by Celia Kyle
Maddy’s inner lioness didn’t care for his words and pushed forward. She’d been in “grow a backbone” training right along with her human half and had a little somethin’-somethin’ to say about her mate being an ass.
“This Sensitive thinks you can shove your orders up your ass. Wait, you’ve already got a steel rod there, don’t you? Maybe you can quit being a dick long enough to pull it out. While you work on that, I’ll be taking a shower. Alone.”
Ricker’s eyes drifted closed and he took a single deep breath. He wrenched aside the shower curtain, stomped from the tub and yanked the curtain back into place. At the thundering slam of the bathroom door, Maddy resumed her position beneath the spray.
She’d either done a ballsy, O-M-G-awesome thing, and it’d all work out in the end, or she’d fucked up royally and hopefully Maya could help her fix things.
Either way, she had to remember…
For the rest of your life…
*
Ricker glared at the closed door.
That…that woman!
A steel rod up his ass? And why the hell hadn’t she listened? That’s what Sensitives did. They were given orders, did as others asked. They were a necessary part of the pride, but they also listened. They did not tell their mates “no”. Hell, they didn’t tell any shifter more dominant than them “no”. It just wasn’t done. True, she’d only half done what he asked during their escape, but he figured that’d had more to do with rescuing Elise than flat-out brushing him off.
But then, she was…and then she’d…and…
Fuck it. The little lioness was perfect. Perfect for him. Hell, perfect in general. From the tip of her pert little nose all the way to her pink painted toes. And everything in between. And when he meant everything, he meant everything. She had curves on curves and he wanted to lick and nibble every lush inch of her.
How the hell had he gotten so lucky?
His mate was all soft curves with an ass that hugged and cradled his dick and breasts that overflowed his hands.
And those lips… When he’d taken a nice, long look at those luscious lips, all he could think about was sliding his cock into her waiting mouth.
Hell, even her eyes were sexy. All flashing blue and bright in the shower when she’d gotten her back up. He wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong, but part of him wanted to do it again just so he could watch her eyes shine with anger.
The woman was…his. Good and bad and he had a feeling that she’d be a whole lotta bad.
He couldn’t wait. His cock throbbed in agreement as he thought of turning that rounded bottom over his knee and warming her skin until she begged for him. The tiger wanted her pushed to her hands and knees the moment the spanking was finished so he could mount her, claim her and connect them forever.
Ricker stared at the door separating them and, with a sigh, he stomped away from temptation. He grabbed the duffel he’d brought along for the ride. It held their necessities, a change of clothes for both of them as well as toiletries and a chocolate bar that the Prima had said Madison would kill for.
He wondered if handing over the sweet would make her more amenable to completing their mating.
Ricker tugged off his weapons, the waterlogged metal clinking as it hit the bed. Then he went after his sopping wet clothes, letting them fall to the carpeted floor with a squishy plop. He’d trash everything before they got back on the road. His hunting blacks weren’t exactly conducive to being under the radar while they traveled.
With quick efficiency, he laid out Madison’s clothing and tugged his own free of the bag. Just as soon as his little mate emerged, he’d take her place and then…
Nude, he padded to the room’s closet and snagged a clean towel, wrapped it around his waist so he wasn’t bare when she appeared. He trapped his hard cock between his body and the cotton, figuring he’d be in a state of constant arousal when around his mate. He’d better get used to it now.
Shower still running, Ricker snagged the secure cell phone from the bag, one of many that he kept around when he went on a hunt, and he dialed the first number from memory.
Two rings and the call was answered. “From Click to Ship, how can I help you?”
Ricker recognized the voice of his long-time friend, Lia. He wanted to drill the woman on how to get his mate to come around, but stuck to their planned script.
“Hey, this is Tommy Jenkins. I know I called y’all earlier today about losing my package, but I just wanted to let ya know that I found it all safe and sound. I actually found two in my box, but forwarded the one that didn’t belong to me on to its rightful owner.”
“Excellent Mr. Jenkins. Just to confirm, you found your box and you won’t be submitting a claim for damages? You also forwarded a secondary package?” Lia was all business, but he could hear the relief, as well as curiosity, in her voice.
“Nope, we’re good. And the other box is on its way home. Have a nice night.”
“You, too, Mr. Jenkins. And thank you for working with Click to Ship.” The soft click of her ending the call reached his ears and he hit the “off” button on his end.
Now, rinse and repeat.
Ricker searched through the phone’s memory and found the number he’d been searching for, hit the “send” button and waited.
Barely half a ring sounded and then the call was answered. “O’Connell.”
“Mr. O’Connell, Tom Jenkins. Just wanted to let you know I found that package. I thought it’d been lost, but I stumbled across it today and I should be able to deliver it soon.”
The Prime’s gusting breath of relief flew over the phone lines. “Thank god. She’s—The package is okay?”
“As okay as can be expected.”
“Th-Thank you.” Ricker could hear the emotion clogging the lion Prime’s voice.
“Not a problem sir. I’ll give you a call later with an ETA. Have a nice night.” Ready to end the call, his thumb hovered over the “off” button, but the Prime’s voice brought him back.
“Wait. Tell…tell the package—” The Prime’s voice was cut off and a whispered argument ensued until he heard the unmistakable sigh of resignation from the Prime. “Just a minute.”
Next, he got blasted by a feminine voice that could only be the Prima. “Listen. You tell the package that she’s a kick ass bitch and we’re totally having margaritas the minute she gets home so she can tell me all about how those bastards ended up bleeding all over her floor. Cause she’s fucking awesome, right? I totally know those ‘Grow a Set’ lessons were working. And—”
“Wait. Grow a set?” Did she mean…
“Yup. Everyone gives her shit because she’s a Sensitive. Being sweet and caring is not an invitation for everyone else to show their asses and walk all over her and tell her what to do all the time. You understand that, right? Because if you don’t, I’ll make you understand when you bring my box back. Just see if I don’t.” Part of him wanted to laugh at the idea of the tiny, very pregnant Prima tearing into him, but the other half was thrilled that Madison had a protector in the woman. “Oh! I have a new quote for her, ready?”
“Ready?”
The Prima growled. “Write this down.”
Ricker looked in the drawer of the bedside table and snagged a pad of paper and a pen. All hotels had their stationary stashed in the same places. “Go ahead.”
“Life is hard. It’s even harder if you’re stupid. You’re not stupid so buck up buttercup and show the guys that your balls, and SAT scores, are bigger than theirs.” The snippet of knowledge was followed by a purely feminine giggle and a snort from Alex. “Did you get it?”
“Yup.”
The soft click of the bathroom door opening drew his attention and Ricker feasted on the sight before him. Madison’s skin was flushed from the heat of her shower and droplets of water clung to her skin, giving it a soft glow. He ached to lap up each pearl of the fluid, dry her with his tongue. And, thinking on the Prima’s words, he felt some of his prejudices and p
reconceived ideas melt away. She wasn’t just another lioness. She wasn’t simply a Sensitive. She was his. And he’d been an ass. “I’ve definitely got it now, thanks.”
Before the Prima could keep gabbing in his ear, he ended the call and set the phone on the table. A tug on the page he’d written on released the note. Ricker padded toward his mate and slid the piece of paper into her hand.
“Here, Kit. Maya had a message for you.” He leaned toward her and dropped a kiss on her forehead. She stiffened, but didn’t pull away. Well, that was a step. Tiny, but still a step. “There’re some warm clothes on the bed. If you’re tired, go ahead and crawl on in.” He glanced back at the single, king-sized bed in the room and internally winced. Well, it was his own fault he wouldn’t be seeing any relief any time soon. “I’ll get in when I’m done, but I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
Their gazes clashed and he watched the emotions flittering across her features. Hope, wariness, exhaustion and…that something he couldn’t quite identify.
Another kiss on the top of her head and he forced himself to finish his walk to the bathroom.
Because he got it now… He just needed to get her.
Chapter Five
“They say good boys are found in all corners of the earth. What the idiots never realized is that the fucking earth is round. Then again, it doesn’t matter. ‘Cause it’s the bad ones you really want.” – Maya Josephs, Prima of the Ridgeville Pride. Had she mentioned she still had no ring?
Ricker’s cock hurt. No, not just hurt…it felt like it was about to burst into a million pieces and not in the I’m-about-to-come way.
At all.
And it was his fault.
After his shower he’d crawled into the king sized bed and rolled to his side, watched his sweet mate sleep. For hours.
The tiger had been manageable while she slumbered, the cat knowing their woman needed rest after her ordeal. Of course, then she’d rolled into his arms, snuggled her soft body along his and rubbed against him like she was a cat begging to be pet.
The furball in his head had nearly overpowered him. Only his fierce control had kept the beast at bay through the hours and he raced from the bed the moment his alarm had sounded.
They’d only managed a four hour nap, but they had to get on the road. There was no telling if Freedom or HSE had managed to track them. He’d figured that the two groups would fight for a while and that had been the only reason he’d stopped for a rest.
The male shifter at the check-in desk had assured Ricker he’d call if anyone came looking for them and the proximity alarm on the SUV hadn’t alerted him to any tampering. But he’d rather be safe than sorry.
Hence a bundled up Madison sitting in the front seat of their new wheels, cradling a cup of coffee as if it were the choicest cut of beef.
Lia had done her job after their phone call. The unassuming car, turbo-charged and sporting a few hundred non-factory horse power, had been waiting in the parking lot for them. Stocked with the usual, they now had plenty of cash, several changes of clothes and enough tech and firepower to get them through to Ridgeville.
Not that Ridgeville had been his first choice in places to run, but Madison belonged to Alex until Ricker managed to claim her as his mate. Which meant what Alex said was law.
A soft whisper reached across the center console and tickled his ears, but he missed the words. “What?”
Madison cleared her throat. “Um, do you have kids? Cubs? Because Neal had cubs and didn’t tell Carly and that caused all kinds of shit to hit the fan. He was a bit of a man-whore, too, but the kidlets pushed Carly over the edge for a while.”
Her eyes remained glued to the road in front of them, but he could sense the heightened tension in the car. Her pulse pounded in her veins so loud, he could hear it over the road noise and the tang of her worry assaulted his nose.
“No. No, I don’t have any children.” He kept his eyes focused on the asphalt. “I’m typically tracking during the Gaian Moon, so I never take part in the festivities.”
Well, “festivities” was one way of putting it. Every six months, the Gaian Moon pulled at all shifters, enticing and urging them to mate and create life to fill the ranks. It was nature’s way of ensuring that shifters didn’t dwindle and die off.
Madison took a sip of her brew. “Okay.”
She went quiet again, leaving them in unsettling silence.
Ricker reached across the car and stroked her free hand, twined his fingers with hers. She stiffened for the barest of moments, but quickly relaxed into the touch.
The tiger purred at her acquiescence, anxious to touch, stroke and pet what belonged to them.
Before he could lose his nerve, Ricker shoved an apology from his lips. “I’m sorry about last night, Kit. It was wrong. How about stupid? I’m an idiot?”
He tried to make it a joke, but a glance at his mate revealed that she wasn’t finding him amusing.
“Is that a question? Or do you really believe it. Because, let me tell you another Maya-ism. Apologizing doesn’t mean that you’re wrong. It just means that you’re tired of arguing and are ready to move on. Just make sure that the other person thinks you’re sincere.”
Ricker winced. He was sorry, but her words had a ring of truth he couldn’t deny. How many times had his father told him to apologize to a woman even if he didn’t mean it?
“I was an ass. I tried to seduce you into agreeing with me and also tried to use what I know of Sensitives against you to force your promise. I truly am sorry.”
Quiet descended on the vehicle once more and he could practically feel Madison’s mind turning over his words, spinning and pouncing on them, looking for an untruth.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, she spoke. “I want to touch you. See if you’re sincere. See if this is even a good idea or if we should simply part ways in Ridgeville.”
Ricker squeezed her hand and flashed a wicked smile, tossing her a wink for good measure. He smiled even wider when his flirting was met by a bright blush to her cheeks. If he let his true emotions show through, she’d see a broken man, see the pain the idea of not mating with her had caused.
“Baby, you can touch me all you want, whenever you want.”
“Not physically, idjit.” She rolled her eyes and a tingling stroke of something brushed his mind. “Touch you.” She nibbled her lower lip. “I know I did it without permission back at the compound, but I do like to have a shifter’s agreement before I go poking around in someone’s head.”
Ricker took a deep breath, chest expanding and slowly deflating as he considered her request. Yeah, he’d felt her all right, but he’d brushed off the sensation. He’d been so focused on finding her that the trespass had been the least of his worries.
Now, he had to agree to regain a crumb of her trust and prove that they were meant to live side-by-side.
“Okay. But I’ll warn you now that some of what you find might not be pretty. My life hasn’t been tiger cubs and roses, Kit.”
Her answer was a small nod and then her eyes fluttered closed. From what he remembered, her little peek wouldn’t be painful, just…odd. So, he didn’t bother pulling over or slowing his speed.
Which was a mistake.
Madison’s first brush was like a gentle wind, unseen hands stroking and easing his agitated tiger until the cat was a docile as a kitten. Her next touch was more firm, deeper, stronger. He took a deep breath, calming his heart as the strange sensations spread through him. The third foray went even further, fingers delving into private places, areas that he’d long ago cut off from himself.
Ricker saw his first mission, then the loss of his best friend when Alistair had attacked the council five years ago. Rescuing Lia from Freedom’s clutches and finding her bloody, beaten and repeatedly raped. Hunting Alistair to the small cabin that held Carly Thompson and seeing how much of her blood coated the wood floors.
Finally, the sheer terror he’d felt at watching his mate race from his side and
ducking between fighting males. The worry and rage that had overtaken him at the thought of her being in danger and the resolve to keep her safe.
Madison’s response was a soft gasp and he saw her open her mouth, eyes wide. “Ricker—”
Any other words she might have said were cut off by the rough slam of another vehicle against their car. The crunch of metal and shattering of glass surrounded them.
The first thing Ricker did was grab his mate by the back of her head and force her to bend low. “Down. Stay there.”
Amazingly, she complied without a single protest.
He should have let her fuck around in his head from the jump off.
Ricker looked in the rearview mirror and swept the situation with his gaze. Three males, possibly four, occupied a blacked-out SUV. Based on the sharp lines of their faces, he decided they were shifters, probably Freedom members.
Lovely.
Thank God he’d left a gun in the center console. A quick snatch and the pistol rested in his palm.
The truck swerved around them, pulling up along the driver’s side and he watched as a body emerged from the backseat window, holding a gun as he hung from the vehicle.
He didn’t hesitate. In one smooth move, he hit the brakes and extended his arm. Two pulls of the trigger and the window shattered as the bullet shot through the glass and into his target. A double tap, straight to the male’s head.
One down, three to go.
Ricker hit the gas, thankful for the mods on the car that let them breeze past the SUV without trouble. Behind them, the truck jerked from side to side, but the driver quickly regained control and returned to the chase.
With them at their back door, he put his mate to work.
“Madison, grab the guns and magazines from the glove compartment.”
He couldn’t spare her a glance, but he could feel the roll of her emotions and assumed that their connection remained. Their fight with the Freedom assholes hadn’t allowed her to completely disconnect. He accepted her fear, stark terror at the prospect of dying, but he also welcomed her trust in him, the blatant belief that he’d get them through this unscathed. Well, fuck if he wouldn’t try.