by Eliza Gayle
He sank two fingers inside her and started a slow agonizing pumping pumping rhythm, driving her mad.
“Akira, baby, I ache for this. I’ve tried to resist but I just can’t. I’ve suffered with the scent of your need filling my head for too long. It’s driving me crazy, but I won’t force you. If you want this you have to tell me.”
He hesitated, obviously waiting for her response. Those dark, demanding eyes looked deep inside her, demanding her answer.
Hunger raged between then and, when she didn’t answer right away, he thumbed her clit. Her body jolted, arching into his hand, striving to find the hard pressure that would satisfy the unrelenting ache.
He needed to quit toying with her and get on with it already.
Her breath caught in her throat when his fingers hit the sweet spot inside her. “Please, Lucas. Please.” She couldn’t fight, not the pleasure, not him. It consumed her.
“Please what, baby?” He delved further, scissoring to stretch and fill her. They both breathed harder, their pants echoing around them.
On a desperate whimper and breathless cry, she screamed out, “Just fuck me already, ok? Is that what you wanted?"
"Fuck yeah, baby."
"Fine. Then do it. Please.”
With her words, the animal she suspected inside him broke free. He reached down and, in one smooth jerk, ripped her shirt and bra open to bare her breasts and belly to his gaze, then pinched one of her already puckered nipples.
She shrieked, excited by his every touch and reaction.
Common sense fled and she found herself on the verge of a pleasure precipice, and she was afraid he knew it. As he alternately pulled and sucked at her nipples, she began fumbling with his pants in an effort to get him free.
After a tense, struggling moment, his heavy erection sprang loose. She immediately grasped him, marveling at the size as well as the contrasting sensation of baby soft skin covering hard steel.
And as long and thick as he was, she understood why he was readying her with his fingers. He wanted to fit inside without hurting her.
She looked down, anxious to see more. The ruddy color of his shaft contrasted against his lightly furred, tanned abs. Of course the man had a six pack.
A bead of moisture formed at his tip, catching her eye and making her long to take him in her mouth. Then maybe she could drive him as crazy as he drove her.
At her touch, Lucas seemed to lose all of his control. Low, loud growls emerged from his throat. He pushed her back against a tree, pushing her skirt farther out of the way, lifting her legs around his waist, and plunged deep inside her with one urgent stroke.
Oh, God.
Lucas covered her mouth with his own, muffling her screams and moans, while not moving as her body adjusted to his size. After a moment of stillness, she wrenched her mouth free, gasping for air.
“What are you waiting for?” she cried.
“You’re tighter than I expected, and I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Screw that.” She’d crawl out of her skin if he didn’t move. “Hard. Fast. Move now.”
That was all the encouragement he needed. He struggled against straining muscle to pull his entire length back out but her body was too eager and his cock so thick. The pleasure ripples alone were almost more than she could bear. Already the tease of release tugged at her core, sizzling across her nerves.
“Dammit. So fucking tight. You’re going to make me come too fast.”
She wiggled against him wildly when everything exploded, little splinters of light and sensation rushing through her, leaving her breathless. Her nails clawed at his back, sinking deep into his flesh. Ecstasy burned straight through her, filling her, mending pieces of her soul she hadn’t even realized were broken.
She rode out the orgasm, wrenching every last drop of pleasure. His body tensed, rigid and stiff underneath her arms and legs where she was wrapped around him seconds before he bellowed out his own release.
Exhausted and satisfied, she slumped forward against his chest and listened as his wild heartbeat began to slow and finally beat nice and steady.
As the orgasm induced fog in her brain began to fade, a not so tiny piece of her wanted to admit she did indeed need her mate. A fact she didn’t know how to handle at the moment.
She squeezed her eyes shut tight.
What am I going to do?
If she hadn’t been sure before, the tingling and tightening of her birthmark was a dead give away. Until now she’d ignored the sacred mating mark she’d been born with, unwilling to believe she had no control over her fate.
Not to mention it signified a cross species mating that was as far as she knew, still strictly forbidden by his clan.
God, she didn’t have time to deal with this in her life right now, let alone how he must feel.
Then there was the annoying fact that without him she’d die. Something he wouldn't know unless she told him. She exhaled into his chest. Some secrets were better left kept.
As far as he was concerned, she was just the enemy he wanted to fuck. She doubted he thought anything beyond a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am.
Yet, he’d taken her with a force and need far more complex than a simple “once is all I need.” Or so she wanted to believe.
What would he think when he found out who and what she was to him? How could he not already know? Her mind was overloading with too much random information. None of which made any sense.
She pushed away her desperate fears and straightened her spine, remembering who she was and her own abilities. Not only could she handle this, but much more if she had to. She refused to believe she needed a man to complete her. There had to be another way.
Lucas withdrew from her and lowered her to her feet, taking an awkward step away from her. “Uhm, it looks like I ruined your clothes.”
He avoided her eyes as he spoke, and she’d bet her last dollar he wanted nothing more than to get away from her. She couldn’t blame him. Being alone right now would be a helluva a lot better than this awkward “what now” feeling.
She had to fight the urge to jump when he turned his fiery gold gaze her way. His change in eye color unnerved her. His pupils had dilated enlarging the golden centers and leaving very little of the dominant green hue she’d seen before.
Add to that the fact he didn’t look too worried. In fact he looked smug.
“It’s okay. My skirt is fine, and I’ll just tie my shirt together until we get to the car. I have plenty of clothes in the trunk to change into.” She did her best to stand there, head held high, as if what was happening between them was no big deal. Except inside her stomach churned.
He watched her every move as she gathered herself together. She couldn’t tell whether he wanted to run or go again and the uncertainty of her emotions and his scrutiny left her uneasy. She curled her trembling fingers into the fabric of her shirt, determined to hide her weakness from him.
“Can we go back now? I want to get cleaned up?” Exhaustion began to set in as she pressed a hand over her eyes as a nagging pain settled in her head.
“Yeah, let’s see about finding a motel for the night, so we both can shower and get some sleep.”
14
Kira savored the steamy water rolling over her body. She winced when the heat stung some of the scratches from the tree. The momentary ease had been worth each and every scratch and scrape.
Even now she couldn’t get the image of Lucas taking her so frantically and roughly out of her mind. The fierce desire that drove him still hammered through her veins.
She still felt his lips pressed against her burning skin, tasting and taking whatever he wanted. It had happened as if he needed her, much more than simple want.
Yeah right.
Asking him to sacrifice his life to mate with her and save her from the madness was out of the question. Only, how much longer would she be able to control it?
The nagging headache from the woods had gone full blown and if she didn’t ge
t it back under control something bad was bound to happen. Her episodes of mania were getting worse—and more frequent.
Leaning forward, she pressed her forehead against the cool tiles and shut her eyes, reliving every moment of the delicious and incredible episode they had shared despite her need to focus on something safer.
With the memory of his breath at her ear and his hand on her naked breast, sudden pain pierced her head and robbed her of breath.
Kira pressed her hands to her temples. The memories from the woods were quickly twisting and turning into something she no longer recognized. Something not real she hoped. It was already impossible to tell. Her mind and her memories were no longer her own.
No. Not now. Please not now.
As Lucas pumped into her, he taunted, “Is this what you wanted, whore? Planning to fuck me until I don’t care what I tell you about my family?” His anger was clear as he slammed into her again.
“No, you don’t understand. I am like you, but different.” She pleaded for his acceptance, though she knew from the anger in his eyes he would never give it.
“You are a liar and a whore. Trading your body for information.” He grunted as he fucked her faster. “I hate women like you.”
His words were harsh and rough. Her own protective instincts rushed forward, filling her body with rage. She pounded on his chest, trying to make him stop, but her body was pinned tight with no way to escape.
“You wanted to see the beast, right? That’s what all of this is about isn’t? Then lift your head and take a good long look. The monster is here and he’s going to take from you whatever he wants.
He laughed at her, the tone so mocking she couldn’t breathe....
She fell to her knees in the shower as the water pounded against her back.
No. No. No! Not the truth. Not the truth. Not how it happened.
Her fist slammed into the tiled wall over and over in frustration, splitting the skin of several knuckles. This had to stop.
As she stayed there sobbing into the water while clutching her arms around her waist, the fog in her brain began to clear and her real memories started to return.
Only then did she realize how much her condition had worsened in the last twenty-four hours. Her ability to control it had slipped.
In that moment in the woods, Lucas had loved her like no other man could. The way a true mate would. And now her mind wanted to play stupid tricks on her again, feeding her fear of the bonding ritual.
No way would she succumb to the anger and hatred eating away at her mind. She could control it. She knew right from wrong dammit.
But there had to be a way to fight the change without him. A mating between their clans would never be allowed. Their councils would banish them both, a sacrifice she wasn't prepared to ask of someone she barely knew.
For a mating to work, there had to be love. Not a forced ritual.
When the water ran cold, she struggled to stand on shaky legs and turned off the shower.
Enough bullshit. She would find a way out of this on her own.
15
Lucas heard the water shut off. Kira had been hiding in the bathroom since they’d arrived at a nearby motel. It was apparent she couldn’t wait to erase him from her body.
He sighed. Probably for the best considering what happened in the woods had shaken him to his very core. He didn’t understand how things had gotten out of his control, but it was time to get it back.
Was this all part of her plan? For the first time since he’d grabbed her, Lucas began to think kidnapping Kira was a really bad idea. The sooner he got away from her the better.
He hesitated. For some reason the thought of not being able to touch her again caused his stomach to cramp.
Yeah, definitely time to get rid of her.
And despite what happened, she couldn’t be trusted.
In the morning, he’d leave her and make his way home alone. She was a big girl and could find her own way back to wherever the hell she came from.
He rubbed his face between his hands, wearier than ever. He needed to get some rest in order to think straight. The thoughts and urges running through his head made it impossible to lay still.
He stood up to pace instead. Instinct told him big changes were happening around him and he’d learned long ago to trust that kind of gut reaction. It was Kira. From the moment she’d walked into his dreams, everything had shifted and he’d become obsessed.
Even now the thought of her rubbing her lush body with a towel at this very moment was enough to make his mouth go dry and his mind and body fill with lust.
Everything earlier had been rushed, now he wanted a chance to explore, to sample. Her pale skin would be moist and succulent, flushed from the heat of the water. His cock stirred again.
Part of him was afraid for her to come out because he knew she would be irresistible. He stared at the bed and imagined her lying underneath him, begging for more. He would savor every minute of pleasure he could give her and she would reward him with those soft eyes and little cries of need.
He shook his head in disgust. Get a fucking grip, man. Hell, if he didn’t pull himself together he’d find himself at her mercy or worse.
As the door opened and Kira stepped out of the bathroom, he froze in midstep.
“What?” she asked.
The sight of her in the simple green tank top with USMC stamped across the chest and running shorts was enough to make him lose it.
Memories of a similar outfit from a dream sent cold chills racing up and down his spine. The material barely covered her ass, and her tanned legs went on forever. Fuck, he wanted her now even more than in the woods—if that was possible.
“Nothing. I was just going over what I need to do tomorrow.” He walked to the window and took some deep, and hopefully calming breaths, attempting to slow his racing heart.
His hand pushed on his crotch, desperate to find a comfortable spot in his pants. The beast pressed at his skin, tempting him. The animal inside wanted her as much as he did, making the situation even more confusing. Why did he care so much?
“Are we going to Dragon Tail?”
He froze. What the hell did she just say? How could she know? The thought that his home and haven had been compromised caused searing pain deep in his chest. It was his duty to protect them at all costs and yet he had managed to lead them to the front fucking door. Fresh rage beat down the arousal.
“What do you know about that?” He turned and slowly stalked her, waiting for an answer.
Her eyes glinted as she spoke, “It’s our home.”
The mere thought of her exposing his family had the fur rippling across his skin. He wanted to change, needed to change. If he did, he wasn’t sure he could prevent himself from hurting her. He would do anything to keep his secrets, even resort to violence. Especially violence. It was his specialty.
“Wait, what did you say?” He couldn’t have heard her right. “Did you say our—” Lucas stopped mid-sentence when his nose tingled, his heightened senses picking up the scent of danger and a whole lot of firepower.
Gunpowder. His head pivoted toward the window as a rumbling growl sounded deep within, an instinctive response to intruders.
He heard them talking and smelled their approach. “What have you done?” he gritted out. When she tried to say something, he roughly covered her mouth and jerked her against him. “Quiet, woman. I have to think.” He scented her anger and impatience radiating from her skin but, thankfully, she stayed quiet. He was going to have to use her again to get free and probably keep her for a while longer, despite his gut telling him what a mistake that would be.
After ravishing her in the woods, something he couldn’t explain had happened. He had softened toward her. Allowed a weakness to slip inside that could go very wrong for him and his kind.
Now he just wanted to escape her lure, and all along she’d been using his lust to slow him down and plan his recapture.
A fatal mistake on her
part. After they escaped again, he would find a way to make her pay and enjoy every minute of it.
He let the red rage of anger simmer closer to the surface, the beast within fighting for control. Obviously he’d taken the “keep your enemies close” a little too far with her.
16
Kira took a deep breath and reached for the Tallan, hoping that magical connection that let her see things others couldn’t would give her some insight as to what was happening. His instincts were sending out crazy alarm bells and she needed to see what they were up against outside.
After a few relaxing breaths and a forced concentration on her part, her vision cleared, revealing the men out front who planned to attack them. “Lucas, there are only four men out there. If we leave right this second and head down the south stairwell, I think we can avoid them or at the very least get a short head start.”
When he didn’t respond, she glanced over her shoulder to see if he was still there. His eyes were gold, glowing slits, just like a cat’s. She’d seen those very eyes in a nightmare recently—or maybe a dream.
He’d started to change outside the diner and she hadn’t even been surprised. Somehow she knew him, and not just from her dreams. Everything about him seemed natural to her.
Now his anger shimmered off of him, creating a sense of dread around them. His tight stance indicated a predator about to spring. Even without the Tallan she saw his struggle to hold back the beast. What would happen if he changed now? Would he hurt her?
She reached up and stroked his cheek, keeping eye contact the entire time, praying he wouldn’t bite her with those sharp canines of his.
After a few long, tension filled minutes, his eyes faded to a softer gold and green again, maybe regaining a semblance of control. At least she hoped. He stepped closer to her, hissing in her ear,