Under the Panther's Protection [Black Panthers 3]

by Leah Brooke

  The vibrations and friction inside her strengthened, making her wild with pleasure, so wild that she bucked against him in an effort to get him to move faster. “Joshua! Harder, damn you!”

  Chuckling, Joshua firmed his hold, spreading her folds wider and increasing the friction on her clit. “You’re going to take it just the way I give it to you, my mate. Having you so wild and needy drives me crazy. Your own need for me makes you submit so beautifully. It’s absolutely irresistible. I want more.”

  Fiona bristled at his words, fighting not to show how much they excited her. “Submit?”

  He tightened his fingertips on her nipple, just hard enough to send jagged heat to her pussy. “Submit. You give so beautifully. Come, my mate.”

  The affection in his demand made it impossible to deny him anything.

  Fiona went over again, the sublime pleasure making every inch of her skin tingle with awareness.

  As soon as the pleasure crested, Joshua hurriedly withdrew with a groan and reached into the drawer of the nightstand. “No, you don’t. That tight pussy is trying to milk my cock, but we’re not done here yet, are we?”

  “Dear God.” Shaking, she rocked in an effort to ease the ripples of pleasure that continued to race through her. “Joshua, how the hell can you do this to me?”

  Joshua rolled on the condom before reaching for the tube he’d retrieved. “Do what, baby?”

  “I came already. Twice. It hurts.”

  “What hurts? I hurt you?”

  “No. Not like that. I’m so close to coming again like I didn’t come at all. It’s so intense that it hurts.”

  “What?” Sounding stunned, Joshua reached for her again. “I’ve got you, baby. Let me help you.”

  Fiona grabbed at him, closing her hand around his cock. “I need you inside me. Now. Hurry.” Tears blurred her vision, but she could still see the stunned look on his face. “Now!”

  Joshua growled and closed his teeth on her neck, the primitive act coming to him as naturally as breathing.

  To his amazement, she settled at once, her movements no longer frantic.

  Tilting her neck to give him better access, she made a sound in her throat resembled a soft purring noise, her breath catching when he slid a cold, lubed finger into her tight bottom.

  “Yes. Please, Joshua. I need more. Please. I’m so close to coming. Please.”

  The way her bottom clamped down on his finger, pulling it in, made his cock throb even more. “Easy. Damn it, Fiona. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She’d become so frantic that he feared she would hurt herself. He held her firmly, but carefully, avoiding her bruise and keeping her from flailing her wrist.

  “It’s different. Please. It’s so strong. Please take me. I don’t know what the hell’s happening to me.”

  He moved behind her, the wild need clawing at him and stirring the beast inside him. “Just a little, baby. Just enough.”

  “Please. Just do something!”

  Joshua cursed, his need for her deepening his voice. “Stay still, damn it! Let me just get the head inside. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  He pressed his cock against her puckered opening, holding her waist firmly when she tried to push back against him. “I’ll do it. Just stay still!”

  “Fuck you! Take me.”

  Knowing he had to maintain control to keep her from hurting herself, Joshua opened his mouth to try to reason with her, but her sharp movements made it obvious that she was beyond reasoning. Instinct took over, and he slapped the cheek of her ass before covering her body with his. Sinking his teeth into the delicate spot between her neck and shoulder, he growled a warning to be still so he could take her gently.

  Fiona stilled, whimpers of need and submission escaping as she arched to give him better access to her neck.

  Stunned at her reaction to his bite, he slowly withdrew his teeth, licking her neck in an effort to soothe her.

  Determined to satisfy his mate’s hunger, Joshua pushed the head of his cock slowly past the tight ring of muscle and into her ass, gripping her hands in his with a groan.

  “So fucking tight. So hot.” He shook with the effort it took him to remain still, the feel of her ass clamping down on him testing his control to its limits.

  “Oh!” Fiona’s cry scared the hell out of him.

  Panicked at the possibility that he’d hurt her, Joshua tried to ease back, but Fiona threw her head back and cried out, the inner walls of her ass rippling around his cock and drawing it deeper.

  “No.” Joshua tried to pull free, but Fiona wrapped her feet around his calves and cried out.

  “Don’t you dare! Give it to me.”

  The desperation in her tone made him pause just long enough for her to come hard, the intense vibrations and heat sending him over.

  He came hard and fast, the release so intense that it made him dizzy.

  Fiona’s orgasm seemed to be triggered by his, her cries of release filling him with pure male satisfaction. “Joshua. Oh God.”

  Furious at himself for sinking deeper into her than he’d intended, Joshua licked her neck to ease the sting of his teeth and gently withdrew. “I’m so sorry, baby. Are you okay?”

  She sucked in a breath and blew it out in a rush. “I’m wonderful. Dead. I’m never moving again.” Turning toward him, she smiled, not opening her eyes. “That was amazing.”

  “What the hell happened?”

  She opened one eye with a groan. “I don’t know. I kept coming, but it wasn’t enough.” She must have realized the seriousness of his question because she lifted herself slightly and frowned in thought. “I don’t know. Different. More intense. It was like I couldn’t stop until you came. Why the hell did you hold back?”

  He ran a hand down her back, loving the feel of her warm softness. “Because I didn’t want to hurt you, but I’m afraid I did, didn’t I?”

  She curled into him, pressing her lips against his chest. “Don’t be ridiculous. You never hurt me.” Lifting her face, she smiled. “I’ll let you know if you hurt me.”

  Unable to resist the invitation, he kissed her, a soft kiss filled with the tenderness she brought out in him. Lifting his head, he reached for the covers to pull over her, stilling when the light in her eyes dimmed. “What is it?”

  Placing a hand in his chest, she shrugged and averted her gaze. “Forcing a relationship is just asking for trouble. I don’t want that to happen to us.”

  His stomach clenched at the distance she’d put between them, a distance he was determined to close again. “I know that discovering that I’m a shapeshifter is a lot to accept.” Holding her close, he rubbed her back, struggling for calm. “I know it must be a shock to find out that the baby you’re carrying is a shapeshifter.” Lifting his head, he stared down at her, playing the card he hoped would get her to stay. “You both need me.”

  Nodding, she dropped her head to the pillow and closed her eyes. “I know.”

  He swallowed heavily, clenching his jaw. “I’m not letting you go.”

  She sighed, reaching out to touch his forearm. “I know that, too.”

  “We’ll work it out.”

  “I hope so.”

  Not knowing what else to say, Joshua lay there, holding her and rubbing her back until she fell asleep.

  He could only hope that showing her how good it could be between them would let her accept that he was a shapeshifter.

  If not, he didn’t know what he would do, but his child would need him in the future.

  Staring down at her, he laid a hand over her abdomen.

  Their child was a permanent link between them, and if he had to use that to keep her with him, he would.

  But it would be empty.

  He’d seen what it could be like between them and knew he couldn’t settle for anything less than all of her.

  She loved him but fought it, and he couldn’t allow her to win that fight.

  Chapter Twenty

  Fiona woke up, surprised to find

Joshua lying next to her. “Hi.”

  Smiling, he bent to kiss her forehead, running his hand up and down her injured arm, which lay propped on his chest. “Hi, yourself. I wondered when you’d wake up. Your stomach’s been growling for the last half-hour.”

  Enjoying the chance to cuddle, she pressed her cheek against his chest, smiling again when his arm came around her and pulled her close. “I’m starving. You didn’t have to stay with me.”

  “You sleep better when I do.” The satisfaction in his tone told her that it pleased him.

  “You’re so warm.” She moved her feet, which had somehow ended up between his calves. “No socks. Sorry. I guess my feet got cold.”

  “Even when you wear socks to bed, your feet end up between my legs.”

  “Sorry.”

  “I’m not. I like when you burrow. How do you feel?”

  “Wonderful. Sleeping with you is like sleeping with an electric blanket. All my aches and pains go away. I can imagine what it’ll feel like when I’m huge. You’ll have cold feet between your legs and a baby kicking you all night.”

  He rolled her to her back, leaning over her. “I’ve got news for you, my mate. I’m very much looking forward to it. Come on. You need to eat.”

  He rolled from the other side of the bed and reached for his jeans, slipping them on and turning to watch her as he fastened them.

  Admiring the most magnificent body she’d ever seen, she sat up, letting the blanket fall. “I think I’m insulted.”

  He sat to pull on a pair of socks, turning to look at her over his shoulder. “Insulted? Why, baby?”

  “I’m in bed and naked, and all you can think about is your stomach.”

  Getting to his feet, he came around to her side of the bed, throwing the covers off of her and grabbing her socks. “I’m not taking you while your stomach’s growling. I shouldn’t have taken you earlier.”

  “I’m not fragile, Joshua.”

  He looked pointedly at her cheek, her wrist, and then the bruise on her hips. “You’re beat to hell and pregnant.”

  Realizing that her makeup had to be long gone, she grimaced and touched her cheek. “I must look a mess.”

  He looked up from putting on her socks and reached for her panties, tossing them aside when he saw them. “You’re beautiful to me, baby. You always are. Forgot I ripped these. I’ll get you another pair.”

  “I need to use the bathroom first.” Her stomach growled again, and when Joshua raised a brow, she grimaced. “Okay. I get your point.”

  “Good.” He bent over to kiss her again, slipping her robe around her. “Maybe one day you’ll do what I say without arguing with me.”

  “Don’t hold your breath, pussycat.”

  * * * *

  After dinner, Joshua sat on the deck with Fiona, bundled in a blanket against the cool night air, sitting on his lap and leaning against him.

  He bit into the rapidly disappearing mound of cookies. “These really are good.”

  Sitting on Leland’s lap, similarly wrapped, Glenna bit into a cookie and closed her eyes on a moan. “Good? These are heaven. Hmm. I think these just might be better than sex.”

  Leland’s brows went up. “Excuse me?”

  Glenna grinned and leaned into him. “Okay. Maybe not better, but a damned close second.”

  Joshua looked down to see Fiona’s reaction, pleased when she smiled and lifted her face to his.

  “It’s so good to see her looking so relaxed and happy.”

  When Leland smiled, Joshua knew that he’d heard her, just as he’d heard Glenna say the same thing to Leland.

  Bending to lick a cookie crumb from her bottom lip, Joshua rubbed her back. “Yes, it is. Are you happy?”

  “Of course.” She averted her gaze, stiffening when Vincent, in panther form, came silently up the steps of the deck.

  Relaxing as she realized there was no threat, she turned to Joshua. “Who’s that?”

  He smiled in return, hiding his anger that she’d looked away from him and, instead, fought not to gather her closer when he felt her fear. “Why don’t you tell me?”

  Leland inclined his head. “It’s important for both you and Glenna to be able to recognize everyone in panther form. I don’t want one of the other pack getting anywhere near either one of you because you didn’t recognize them. I need both of you to know who to trust.”

  Joshua gestured toward Vincent, smiling encouragingly and prepared to comfort her if Vincent did something to scare her. “Go ahead. See if you can guess.”

  He shot a look at Vincent in warning and kept rubbing Fiona’s back.

  Fiona pursed her lips in a way that he always thought sexy as hell and studied the black panther walking slowly toward her.

  Intrigued, he watched her, aware that she leaned more heavily against him, her hand tightening on the forearm he had wrapped around her.

  She stiffened even more when Vincent moved closer, her short nails digging into his forearm, and he knew she was reliving her abduction.

  He wanted to whisk her away but knew that it was better for her to face her fear, especially since she would be seeing black panthers on patrol all the time.

  Leaning close, he brushed his lips over her ear. “You’re safe, my mate. Every panther here would use his strength, sharp claws, and teeth to protect you.”

  Nodding, Fiona swallowed heavily and studied the panther again. Seconds later, she smiled and turned to him. “It’s Vincent, isn’t it?”

  Beaming with pride, Joshua kissed her. “Very good.”

  Glenna wrinkled her nose. “Fiona, when Joshua whispered to you, did he tell you who it was?”

  “No.”

  “Then how did you know?”

  “Because he wasn’t looking at me. He couldn’t take his eyes from the cookies.” Taking a cookie from the tray, she leaned forward and held it out to Vincent.

  A warning growl escaped before Joshua could prevent it, and he watched closely as Vincent moved closer and gingerly accepted Fiona’s offering.

  To Joshua’s surprise, and Fiona’s delight, Vincent ate the cookie and moved closer, rubbing the top of his head over Fiona’s knee.

  Joshua sighed. “Hell, now you’ve done it. You’re spoiling him already.”

  Fiona blushed and reached out, yanking her hand back at the last second. “Is it okay if I pet him?”

  “He won’t hurt you, but those growls coming from your mate sound like trouble.” Joe came through the back door after putting Jonas to bed, setting the baby monitor on one of the side tables.

  Vincent hurriedly backed away, and within seconds, he’d leapt from the deck and disappeared into the darkness.

  Fiona smiled up at Joshua, propping her injured hand against his chest. “Is Vincent patrolling?”

  Joshua inclined his head, wondering if his mate would ever understand how much it meant to him that she sought him for comfort. “He is.”

  Frowning, she glanced toward where Vincent had gone. “Isn’t it dangerous for him to patrol alone?”

  Joshua repositioned his arm, propping her wrist on it in the hopes of making her more comfortable. “No one patrols alone. The younger ones are closely watched. There’s only about six years between me and Vincent, but he and some of the others were just infants when we came, and the Tremaines spoiled them and kept them close because they were afraid for their safety. They’re anxious to go on missions with us, and they’re training for it, but Leland and Joe say they aren’t ready.”

  Leland snorted. “They’re kids. Vincent gets distracted by cookies, for Christ’s sake.”

  Dane came up the steps, a beer in his hand. “The day you showed up here unexpectedly, you scared the crap out of him. He was scared that you would see him, and he’d scare you the same way he scared Glenna.”

  Glenna groaned. “I’d rather forget that ever happened.”

  Leland raised a brow. “Vincent won’t.”

  Joshua smiled at that. He hadn’t been there at the time but had heard often about how Leland had shifted and jumped between Vincent and Glenna, scaring the hell out of both of them.

  Fiona nodded and looked up at Joshua again, leaning back against his bicep. “Have you heard from any of them?”

  Joe took the seat on the other side of Glenna and reached for a cookie. “No. We keep going into the mountains but no sign of them.”

  “Oh.” She looked at Joshua again. “When do you go on patrol?”

  “Tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Oh. Okay. Maybe I’ll make cakes.”

  Joshua shrugged. “Then someone will come stay with you while I’m gone.”

  “That’s silly.”

  Joshua raised a brow, taking her injured hand in his and lifting it to brush his lips over her fingers. “And not negotiable. You’ll either have someone at the house with you, or you can come here and stay with your sister while I’m gone.”

  Sitting up straighter, Fiona smiled. “Joshua, I’m okay. I’m not going to freak out if I’m home alone. Besides, someone’s always close.”

  Joshua swallowed heavily, his chest swelling when she called his house home. “Yes, my mate, someone is always close, and they can hear you.”

  Fiona held up a hand. “Wait. If they can hear me, then why do they need a baby monitor?”

  Leland grinned. “For Glenna. She needs to hear Jonas.”

  Joe reached out to Glenna, lifting her from Leland’s lap to settle her on his. “That rogue pack can still cause trouble. One of them got to Glenna.”

  Fiona would have jumped to her feet if Joshua hadn’t anticipated it and tightened his hold. “Dear God. When?” Her eyes went wide, and she looked at Glenna as if her sister were in imminent danger.

  Joshua rubbed her back again, hoping to get her to settle. “Do you remember when Glenna went into labor because she fell? She didn’t fall. The Alpha tried to abduct her.”

  “The man who abducted me?”

  “No, baby. That’s the new Alpha. The other one died during a fight when he landed on the knife he tried to attack Leland and Joe with.”

  Fiona turned to Joshua, gripping his shoulder. “They killed the Alpha. He said that.”

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