by Bonnie Vanak
Emotions were a luxury. He couldn’t afford them, not if they were to survive the winter and constant threats from the Lawson pack.
“Sunshine, fear not,” he murmured, his fingers caressing her nape. “I’ll take good care of you.”
She would need plenty of food, warmth and tender loving care before he set out on his task. Seducing her into his bed and coaxing out her dark powers to infuse his men with strength shouldn’t take too long. Desire fled in the face of tender concern. Daimon frowned. Ariana was an assignment, nothing more. His people were in desperate need of her. He could not allow his feelings for his childhood companion to deflect his goal.
Skin like pale porcelain was marred with dirt. Her powder-blue sweater was torn and destined for the trash. The print trousers were frayed, as if the pack had chased her through brambles. Daimon’s lips narrowed. He’d tear Jarrett’s throat out for running her ragged.
“Hey,” he told her, jostling her gently. “We’re home. Wake up.”
As Ariana rubbed sleep out of her eyes, his throat tightened. All the forgotten misfits in his unruly pack depended on this woman—and Daimon taking her in the flesh.
If he didn’t mate with her and absorb her dark powers, they risked much.
Their very lives.
A purple-and-green quilt covered her. Ariana sat up, pushing aside the fabric. Dust motes danced in sunbeams streaming through the partly closed green drapes. Morning already. Last night she’d bathed, pulled on a thick terry-cloth robe and eaten a hearty meal. She’d dozed off in her chair afterward. The last thing she remembered was Daimon carrying her to this bed.
His scent was familiar, and that arrogant air hadn’t changed. A tingle rushed down her spine as she remembered meeting him a year ago in a northern California bar. She’d been lonely and vulnerable. He was handsome and charming.
And then he’d taken her to his cabin in the woods, lain her down on the bed.
Ariana covered her face with her hands. After, she’d fled like the hounds of hell chased her. Her demon had surged up with each exquisite stroke of his hands, each slow thrust inside her trembling body. It had scared her. Daimon had been fierce and possessive, murmuring how she was his now, and he’d never let go.
No man could hold her, and no man would ever coax out the darkness inside her. So she’d sung him to sleep, then dressed and fled, taking care to cover her tracks.
So much for taking care. He’d found her anyway.
Boots shuffled against the wood floor. She glanced up. Her rescuer stood in the hallway, his sharp emerald gaze sweeping over her in a soft caress. A smile curved his firm mouth.
“Good morning. I trust you feel more human now?”
Ariana yanked the covers over her naked body and shot him a scathing look. “I was dressed in a robe last night.”
“And so uncomfortable, I took it upon myself to ensure you’d receive a good night’s sleep.”
“Assuming? That makes you an ass.”
Daimon showed no reaction. “I told you my plans, to make you my mate. Now get dressed and go downstairs. Breakfast is ready.”
“And I told you what I thought of them. I’ll take your offer of a hot meal, and if you’ll loan me a little money, I’ll pay you back soon as I get to Portland.”
He cocked a dark brow. “Running off so soon? What kind of host would I be if I sent you out naked into the world?”
“Where are my clothes?”
“Burned,” he said briefly. “There’s plenty of clothing that should fit. I went shopping for your size. After you get dressed, come downstairs and meet my men. They’re eager to know their future mistress.”
Knots formed in her stomach. “I’m no one’s mistress.”
“You will be,” he murmured. “We jags tend to be loners, but in this colony, we’re forced to band together.”
“How many jaguars?” Gooseflesh sprang on her arms as he told her. Thirty! So many would make it difficult to leave if Daimon didn’t release her.
“Don’t you like cats?” He cocked his head at her in a peculiar way she vaguely recognized.
Ariana loosened her grip on the sheets. “I had a cat, once.”
Daimon sat on the bed. “A childhood pet?”
Her throat closed tight. “Whiskers was my only friend. I found him when I was seven. My sisters always played without me because I was frail. We moved when I was twelve and I had to leave him behind. I cried as he sat on the porch as we drove away. Who would feed him? My dad said he’d be okay on his own, but I couldn’t believe it.”
His gaze softened. “He was.”
“I couldn’t forgive myself.”
He wiped a stray tear away with the edge of one thumb. “All is forgiven. Your father was looking out for your virtue. He knew you were growing up, becoming a beautiful woman.”
Ariana tensed herself against the compassion. She flung his hand away. “And what does that have to do with a stray cat? It’s not like he was the big bad wolf.”
She didn’t like the wicked gleam in his eyes. Daimon’s mouth quirked upward. “Just the big bad pussy.”
Her heart skipped a beat as he picked up her hand, gave the knuckles a slow, lingering kiss. “Meow.”
“No…you?”
“None other.”
“You can’t be Whiskers!”
In a blink, he vanished. In his place was a small black cat with brilliant emerald eyes. The cat climbed into her lap and nuzzled her chin just as her childhood friend had.
As her trembling hand stroked his fur, the cat purred. He grabbed the sheet in his small teeth and tried to yank it past her breasts.
“Hey!”
She jerked away and he jumped off her lap, transforming into Daimon again. Daimon in a black shirt and jeans, wearing a sexy smile and no shoes.
“Your father knew what I was. He saw no harm in it, until you were on the verge of womanhood. Then he wanted me the hell away, but I wasn’t budging, so he moved your family. And warned me to stay away unless I wanted to tangle with his powers.”
“Why did you hang around me?”
His gaze grew guarded. “To protect you at first. You were lonely, in need of a friend, but you were frail back then, Ariana. Your solitary jaunts into the woods were risky. There was darkness in those woods. I would not see you hurt.”
The thought comforted her a little. “And later?”
Those broad shoulders stiffened. “I was your guardian. That’s all.”
It wasn’t. Ariana reached for her angelic side. The white light was the teller of truth. She sent a tendril snaking toward him. In the starkness of his expression, she saw the answer.
I was lonely, too.
She reached out and touched his hand. “So much pain inside needing to be healed. So little peace.”
Daimon’s eyes darkened. “So you enjoy playing head games with your powers? I’ve got a better game in mind.”
He reached up and gripped her jaw lightly, his thumb feathering over her skin. “Soft as an angel’s wing. Angels are cotton candy and fluff. But there’s more to you, Ariana. Much more. Let me show you.”
A tingle raced through her as she remembered his lips on hers, the warm pressure and subtle movements. His mouth hovered near hers, tempting, rich and full. Tendrils of his delicious scent wrapped around her like a blanket. Her body reacted naturally, her breasts tingling and full, the space between her legs throbbing.
“Would you like to know?”
A sigh and a small nod. But he did not kiss her. Daimon nuzzled her neck, breathing softly into her ear. “Sweet Ariana. You were made for love. I’ve never forgotten you, searched so long for you, my other half, my true mate. Your kind heart saved me when I was a cat caught in a snare. I need you.”
Desire pushed aside earlier resolve to resistance. Ariana practically purred as he praised her beauty, stroking her shoulders, burying his face into her hair.
Daimon ran his hands down her arms and the sheet spilled in a waterfall to her lap. Cool ai
r washed over her breasts. Their nipples pebbled and she blushed.
With a reverent look, he touched her breasts. Flicked a thumb over one pearling nipple. She shivered in delight. And then she looked up with a startled gasp.
In the shadowy hallway stood several men. She scented their feral hunger. Their lean faces were cruel with lust, their nostrils flared. Their bodies tense with anticipation, they stared at Ariana as if she were prey.
Fear licked her spine. “Your men?”
Daimon leaped off her, his expression savage as he paced toward the door.
The tallest and strongest spoke up, his voice a husky rumble of intent. “We want to touch her.”
Ariana froze.
Chapter Three
“No.”
“The rules.” The strongest gave a thin smile. “Remember? If she’s to stay here, we must know her.”
“I know the rules, Theo. But you forget who’s in charge.”
A low growl rumbled from Daimon’s throat. He gave the man a hard shove in the chest. The male staggered back, bowed his head and then looked with respect at Daimon.
Authority reestablished, Daimon returned. “Ariana, these are my men. They will not hurt you.”
He gave them a vicious glance. “They have given their word. But they want to know you, to touch you, to mark you as someone they need to protect. There’s no sex involved. None. They will be gentle or I’ll rip them to pieces myself.”
Theo spoke up. “It is as he says, mistress. Forgive us our intrusion. We have not seen a woman in a long, long time. We will never hurt you.”
“Touch me?” She stared at Daimon as he approached the bed. “What kind of outfit do you run here? I’m not staying. I don’t want you or anyone touching me!”
She went to stand, but he took her hand and pulled her back down. “Ariana. Please. Listen to me.”
Never had she heard that desolate tone. Something inside her twisted at his broken expression.
“All right.”
“We are a sensual people, but they are forbidden from the sensual world. My men are not allowed women and lost their mates when they came here. They have not seen the ones they loved in many decades. I promised they could touch you and remember the feel of a woman’s soft skin. It is the only pleasure they are allowed. But if you don’t want this, I don’t give a damn what promises I made to them. You come first.”
Hot ferocity shone on his face. He looked over her naked body with pride, as if he knew the other men would touch her but only he had the right to claim her. A low growl rumbled from his deep chest, assuring the men he’d rip apart anyone who dared try more.
Daimon drew an arm about her waist. His lean fingers stroked over one hip in a lazy, possessive caress. The demon inside her thrilled at the stir of sexual pleasure, sending off alarm bells.
Thirty shape-shifters would touch her naked body. Ariana opened her mouth to refuse.
And then she looked up into their eyes. The stark loneliness and the desperation tugged at her heart. Instead of fierce wildness, she saw broken men.
These jaguars had suffered terribly. Banished from the females they loved, they spent their days and nights pining for their mates.
“Why are the females not allowed?” she asked.
Daimon’s expression shuttered. “It’s the rule.”
It made no sense, yet the men’s pain was quite real. Theo’s mouth wobbled as he gave her a pleading look.
“I miss my Felicity,” he said thickly. “I do not even know…if she lives.”
The soothing strokes of Daimon’s fingers were caresses heating her skin, inflaming her desire. Fear turned into sheer want. Ariana drew in a deep breath for strength.
She could resist the tug of sexual pleasure. Keep the demon in place.
“All right,” she assented. She looked at Daimon. “What do I do?”
“Lie back on the bed.”
As she did, he jerked back the sheet, baring her body. Cool air washed over her skin.
“Close your eyes,” he instructed.
A shuffling on the hardwood floor warned the men approached. Her nostrils tingled with their various scents of pine, leather, smoke and pure animal. Ariana licked her lips, waiting.
The first brush across her bare belly was a tentative caress. Instinctively she pulled back, but Daimon murmured soothing assurances. Gradually she relaxed.
Another hand stroked down her thigh. Sighs of appreciation followed.
“So soft, so silky,” someone said.
More hands upon her body. A palm caressing her hair, fingering the strands. Warm breath blowing upon her cool flesh as a man hovered near her throat. A slow stroke down one hip.
Two hands sliding up to cup her breasts. Thumbs teased her pearling nipples, arousing her.
She moaned as hands explored, paused, caressed. Her breasts ached and throbbed as the shifters teased and stroked.
“So soft, so pretty,” Theo murmured. “Like my Felicity.”
Lips nuzzled and tasted. A long, delicate lick across her quivering belly. Warm, slightly rough tongues scraped over her skin. They were marking her, sealing her with their senses, as theirs to protect.
A flick across one hardened nipple made her squirm, her skin heating with erotic fervor.
Moisture gushed between her thighs, the musk of her desire scenting the air.
A pair of hands parted her thighs, someone’s hair brushing against her skin like silk threads. Warm, wet lips nuzzled the inside of her limb. A tongue dragged over her shivering flesh.
And then the man put his mouth on her center.
Ariana screamed and arched.
Opening her eyes, she saw Daimon leaning over her, his tongue between her legs. The men gathered around the bed and watched, their eyes gleaming, turning to the shining jewel colors of big cats.
They had ceased touching her minutes ago, she realized. Only Daimon’s tongue slid over her skin, making fire come between her legs, Daimon’s hands upon her body.
The pulsing throb intensified, whipping her into a frenzy. She shifted restlessly on the bed as he continued to taste her. Licking the wetness gushing between her legs. Ariana’s legs spilled open helplessly. Her hands knotted in the sheets. She didn’t care who watched, all she cared about was Daimon’s mouth on her core, his wicked tongue dancing over her shuddering center.
And then he sank a long finger deep inside her. Hot pleasure poured out of her, blasting like a furnace. She bucked wildly, his mouth wringing out spasms of pleasure.
And with the orgasm the demon rose to the surface, chortling with glee. Darkness consumed her, thoughts of tangled sheets, Daimon’s sweaty body sliding over hers, the exquisite thrill of their hot coupling releasing the demon at last.
Coldness washed over her with the realization. Fighting the boneless pleasure claiming her limbs, Ariana jerked away from Daimon. “No!”
With a feral look, he lifted his head. Daimon sat back, wiping his mouth with the back of one hand. Then he gave his fingers a long, delicate lick.
“I tasted your arousal, Ariana. It’s like hot, wet honey sliding down my throat.”
Erotic heat shivered through her. The bulge in his jeans warned how much he desired her. But he would not have her.
“That’s all you’ll have of me.” She stiffened her spine and said in a regal voice to the men, “Get out.”
Respect shone on their faces. They walked away, their strides not as broken and shuffling now. Daimon gave the retreating backs a speculative glance.
“Thank you, Ariana. You have given them new purpose.”
“Purpose? What kind, to find women and fuck them mindless?”
She clapped a hand over her mouth. Daimon looked amused.
“Such a pretty mouth and such naughty images coming out of it.” He ran a hand through his rumbled hair. “No, they’ll find relief through their own fists. The only relief they’re allowed.”
“They touched me….”
“To give them energy.
It wasn’t merely lust. Touching any female reminds them of the bond they shared, and fuses them with hope. But it’s been so long, thirty damn years, that it didn’t last. Just gave them enough energy to patrol the turf.”
“You’re an Ancient. Can’t you help?”
If he could, he’d give his life. But it wasn’t enough. Daimon tensed his muscles. “Not enough. I’ve given Theo all the strength I can spare, but I don’t have enough for all of them.”
“I need to get dressed.” She gave him a pointed look, mustering as much dignity as possible.
With a flick of his hand, a dresser drawer opened, and panties, socks and a lace bra floated out. New jeans, a green-and-yellow plaid flannel shirt and hiking boots sailed out of the closet and landed on the bed with the undergarments.
She dressed quickly, ignoring his burning gaze. The clothing fit perfectly, as he’d predicted. As if Daimon knew every inch of her body. A flush ignited her cheeks and she hid it by bending over to lace up the boots.
“Did your men take some kind of celibacy vow like the ancient knights? Or are you just all weird and get off on touching women who happen to wander into your lair?”
A haunted look shadowed his eyes, and was gone so quickly she wondered if it was her imagination. Daimon’s body tensed like a coiled spring. “You’ll find out. After breakfast.”
She didn’t want to know. Their problems weren’t hers. Becoming entangled with Daimon and his men was dangerous. Secrets lurked beneath the surface, secrets her angelic self yearned to coax out, soothe and heal. But what about my life? I have to look after myself.
“And after, I’ll be on my way. Just give me a little money and I’ll never bother you again. I’ll wire it to any account you wish.”
“Oh no, sunshine.” Daimon eyed her with a wicked gleam. “You’re here now and so you shall stay.”
Remembering his earlier threat, she bristled. “I’m not mating you, Daimon. Get that idea out of your thick skull and lock it away. I’m leaving, unless you’re going to be a complete beast and tie me up.”
His smoldering gaze warned he might. “Not a bad idea. Tying you to my bed would pass the time quite nicely. I can make it very pleasant for you. Even nicer than the orgasm I just gave you.”