“Max—”
“Promise, Shira.”
“No, I’m going! You can’t stop me. I have to show Sam he can’t intimidate me anymore.” She continued outlining reasons she had to talk to Sam, to convince him to leave them alone. Max knew it would take more than words. For a moment he considered allowing Shira to go with him, but he changed his mind. He still needed to tell her about the shifting, and seeing it firsthand without warning wasn’t the way to go about it. She needed to stay home.
“I have something very important to discuss with you when I get back,” he said in a quiet tone. Shira fell silent. He watched her eyes widen and excitement spark there. He knew she jumped to conclusions, and he was okay with that. Shira was his mate, so whatever she wanted, he would give her. “Wait for me, please?”
She blew out a resigned breath and nodded. “Fine, but be careful.” She reached up and stroked his cheek. Desire hit him between the eyes. What he wanted more than anything was to stay here and make love to her. From the way she trembled when he touched her, she felt the same. “I don’t want him to hurt you.”
“I promise he won’t, and I’ll come back soon.”
Max kissed her and left the house on a jog. He hopped behind the wheel of his car and peeled out of the drive. First, he would pick up his brother, and then they would have a word or two with that scum Ellerby.
* * * *
“He’s under the illusion that he’s important,” Alec commented when they pulled up to the house.
Max frowned. “You’re sure this is the place? The way he comes off you’d think he would live in a mansion like Mancini’s. This seems too…”
“Average?” Alec supplied. “My information isn’t wrong. He’s here. That’s the car he was driving the other night at the party, and I’m picking up his scent.”
Max agreed. He would never forget Ellerby’s scent as long as he lived, and he’d better not pick it up after today within a five mile radius of Shira. “Let’s go then. The sooner we put the fear of the leopard in him the better. I need to get back to Shira.”
His brother eyed him but said nothing and slid from the car. Max met him on the other side, and they ascended the walk to the front door. Max leaned on the bell long and hard. He picked up the grumbling complaints on the other side of the door and schooled his face.
Sam Ellerby opened the door. “What the hell are you two doing here? If you think you’re going to intimidate me, you’re wrong. If you’re foolish enough to—”
“Look at me, Ellerby,” Max demanded. He let his eyes shift to that of the leopard. “Do I look impressed with you?”
Ellerby paled, blinked, and then scrubbed his eyes. He swung his gaze from Max to Alec, and his brother took a step forward to rest a clawed hand on Ellerby’s shoulder. “Let’s have a chat inside, shall we?”
Ellerby stuttered and stumbled backward. Max and Alec followed him inside and shut the door behind them.
“What-what-what,” Ellerby stammered. “What kind of trick is this? How did you get your eyes to look like an animal’s?”
“To be more specific, a leopard,” Max corrected him.
His brother dug his claws in where he still held onto Ellerby’s shoulder. Ellerby winced. “That’s good makeup. Let go,” he demanded of Alec.
Max’s brother frowned. “Are you telling me what to do, Ellerby? I’m sure you’re not afraid, right? An influential man like you? I mean you could make one phone call and ruin our reputation, cause us to lose close to a million dollars.”
Alec backed him into his living room and shoved him down on the couch. Ellerby stayed where he was, staring in horror up at them. The most Max had done was shift his eyes, but it was enough for now. If Shira’s ex didn’t start changing his tune, Max was prepared to do much more, and Ellerby might not recover from it.
Max towered over the man with arms folded across his chest. “Now let’s get this straight so there are no misunderstandings. You convinced Mancini not to do business with us. Our association with him is somewhat new, but you’ve known him a while. Am I right?”
Ellerby cleared his throat and tugged at his collar. “I met him a few years ago at a gathering Senator Jones was having in honor of his daughter.”
“Oh a senator,” Alec commented, although he didn’t sound impressed. Neither was Max. Tossing around names was the kind of thing a small man like Ellerby did.
“Changing Mancini’s mind wasn’t enough. You went one step further and brought Wilson into it,” Max continued. “I’m willing to bet that isn’t the end of your plans though.”
Belligerence set in Ellerby’s expression, and he looked away saying nothing. Max leaned down and thumped the man’s chest with the back of his hand. He pulled most of the strength at his command. A real blow would crack a human’s bones with one hit. He let just enough through to drive the air out of Ellerby’s lungs. Ellerby sputtered and coughed, trying to drag in a breath.
“Answer,” Alec snapped.
“Y-Yes, but I won’t…” All of a sudden Ellerby couldn’t seem to think straight. Max supplied the words.
“You won’t open your mouth to speak a word against me and my brother.” He leaned down and brought his eyes level with Ellerby’s. He allowed more of the leopard to come through, just enough for the color of his skin to shimmer and hint at the animal inside him. His nails grew to claws, and his teeth sharpened. Max allowed his jaw to grow slack so Ellerby could see. A bite or a scratch could tear him to shreds. A sharp, foul scent burned Max’s nose, and he glanced down. Ellerby had wet himself. Somehow he didn’t feel sorry for the man. “You will correct the rumor you spread and set Wilson on the right path. If you come within a state of Shira, I’m sure you can guess what I will do—what my brother and I both will do.”
“A state,” Ellerby shrieked like a little girl. “I just moved back here. I just took this job.”
“Sucks to be you, doesn’t it, pal?” Alec growled.
Ellerby shrunk away from the animosity in Alec. “Okay, just please, don’t… Don’t kill me.”
Max clamped his lips together to keep from laughing. They’d never killed anyone, and despite what Ellerby had said, they’d never pressured anyone into a business deal either.
“As you can see,” Alec told him, “we’re not your average businessmen. Don’t cross us. Got it?”
“I got it,” Ellerby muttered.
Max and Alec watched him for a little while longer, and then they turned to leave. When they were back in the car and driving down the highway, Max let out the laughter he’d held in check, and his brother joined him.
When they sobered, Alec glanced over at him, growing serious. “Have you told her about your ability?”
Max knew he was talking about Shira and them not being human. “I’m heading back to tell her now.” He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. “I never believed I could have another mate, but I’m beginning to think she’s it. I can see myself with her forever. But if she—”
“Don’t. She will accept you. From what I’ve seen, she loves you, and you—”
“I want to protect her. I don’t want her ever to be hurt again.”
Alec grinned. “Fine. Anyway, I’m sure everything will work out great. She’s not going to let the fact that you grow a little extra hair once in a while and get a penchant for running in the wild get between you.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Max dropped his brother off, waved to Whisper who stood in the doorway of his house, and drove toward home. With each mile he covered, the tension in his neck increased. He ran a hand over it and massaged the muscles. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach, but he wouldn’t put this off. He should have told Shira before she said she would stay. She had a right to know everything about him—especially the way he felt about her.
When he walked in the door, intense joy displaced his nervousness seeing her waiting for him. He held out his arms, and she darted across the floor to settle into h
is embrace. He tipped her chin up to kiss her soft lips. She tasted like honey, and his heart swelled. I can’t believe her power over me.
“Shira, I need to tell you something.”
A tremor passed over her, and he caressed her shoulders, trying to soothe her. He hesitated and then took the plunge. “Baby, I love you.”
Her sharp intake of breath was the only sound in the room. “What? You… I never thought…” Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she wiped them away almost violently. “You love me? You really do? You’re not just saying that?”
He shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true. It took me by surprise, and I thought it wasn’t possible for my kind to mate more than once.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Have sex more than once?”
He chuckled. “No, have a mate.” He put her from him and then led her to a chair to sit down. “That’s the other part of what I need to tell you. First, am I right in believing you love me too?”
“Do you even have to ask?” Her smile lit up his world, and he was hard-pressed not to forget the conversation and take her into his arms. Her light-hearted laugh made him join in. “Yes, Max Macgregor, I love you so much!”
Max dropped to one knee and took her hands. The wideness in her eyes told him he’d made her jump to the wrong conclusion. He refused to take it back seeing the fluttery movements in her hands and the spark in her gaze.
“Do you remember the leopard you saw?” he began.
Her brows dropped low in confusion, but she nodded.
Max gripped her fingers and brought them to his lips. He kissed each one, feeling her shiver with every touch. How the hell did he tell her and hope she wouldn’t panic, thinking he was a psycho like her ex? Showing her might frighten her, and that was the last thing he wanted. Shira had had enough fear in her life.
He sparked on an idea.
“Do you remember when you were running in the trees that night at the party and about how confused you were about which way to go?”
“How did you know about that?”
He didn’t answer her question right away but continued with his line of questioning. “What did you feel when you saw the leopard?”
“I was kind of relieved,” she said. “I know you’ll think I’m crazy, but I feel like he’s my protector, my friend. If I had any sense I’d call animal control and have them pick him up. He shouldn’t be running free around residential areas. I wonder if a circus lost him.”
Max jiggled her hands to call her attention back to him. “Focus, baby.”
She chuckled. “Sorry. Anyway, I suppose I trusted him. He led me back to the street and to your brother. Alec said he knew the leopard.”
Max nodded. He rubbed her fingers. “Shira, that leopard was me.”
She blinked at him. “Oh, you mean, the way I feel about him, and that you’ll protect me? I know. I trust you, and I know you won’t let anyone hurt me.”
“No.” He released her hands and stood up, then backed away. When he began removing his clothes, she focused on his body. His cock went erect as he saw the interest in her gaze. This wasn’t the time to get excited, but he couldn’t help it. The woman he loved looked like she wanted to have him for lunch, and he didn’t mind at all.
When he was naked in front of her, she reached out to his cock, but he caught her hands. “Whoa, baby, I’ll never do this if you start that.”
“Do what?”
He shifted. No pretense, no warning. Shira surged to her feet and slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my goodness!”
He didn’t move a muscle in case he scared her. In fact, he did all he could not to appear threatening. To his surprise, she dropped to her knees and threw her arms around his neck, sobbing. “I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it. I must be dreaming. Max, you’re the leopard? I knew it wasn’t natural to be so drawn to a wild animal like that! Wow! This is amazing.”
He shifted back to his human form and sat on the carpet, pulling Shira onto his lap. “Wait, you’re not afraid?”
“Of course not.” She grinned. “It’s you isn’t it?”
“It’s me,” he affirmed.
“Incredible.” She kept touching his skin, ran fingers through his hair, and stared at him in awe. “You’re amazing.”
Warmth spread over Max’s insides. “No, you are. Marry me, Shira.”
She gaped. “But we’ve just met.”
“Marry me,” he said again. “This time I won’t let my mate get away without claiming her in every sense of the word. Be my wife.”
She hesitated and ducked her head. “Are you sure you want me? I can’t be like her.”
“I’ve never been more sure.” He raised her chin. “I love you for you, and I know you are the one for me. Shira, you’ve taken my heart, and I won’t ask for it back.”
“Then, yes, I will marry you, Max, because you’ve taken my heart, too, and you’ll always have it.”
She threw her arms around his shoulders and pressed her breasts to his bare chest. Max felt her nipples tighten, and he moaned. “Now I can take you freely.”
“Yes, you can.” She grinned at him and then stood up. Her pussy was in line with his face, and Max’s mouth watered as she began removing her clothes. Happiness surged within him along with desire. He never imagined his life would take this much of a turn for the better. He’d been down on everything and everyone, and a few weeks ago, he wouldn’t have believed a woman as perfect for him as Shira would come into his life. She was here now, and he had no intention of letting her go.
When she was naked, he reached out and ran a finger down the slit of her pussy. She was already wet, and he tasted her juices. He wanted to eat her out, but that would take control, something which was missing at the moment. Instead, he tugged her back to his lap. As she descended, he guided his already stiff cock between her legs. She sank slowly onto it, and a hiss of breath left his lips. Up to the hilt, he fit in her warm channel. Her inner muscles clenched around his member, milked it. He arched his hips and drove into her while cupping her ass. Shira pumped hard, her eyes closed and head thrown back. She murmured his name, and each time she did, his cock pulsed and seemed to grow harder. Shira’s slender form sent him insane. He couldn’t stop kissing her skin, licking it, and enjoying the feel of her squirming on his cock. Everything about his lover brought him to the edge of an orgasm, and he willed himself to fall.
“Shira, baby, you’re going to make me explode.”
“Do it, Max. I want it so bad,” she purred. “I want to feel your come in me.”
That was all she needed to say. He ran his hands up her back, pressed his fingers to her soft skin, and crushed her to him. He devoured her delicious mouth and thrust his tongue in to taste her. With his fingers tangled in her hair, he took what was all his and no other man’s. He ground deep into her pussy, and made her bounce on his erection until the sensations were more than he could stand. She screamed, and the spasms in her thigh muscles told him she had come. Just a few more thrusts and Max let go. He came strong and hard, shaken from head to toe as he emptied himself inside of her.
When he was done and they had calmed somewhat, Max held onto Shira and stood with her in his arms. He carried her into his bedroom and kicked the door shut. What he would do now was to spend the rest of the day giving Shira and himself pleasure to make up for all the pain that came before. From then on, nothing would come between them, and he would be all the protection she needed.
The End
About the Author
Tressie Lockwood has always loved books, and she enjoys writing about heroines who are overcoming the trials of life. She writes straight from her heart, reaching out to those who find it hard to be completely themselves no matter what anyone else thinks. She hopes her readers enjoy her short stories. Visit Tressie on the web at www.tressielockwood.blogspot.com.
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