deep throb began pulsing inside her. He made her nipple wet and puckered then switched to the other one so that the chilled air teased it like an icy feather.
“Darien,” she whispered.
“You’re beautiful,” he said pulling away from her breast. “You make me crazy. I don’t think I can wait. I want you so bad, Cassie. Lumara.” He started pulling off her clothes, and then his own until they were both naked before the dim fire.
Her heart fluttered in her chest as he kissed his way down her stomach. Her arms couldn’t sit still, and she had no idea what to do with them so she grabbed onto his thick hair, pulling most of it out of the tie he always kept it in.
“What are you doing?” She swallowed over the lump in her throat terrified and excited to hear the answer.
His big hands grabbed her thighs then slowly pushed her legs open. His eyes lingered on her open sex before they slowly traveled up her body, taking in every inch of her bare skin before stopping at her eyes.
“I’m going to fuck you. It’s not going to be slow and easy. I can’t do that. Not even for you, Cassie. I’m going to take you hard, but I’ll make it good for you, I promise.”
Cassie panted at his deep-spoken words, struggled to take in everything he was saying because a second later his tongue darted between her soft, wet folds and was teasing her clit with a dexterous move that had her writhing against him.
She’d never felt anything like it. Intense, burning pleasure centered solely on her sex as he tongued her with feverish passion. A hard trembling started quickly in her hips. It trailed down to settle in her thighs, then moved out to tingle in her fingertips.
She stammered his name, “Darien.”
He growled ruthlessly against her, vibrating her flesh, and then she exploded into a million pieces. Her head flew back as she jerked hard against his tongue, harsh cries coming out of her dry throat. She saw nothing but black as if her vision had to shut down just to deal with the energy of her orgasm.
It seemed like it took forever for her to fall back down into her body. She felt like a feather in a gentle wind softly gliding back and forth, lower and lower until finally she landed back on earth.
Two big hands settled on her waist and jerked her a foot closer to him. Cassie’s eyes shot open and she looked first at his glazed, burning eyes then down his big hard chest to his cock. She licked her lips. Either he was bigger than she remembered or it was the angle because the man was thicker than her wrist and much too long to be natural. / Or her imagination had just taken over at this point.
He leaned down and kissed her. It was only their second kiss. Do dream kisses even count? Yeah, she was totally counting this because he tasted like her sex and thrust his tongue inside her mouth like he was trying to tell her what he was about to do to her.
The kiss was rough and hard, and she loved everything about it. He pulled back and growled at her, his voice no longer the smooth timber it usually was but a raw, hoarse sound that sent shivers down her spine.
“I can give it to you this way or from behind. Tell me now because it’s the only choice I’m giving you.”
Her mouth opened and closed several times before she remembered to actually use words. “Like this.” She was desperate to see his face when he came, to touch him everywhere she could reach.
He sat back on his knees and spread her legs around him. He loosely fisted his cock, then rubbed it up and down her creamy core. She shivered; his face pulled into a mask of pain.
Cassie’s eyes closed to half mass and all she could do was watch him work. Sweat glistened off his temples, dampened his hair to his forehead and shoulders. She wanted to lick it away. Wanted to sink her fangs into him as he took her...as he made her his. The dying firelight danced orange flames around his back, giving him a golden halo around his dark skin.
The head of his cock circled around her clitoris, making her hips jerk in response. He growled, pleased by her reaction. Then he dipped his cock back down through her soft, wet folds and pushed at her entrance, testing her.
Panting, Cassie dug her fingernails into the wood below her, flexed her stomach, and waited for the first thrust. He didn’t take her hard, but teasingly pressed into her until only his head was wrapped around her tight channel.
His lips parted as his breathing quickened. “You’re...tight.” He pushed in another inch, and she watched as the muscles in his biceps flexed hard, the veins thickening and bulging, as his hands squeezed her waist. He was working himself into her, and it was excruciating; it was wonderful. Spread so full and open. So this was what it was like.
“You’re perfect. Just for me, little vampire.”
And then his hands curled around her hips, holding her still, and he slammed inside.
Her barrier gave, and she cried out. The room vanished before her eyes and she jerked awake. Confusion then satisfaction settled in.
Darien Kategan was inside her. Their clothes were not completely off as in her dream, but now they both looked at each other in confused wonder as they took stock of everything.
He was seated hard, full, and deep inside her leaving no spare room for anything. Her virginity was gone, and the slight burning pain was fading into something much stronger, much better inside her where he was planted.
His mouth opened and closed several times and she waited, wondering what he would do.
He pulled back his hips an inch then pushed back in on a heavenly groan. His face fell to her neck and he trembled above her.
“Cassie,” he said raggedly.
&
nbsp; Profound relief surged through her. He won’t stop.
His breath was a hot, moist heat against her neck. She took the opportunity to wrap her hands around his back. She’d never done this before but something hot and wild was inside her. It nagged at her to move, to touch, to do something.
Her hips started pumping gently against his, and with each little movement her breath kicked up a little higher, and her orgasm came a little bit closer.
“No, dammit. This is wrong.” His hips pulled back and she wrapped her legs around him, prepared to pull him in if he tried to leave. He didn’t leave though. He retreated the barest of inches, then shoved back in her tight flesh. He shuddered again above her. Then his hand was in her hair, cupping her head close to him. “Baby this isn’t right.”
Cassie could only moan as he dragged his big cock out partway then pushed back in again. Her breathing grew ragged and her hips couldn’t stop trembling. Her pussy muscles were stretched tight and wide around him, gripping him so hard. This was what she’d always wanted—to feel this. To have this man inside her. Nothing else had ever felt so perfect.
“Please.” It was the only word she could say and even then it was a soft, broken whisper.
He let out a bestial growl that sent a hot shiver over her. Then something snapped inside him. His hands palmed her hip, squeezing her tight, and then he was sliding in and out of her.
Each thrust set her body moving up against the floor, rocking below him with the power of his movements. Each drag out of her had her tensing against him, prepared to stop him if he’d leave her. Fast. Hard.
He only moved faster and faster inside her, breathing loud and ragged against her ear. She shook her head side to side as intense pleasure built to a roaring crescendo inside her. She tightened her grip on his back so hard she must have drawn blood.
It wasn’t enough. She shook on the precipice of pleasure. She needed something more to toss her over into the abyss.
“Harder,” she said raggedly.
“Cassie.” He sounded just as ragged as she did, but he drew his cock out, then slammed back in hard. No longer was he gentle. He fucked her. Her newly used muscles cried out in pleasure, dousing his cock with a fresh wave of cream to let him slide even easier inside her. He was growling, his hand clenching and releasing against her as he worked himself in and out between her spread legs.
He hit her in just the perfect spot and sent her spiraling into a blinding orgasm that electrified her senses. She let out a long cry as her legs scrambled around his thighs and her hips shook against his. Her body acted on its own, holding him close as her pussy milked his tunneling cock.
He roared above her, pressed deep, and then she felt the hot splash of his seed filling her deep. It was hot and thick inside her.
It took long minutes before he finally pulled out of her and collapsed next to her. Cassie struggled between wide-eyed amazement and a huge grin. She’d just lost her virginity to the lykaen giant. It wasn’t how she envisioned it happening in the least, but it was perfect.
She cuddled into his arms but she didn’t relax until his big arm came to rest over her shoulders. For the first time in a long time, she felt really good.
He felt so right. He felt so perfect.
* * *
“We need to talk about this.”
Oh no. “No, I really don’t think that’s necessary. I mean unless you want to tell me it was good because I thought it was great.”
The serious note in his voice had her jerking away from him. He reached for her but she slapped his hands away and began yanking on her clothes.
The last thing she wanted to hear after the most intense orgasm of her life was how this was all a mistake. Blah, blah, blah.
“Cassie,” he said a warning in his voice.
“Fine,” she said throwing up her hands, “talk but the second I hear the words, in any way shape or form, that ‘this was a mistake’—I’m out of here.” She snapped her fingers together. “That fast and I’m not coming back.”
Engulfing fear filled her throat, created a dead space in her stomach that felt like a bowling ball. God she was stupid. She just opened herself up for him to kick her out so easily. She waited to hear the words. It was for the best really. She had to leave anyways, and soon, very soon. Daniel was coming; he would find her.
The damn giant didn’t even have the decency to put his clothes back on. He just sat there looking like some...sexy lykaen man just to tease her. Whatever. She turned to stare at the fire.
“You’re in trouble, Cassie.” She gulped. He knew. Somehow he’d figured it out. “I think you’ve known that we were coming to this from the moment we met.” Wait, what? He stood and started dragging his jeans back up those long, thick legs.
“You have my seed inside you right now. You know what that means. And I took your virginity.”
“Yeah, so,” she grumbled, butterflies dancing in her stomach. She honestly hadn’t thought it’d be this awkward after sex.
“I do not take my responsibilities as a man lightly, Cassie. Nor do I regret what we did.”
Her eyes shot wide-eyed to his. He didn’t regret it? She wanted to dance around the room, jump up and down, do a fist pump or something, but she had to be mature so she nodded gravely instead.
“You don’t?” He shook his head with a sigh.
“I’ve had the thought more than once that our meeting was no coincidence. I came out here to journey. To find myself again and I found you. That isn’t something I can ignore.”
Cassie’s heart pounded fast in her chest.
“My beast likes you. I like you.” He said the words so flat and lifeless like they were just mere facts and he was reciting the weather forecast. And honestly that didn’t really bother her; it didn’t. She knew there was still work to be done with him, but this was progress. Except that she couldn’t be with him. Not when she already belonged to someone else.
She opened her mouth to tell him that to tell him the truth--but she couldn’t do it. She hung her head in her hands and wanted to sob. She’d helped him. Not by much, she was sure, but she’d actually helped the pained lykaen to move forward from the past. Even if it was only a few steps. But she was only setting him up to leave again in the future.
A million thoughts were ricocheting in her mind. She had no idea what to do. She couldn’t stay and endanger him. If she left, she might hurt him though. Or worse, he might come after her. The thought of doing that made her heart heavy.
The cot dipped down next to her. A big arm wrapped around her, pulled her down with him on the cot. She was forced to stay close to him so they could both fit on the little mattress.
“Don’t worry about it now. Go to sleep. We have a few more hours before daybreak.”
Surprisingly she found herself yawning and snuggling into his big chest.
She slept hard and for once Daniel wasn’t there. The thought sent a dark foreboding inside her.
Chapter 8
Three days passed and they were some of the best days of her life. She learned more about her lykaen. From his childhood to learning carpentry under a well-established woodworker in the city, to his family and the Kategan pack. He continued to press her about who had struck her, but who had her running in town and still she evaded the questions. Yet it was getting harder, and he was getting angrier.
In all those three days he never touched her once. That wasn’t quite true, she amended. He’d touch her hand or shoulder and even once brushed the hair out of her face and she’d been sure he was going to kiss her. Would that technically only be their second kiss? Did the dream one count? He didn’t kiss her though. He just looked at her like she was some kind of puzzle he wanted to figure out.
Cassie didn’t know what to do. She was growing restless with worry. Time was quickly running out, and he would find her. But what did she do? Leave the lykaen when in the first time in three years he decided to take a chance on a someone and open up? Or did she stay and risk her enemy Daniel
finding them and killing Darien?
The answer was clear—she couldn’t stay.
And what was he doing this whole time? Chopping more wood! She wanted to scream, to burn the damn cabin down and all the stupid wood he cut with it.
What kind of a man puts a claim on a woman and then doesn’t touch her? Well she was done with this. She stood and started pulling off her clothes. The chill of the air bit at her, tightening her nipples and breaking goosebumps out all over her arms and legs.
“Stupid lykaen giant,” she muttered and stormed out the cabin.
He didn’t turn to look at her, though she was certain he knew she was behind him. She sauntered around him and came to stand on the other side of the log he was chopping. His eyes fell like a magnet to her body and traveled slowly down her breasts, to her stomach, to the strip of hair at her sex.
A tic started above his eye, and he turned away, planting the axe in the dirt. “What do you want?”
“What does it look like I want?” He turned away and started walking, not towards the cabin but into the woods and towards the lake he’d shown her the other day.
“No,” was all he said. She followed him, uncaring of the wood jabbing into her feet.
“What do you mean no? Did you or did you not lay some kind of claim on me, lykaen?” They reached the water and he started pulling his shirt over his head. The sight of his sweaty muscles was enough to make her melt. “Please.” Her soft plea was enough to have him turn to her. The look on his face was an obvious war.
He pulled his gaze from hers and undressed all the way before marching into the frigid water. What seemed like an eternity later, he said, “You have no idea what you’re asking.”
“Actually I’m pretty sure I do, but please enlighten me, oh great one.” He dipped his head under the water, letting his hair out of the tie. It spilled in wet, thick layers around his shoulders. Cassie nearly whimpered, wanting so badly to touch the thick mass again.