First Beast

by Faye Avalon

  Desperate to keep him on subject, she turned to face him. “Does it hurt? When you shift?”

  He opened his mouth to reply, then closed it and narrowed his eyes.

  “Oh, right.” She leaned back against the seat. “You won’t tell me that, will you? More fodder for my nonexistent article.”

  The locks clicked, signaling she could now open her door. She pushed at it and jumped down. Out of her comfort zone on the moor, she nevertheless felt strangely at peace and exhilarated at the same time. Caleb stood erect, and drew in a long breath.

  “Are you going to shift now?”

  His eyes gleamed. “You want to watch?”

  Oh, yes. She wanted to watch Caleb shift. It would be a magnificent, if terrifying sight. But since he had that superior look on his face, and he’d basically accused her of treachery against the pack, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

  “No,” she said emphatically. “Not interested. Certainly not out here, alone with you.”

  He moved toward her, his feral expression making her stomach jump. “You don’t trust me?”

  Since she knew he was taunting her, playing his much-loved power game, she folded her arms again and cocked a hip. “Hmm. No, I don’t think I do. It seems that trust issue seems to work both ways.”

  He laughed out loud at that. “Well played, sweetheart. I’m suitably cut to the quick.”

  She huffed. “I doubt that. Why do you always have to provoke me, anyway? This whole marriage thing was your idea, yet you treat me as if I was the one who forced you into it.”

  “Provoking you isn’t my intention.”

  He reached out and ran a hand over her cheek.

  Talia flicked it away. “You and Joshua seem to think I’m totally there for your benefit. That either one of you can click your fingers and I’ll fall into line. It doesn’t work that way.”

  “I’m starting to realize that. Although you seem to respond to Joshua’s finger clicking a damn sight more than mine.”

  “At least he doesn’t see conspiracy around every corner. With the two of us, there’s respect, honesty and trust.” Although with the questions running through her mind after her talk with Naomi and then the visit to the nursing home, she was seriously beginning to question the honesty part.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Then tell me, why is Joshua so concerned that I might be the one to get you pregnant? You and I both know that’s not a possibility.”

  Her blood ran cold, an icy chill rippling down her spine. “You said you wouldn’t tell him.”

  “I won’t. As I said, the fact you’re taking precautions suits me right now. But Joshua has those concerns. He’s worried if you get pregnant, we won’t know who the father is.” Again that feral grin. He leaned down, his mouth dangerously close to her ear. “Just to be clear, that isn’t going to happen. When you get pregnant, it’ll be my seed inside you because by then, I’ll be the only man sharing your bed.”

  Her pussy started to throb at his words. Moisture swamped her panties; her breasts grew heavy. “Joshua won’t let me go without a fight.”

  “He’ll soon tire of the situation. He already hates that my cock gets to be inside you first. Something I insisted upon. My prerogative as leader.”

  “You seem to demand a whole lot of prerogatives.”

  “Goes with the territory.”

  Talia sighed. “You should give him a break. It’s not easy for him. He might be less difficult if you didn’t needle him all the time.”

  “Difficult is that asshole’s middle name.”

  “See, that’s what I mean. He’s trying hard to adapt to the…situation, doing his best to handle it.”

  “He works to his own agenda. Always has. He’s pissed that I get to call the shots, and takes every damn opportunity to push against what we’ve agreed. He’s never had it in him to share what he thinks belongs to him.”

  “Oh, and you do? For the record, I don’t belong to anyone.”

  He slid his hand along her neck toward the back of her head. “You belong to me. The sooner you accept that, the best for all concerned.”

  His eyes reached inside her, twisting every cell and nerve she possessed. “How can you say that? How can you say I belong to you when you don’t even trust me?”

  She wanted desperately for him to trust her. Hadn’t realized how much until that moment. The scent of him, citrus-y and earthy, and already so familiar to her, pushed through her senses and fired her blood. His touch, powerful and yet achingly tender, penetrated her flesh and burned through her veins. She wanted him to say he wanted her. Her. And that the wanting had nothing to do with anything, or anyone, else.

  Mesmerized by the pull of his gaze, she couldn’t dwell on those thoughts and soon lost the ability to think much of anything when his mouth crushed against hers. She opened to him, welcoming him to the inner recesses of her mouth. His tongue tangled with hers, the heat of his touch shooting awareness through her body right down to her core.

  He reached for the edge of her shirt, tugged it from the waistband of her trousers, and yanked the buttons open as if desperate to get to her breasts. Pushing his hand inside her bra, he cupped her heated flesh. The rough feel of his thumb flicking over her engorged nipple made her gasp into his mouth.

  With adept ease, he pushed her back against the rock, his free hand reaching for the zipper of her trousers. In turn, she fumbled for the edge of his shirt, her fingers heavy and clumsy.

  He helped her, easing back a few inches to reach over and shrug out of his shirt. Then his mouth was on hers again, his naked chest crushing her breasts. She wriggled against him, trying to open her legs to accommodate the bulge in his jeans, but he grabbed hold of her trousers and yanked them down, taking her panties with them. He threw them to the ground, before reaching up to divest her of the shirt and unclasp her bra. They joined her trousers and panties. Talia arched back against the rock, reveling in the feel of cool air brushing over her nakedness and the heat of Caleb’s gaze devouring every inch of her.

  She grabbed for his zipper, but he brushed her hand away. Watching her, he stood and removed his jeans. With him gloriously naked, Talia made her own slow assessment of his body. The powerful thighs, the large throbbing cock, the muscular chest with the smattering of black hair across impressive pectorals. The wide, strapping shoulders capable of pinning her down with the slightest of ease.

  Her perusal sent shockwaves of desire and need thundering through her veins. She wanted to reach out, to slide her hands over his magnificent body, feel every inch and curve of it. But if she gave in to the craving, she would be acknowledging she wanted him. Really wanted him. If she did that, she wasn’t sure where she would stand in her relationship with him. He still thought she was capable of betraying the pack, still believed he couldn’t trust her. Wasn’t it bad enough that she enjoyed sex with him knowing all that? If she let him know the full extent of her desire, she feared he might use it against her somehow. She was already in too vulnerable a position to let that happen.

  As always, her fears dissipated beneath the onslaught of Caleb’s hot mouth brushing over her throat. He caught her wrists in one hand and brought her arms over her head. His lips trailed along her collarbone, sending delicious ripples of need along her greedy flesh. She arched, pushing up her breasts as if to guide his mouth to the sensitive nipples.

  She had never had sex out in the open before, hadn’t realized how reckless it felt to be completely naked while the sky washed blue overhead, and nearby bushes rustled with the ubiquitous breeze that teased across the moor. It made her feel wanton, full of abandon.

  He trailed his free hand down her body, over the soft swell of her abdomen, the curve of her hips, to the edge of her bare pussy. She arched more, undulating her hips to encourage him to press down into her throbbing slit.

  His mouth covered her breast, teet
h nipping gently at her nipple. She moaned deep in her throat, the sound echoing into the air. He tugged harder at her nipple, while the hand that brushed her pussy lightened its touch even more.

  “Touch me,” she begged. “Please, just touch me.”

  He raised his head from her breast and looked down at her. Hooded green eyes met hers, the slash of dark brows heightening their power. “I am touching you.”

  Still, his fingers brushed lightly at the edge of her pussy. The hand that held her wrists tightened, causing the back of her hands to brush the rock above her head.

  “You know what I mean, damn you.”

  “Tell me,” he demanded on a low growl. “Tell me exactly what you want.”

  She squeezed her eyes closed, gyrating her hips even more. “Push…push your fingers inside me.”

  Waiting for him to carry out her request, she held her breath, her pussy throbbing. Her chest heaved as her lungs demanded air, her breasts tender from his ministrations.

  “Open your eyes.”

  She wouldn’t do that. She didn’t want him to see the desire, or the need for him, swirling in her gaze.

  “Open your eyes and I’ll give you what you want.”

  In answer, she turned her head to the side.

  “Have it your way.” With which he released her hands and stepped away.

  She opened her eyes and turned to see him standing beside her. Seeing as his cock stood proud and fully erect, she guessed he was playing one of those power games. That he had every intention of finishing what he’d started. What they’d started.

  “Why do you always need to have everything your own way?”

  Not one flicker of emotion showed on his face. “Why do you always need to fight me?”

  “Maybe it’s because you always make demands.” She reached down for her panties lying on the ground. “Everyone has to dance to your tune, or else.”

  He snagged the panties from her and bundled them in his hand. “All I asked was that you keep your eyes open, for God’s sake. What’s the problem with that?”

  The biggest of problems, she thought, watching him scrub his free hand over his head.

  If I look in your eyes and you see what’s in mine, I’m finished.

  “You’re getting what you want from me. I don’t see why my keeping my eyes open will change anything.”

  “Right. So I should just fuck you and not give a damn you’re imagining that it’s Joshua’s cock in you, picturing that it’s him making you climax.”

  What? “That’s not what I’m doing.”

  In retrospect, perhaps it would have been better to let him think that. Wouldn’t it have given her a little of that power she craved in this whole ménage deal? Allowing Caleb to believe it was only Joshua she wanted might actually change everything. Then he might be the one who grew tired of the arrangement. Then it might be him who walked away. It would be just her and Joshua again.

  Why did that thought sit like a stone in her belly?

  “Then why won’t you look at me when I make you come?”

  Something flashed through his eyes. Her first impression was of vulnerability. It shook her. She’d never glimpsed that emotion in Caleb, not even for a second. But she realized it was likely another emotion that claimed him. Jealousy. He was simply jealous and resentful that she would dare to put Joshua before him.

  She held out her hand. “I want my clothes.”

  He pushed her back against the rock. “We’re not finished.”

  “Oh, yes we are.”

  She tried to scramble away, nudging at his chest. When he didn’t budge, she looked up at him. Something flashed again, but this time it was not only in his eyes, it was in her soul. Strange and unsettling, it shimmered through her. Memories. She was back on the moor that night. When feral eyes had shone into hers, bringing an overwhelming feeling of fear, and yet total protection and safety. Those same emotions stormed through her now, even while she fought against them.

  Caleb terrified her. No, that wasn’t true. Her feelings for Caleb terrified her. When she was with him, everything was intense. Everything seemed more colorful, everything seemed more…right. He made her feel protected, safe.

  Unnerved, she snatched her panties from his hand. “I thought we were only supposed to have sex when all three of us were around.”

  “Looks like sometimes I don’t play by the rules.”

  She huffed. “Seems Joshua isn’t the only one who doesn’t like to share.”

  “Damn right. And I don’t plan on sharing much longer.”

  His words sent a thrill through her, making her pussy clench. Who knew that she could respond to someone with such a possessive nature? But she still didn’t trust that he actually wanted her. Suddenly, it seemed so important to know. “Answer me one question.”

  “Which is?”

  When he stepped back, she pushed from the rock and snatched up her bra. “You wanting me? Is it just part of a grudge match between you and Joshua?”

  He pulled on his jeans, hitching up the zipper. “You’re mine. That’s all you need to know.”

  “So it really is about you coming back and claiming your leadership. That Josh, having taken the role, had basically made me the leader’s wife and you thought I came with the package?”

  His frown intensified, a quick flash of menace lighting his eyes. “He couldn’t lead a piss-up in a brewery.”

  “Then there’s the whole ‘I’m a journalist’ deal,” she said, ignoring his jibe against Joshua. “We can’t forget that, can we?”

  “Hard to forget when it’s a fact.”

  “Joshua never had a problem with it. When he was leader, I mean.”

  “He never had a problem with a lot of things.”

  She put the animosity that buzzed between the two brothers down to sibling, or in their case, half-sibling rivalry. “In all fairness to Josh, he wasn’t groomed for it. It must have been hard for him to be plunged into leadership when you went missing.”

  “Yeah. I bet he was all cut up about it. And I didn’t go missing. I was taken prisoner.”

  Okay, this was more than brotherly animosity. Talia knew in the way Caleb tensed. She wanted to know more about what had happened to him, but he would clam up if she asked him outright. “I’ve seen photos of you before you went to South America,” she began, hooking up her bra. “Your hair was much longer then. That was probably why I didn’t recognize you when you stormed into the house that day.”

  He gave the hint of a smile. “You mean when I first saw you naked. A day indelibly sealed in my memory.”

  She huffed and reached for her trousers. “I’ll bet. Why do you wear your hair shorter now?”

  “Makes a change.” He tucked his shirt in his pants. “Are you complaining?”

  “No.” Now they were talking about his hair rather than the real issue. He might not want to talk about his experience, but since they were married, didn’t she deserve to know about that part of his life?

  “What happened?” she asked, buttoning her blouse. “Will you tell me?”

  He shrugged, as if it hardly mattered. “Group of us went out to help a pack in trouble. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Simple as that.”

  Talia straightened her blouse. “Firstborn sons take up the mantle to help out when other packs are in trouble. I already know that much. I also know that you do your time in the armed forces because of your duty to the pack. What I’d really like to know is what happened to you.”

  “I was ambushed, taken hostage by rebels who weren’t interested in conciliation. Again, my fault. I took my eye off the ball.”

  “How did that happen?”

  He slipped on his shoes. “I was with a woman.”

  Jealousy flared, pushing heat into her cheeks. Which was ridiculous. She hadn’t known Caleb then, and
she certainly didn’t feel anything beyond a sexual attraction now. Why should she care that he’d been with a woman? From the stories she’d heard about his prowess in that regard, she’d be in a permanent state of ire if she reacted to them.

  To camouflage her response, she put steel into her tone. “Did they take her too?”

  His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “She was the bait.”

  Her feelings turned to fury at the woman who had betrayed him. Was it any wonder he had trust issues? “What happened?”

  He shrugged. “Told her I couldn’t take her home with me. She was their leader’s daughter, which meant her place was in South America. She got pissed and went over to the dark side.”

  Talia’s fury intensified, but she banked it for the same reason she hadn’t wanted him to know she was jealous. “What happened then? After you were taken?”

  “They kept me in a cage. Basically left me to rot there.”

  When her legs went shaky, she sat on a small rock. “What did they want?”

  Drawing in a breath, he came and sat beside her. “To keep me from coming home.”

  “Do you know why?”

  “I have my suspicions. Just can’t prove anything yet.”

  It was almost impossible to link the frail woman in the nursing home with an act of such awful treachery. Maybe she could have suspended her disbelief if she hadn’t seen Vivien McLeod with her own eyes, but now that she’d met her mother-in-law, there was no way in heaven the woman was behind it.

  “It wasn’t Joshua’s mother behind your kidnapping. Joshua lied to me.”

  Caleb turned to face her. “Seems that way.”

  “That’s the reason he wanted me to go through with the marriage to you. He said you would hurt his mother if I didn’t. Banish her.”

  Caleb scoffed out a laugh. “Sounds like something he’d cook up.”

  “If that’s not true, why would he agree to the marriage?”

  He got to his feet. “I suggest you ask him that question.”

  He’d likely be as tightlipped as Caleb was, but she’d damn well get an answer if it killed her. She ignored Caleb’s outstretched hand. “I’m starting to wish to heaven that I’d never come to this place.”