Marlie bit her lip but didn't break his eye contact. Her breathing was rapid, and he could smell her desire through the scent of her flowery soap. She ran her hands up his arms to his shoulders. Rogan thought he was going to burst if she didn't answer him soon.
"Yes,” she finally whispered.
Without another word, his mouth was on hers, tasting hungrily. He could feel her fingers threading through his hair, and it enflamed him. Pressing closer, he made sure she could feel every hard inch of him. Damn, he'd never wanted anything more in his life than to be inside of her at that moment. Her breasts were crushed on his chest, and he couldn't help but moan at the contact.
Reaching between them, he grabbed hold of each of them, rubbing her nipples to fine points against his palms. Marlie gasped in his mouth but didn't let go of him. He felt a surge of satisfaction pulse through him at his victory.
"We can't do this standing up,” she panted when his mouth left hers to trail down her neck. “Your leg...” She let the sentence hang, and he knew she was right, despite the fact that he felt a little better.
"Turn off the shower,” he commanded softly, stepping away from her just enough for her to turn off the faucet. Opening the stall door behind him, he stepped out and pulled her with him. He kicked the glass door shut and pulled her down to the bathroom floor.
"Right here?” she asked as he lowered his body onto hers.
"The bed's too damn far away,” he said, immediately attaching his mouth to her nipple. Marlie cried out and arched into him, holding his head down. Rolling it in his mouth, he growled with pleasure at her gasps, rasping her nipple against his tongue until he brought it to a peak. He used his teeth to tease her, tugging ever-so-gently before sucking it deeply into his mouth.
His hand wandered down her belly until it rested in the wetness he sought. Giving her other breast the same treatment with his mouth, his fingers began to circle the tender flesh between her legs. Within mere moments, Marlie cried out, pressing against him again and again.
"Ro-gan!” she exclaimed, shuddering at the same time.
"Already, sweetheart?” he asked with a cocky grin, pleased he'd brought her to her pleasure so quickly.
She didn't allow him to gloat for very long. Grabbing his hair, she pulled him back painfully to her mouth.
"Make love to me,” she whispered against his lips.
"What about—"
"I don't care!” she said. “It's been too long. I don't want to think about it."
Pulling back as far as she would let him, he stared into her amazing brown eyes.
"Marlie, I'm not the same man you married. Are you sure you want—"
At that moment, Wade banged on the bedroom door. “Rogan! Jesus, Rogan, are you in there?"
With a growl, Rogan laid his forehead on Marlie's shoulder. His body was trembling as he teetered on the edge of deciding whether or not to plunge deeply into his wife's willing body.
"What is it!” he yelled.
"I heard a man's scream outside! It sounded as if ... he was yelling for help."
Raising himself up onto his elbows, Rogan glanced at Marlie underneath him. “Oh my God."
"What?” Marlie caressed his face with concern.
"Your friend Kevin. He should have been here by now.” He stood and helped her up. After grabbing his shirt and boxers, he opened the bathroom door but stopped long enough to give Marlie a rough kiss. “I'm taking a rain check on your request, sweetheart."
Marlie licked her lips. “Do you think something happened to Kevin?"
"I have no idea. But if Wade heard a scream outside, we've got to go investigate. The B*E*A*S*T* agency doesn't play games. Promise me you'll stay in this house."
Marlie nodded.
"Promise me,” he repeated, grabbing hold of her chin.
"I promise. I'll stay put until you get back."
Rogan nodded, throwing on his clothing as he walked to the bedroom door.
"Rogan,” she called out, making him turn around to face her once again.
His manhood pressed against his boxers at the sight of her. Damn, she was beautiful in all her glory.
"What?"
"Take my grandfather's shotgun with you. There are some shells in the kitchen drawer by the fridge."
Rogan nodded with a half-grin and walked out of the room.
Seven
His belly was full. It had been a long time since he'd had a warm meal. His victim's screams had been music to his ears. Sean Ross grinned through the blood on his face as he glanced at the remains of the man who'd been driving up the dirt road to Marlie's house. Once he'd seen the truck coming his way, Sean hadn't been able to resist the gnawing hunger in his gut any longer.
He'd quickly undressed and shifted, smiling to himself that B*E*A*S*T* had engineered him to become a Kodiak grizzly, one of the most powerful creatures on the face of the Earth. With hunger on his mind, he'd stepped out in front of the beat-up Ford truck and stood on his hind legs, his fierce growl echoing through the woods.
Just as Sean knew he would, the terrified man in the truck had slammed on the brakes, the rear of the vehicle fishtailing. There was no way the man could make a fast getaway on the fresh powder of last night's snowfall. Once the truck had come to a complete stop, Sean bounded to the driver's side door, shifting just enough to rip the door off its hinges before returning to his grizzly state and dragging the man out of the truck's cabin.
The man never had a chance.
He'd screamed for his life and Sean had let him, knowing damn well that Rogan and Wade would be able to hear it in the house not too far away. Sean had ripped away the man's shirt and sank his teeth into his belly, rejoicing at the texture of the flesh in his mouth.
The man's screams had filled his ears while Sean ate him alive. The warmth of his blood had filled his mouth and slithered down his throat, and he hadn't been able to help but groan with pleasure. After a few moments, Sean had decided he'd had enough. He'd grabbed the man's throat in his mighty jaws and heard his neck break with a sickening snap.
Once his belly was full, Sean lumbered into the trees near where he'd tossed his clothing. He shifted and donned them again, wiping his bloody mouth and hands on the fabric. He had a plan, and it involved torturing Rogan in mind and body before finally killing him as Covington had ordered. And Sean was going to start with Rogan's pretty wife.
Grinning to himself, he slinked through the trees, thankful that Marlie's house was upwind from the man he'd just killed. His friends wouldn't be able to locate him by his smell until it was too late. From the cover of the woods, he watched as Rogan and Wade ran out of the house alone, probably to investigate the scream they'd just heard moments before. Sean had to chuckle at the shotgun Rogan gripped in his hand.
Marlie must still inside. Perfect.
* * * *
Marlie's body trembled, but she didn't know if it was due to fear or desire. She'd quickly gotten dressed in a black sweater and blue jeans, still reeling from the orgasm that had rocked her not more than a few minutes before. She stopped a moment when she glanced into her jewelry box, but she grabbed the chain that held her wedding ring. As she clasped the necklace around her neck, she dropped it inside her sweater to rest against her skin. Her husband had come back to her—the least she could do was continue to wear the ring he'd given her so long ago.
Seeing Rogan open the shower door had startled her, but, in a way, she'd been relieved to see him standing there. Stopping him from making love to her the night before had been one of the hardest things she'd ever done, and for most of the night, she'd agonized over her decision.
It was obvious that he wanted her, and damn, she wanted him too. Having him practically toss her on the bathroom floor had shocked her, but it had also inflamed her blood until it had burned hot inside of her. She'd been so long without him—the only man she'd ever loved—that she didn't want to think about what was right or wrong. She just wanted him inside of her. Wanted it desperately.
Marlie had come apart almost the very moment he'd touched her, the pleasure only intensifying her need. But now that Rogan had gone to investigate the scream Wade had heard, she felt a chill crawl up her skin. Had something happened to Kevin?
Glancing at the clock on the mantel, Marlie saw that it was 9:05 a.m. She couldn't help but pace in front of the fireplace, clasping her hands together as her body trembled. Suddenly, there was a sharp knock on the door. Was that Rogan? Why didn't he just walk in? Marlie crossed the room to the door and opened it, only to gasp at the strange man on the other side.
"Please, can you help me?” he said, holding up his blood-covered hands.
Marlie couldn't help but suck in her breath. “Are you all right?"
"I had a car accident up the road. Do you have a phone I could use?"
Swallowing hard, Marlie stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. With a curt nod, she said, “Wait here; I'll get it for you."
Just as she stepped away from the open door, the man forced his way into the house and closed the door behind him. “That won't be necessary,” he whispered into her ear as he grabbed her arm, twisting it up behind her.
"What are you doing?” she yelled, frightened and confused. Who the hell was this man she thought as she cried out with pain. Her mind was racing, and she hoped to God Rogan returned with her shotgun.
"Christ, you're covered in his stink,” the man said, leading her into the kitchen. “How can you live with yourself?"
"What are you talking about?"
Marlie watched as the mysterious man turned on all four of the gas burners of the stove to high—then blew out the flames.
"What'd you do, sleep with him?” the man asked her in a gruff voice, yanking her back to the dining room table.
Marlie's heart was racing a mile a minute. What the hell did the man just turn on her gas stove for?
"Rogan!” she shouted but quickly paid for it as the man backhanded her right across the mouth. He had to have some kind of inhuman strength, because she flew across the room, seeing nothing but stars before her eyes as she hit the far wall. Her head was still swimming as he grabbed her roughly and sat her down on one of her dining room chairs. Tears filled her eyes, and she watched while he pulled a few lengths of rope from his jacket. He tied her wrists to the arms of the chair, only to be followed by her ankles.
"Please!” she cried as the tears poured onto her cheeks. “Please don't do this!"
"Sorry, my dear,” the man said mockingly as he stood and wandered over to her fireplace. “Nothing personal, you understand. I just want to make that husband of yours suffer a bit. Losing you right after he found you again is sure to do the trick."
Understanding dawned on Marlie's face as he built a fire in the hearth. “You don't have to do this!” she screamed, trying to get herself free.
"Oh, but I do,” the man said with a grin as he sauntered to the door. “Orders are orders.” Grabbing the doorknob, he opened the door then turned to look back at her. “Better make your peace now, little lady. I think you have about ... oh, thirty seconds to a minute before that gas makes its way to the fireplace. It was nice meeting you."
Marlie could feel the bile rising in the back of her throat. She realized with horror that the man was simply going to leave her there as he closed the door quietly behind him.
Eight
"Jesus!"
Rogan covered his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his shirt and tried his hardest to avoid puking on the ground in front of him. There, a few yards away, were the remains of Kevin, dragged from his vehicle and killed by some vicious creature.
"Shit,” Rogan said through his teeth as he and Wade walked closer. A familiar scent assaulted his nostrils, and his blood ran cold. “Wade!” he exclaimed, glancing frantically down at the snow for evidence of what he was smelling.
"I know,” Wade said, his eyes flashing. “I can smell that bastard too."
Rogan's hackles rose as he saw the footprints of a huge bear in the snow near Kevin's body. “Sean,” he whispered.
"Where the hell did he go?” Wade asked, inhaling deeply as he weaved in and out of the surrounding trees.
With his skin crawling, Rogan cocked the shotgun in his hands and turned around, staring at Marlie's house a few hundred yards away.
"Christ, Wade! Marlie's alone!"
Rogan broke into a run.
* * * *
The smell of natural gas surrounded Marlie as she tried her hardest to twist and turn against her bonds. Terror filled her heart at the knowledge that she was going to die. Now Rogan would have to live the rest of his life mourning her.
No! That was not going to happen!
Marlie realized the man had tied her to the broken chair—the one with the arm she'd been meaning to fix for the longest time. A ray of hope shot through her heart. With a sharp tug, she pulled her wrist upward, and the arm of the chair popped off the frame. It took her a moment to work her hand free from the rope, but once she did, she frantically began untying her other arm. When it was free as well, she grabbed her ankles with her shaking fingers, hoping to all that was holy that she'd have enough time to get out of the house before it blew.
It didn't take long before she was free, sprinting through the house and exiting out the rear door. She didn't want to risk that insane man seeing her flee the house by running out the front. Without stopping, she stumbled in the snow, crawling up the gentle slope of the hill behind her home. She had just enough time to jump behind a fallen tree as the massive explosion rocked the sky.
Marlie screamed and covered her head, terrified beyond reason as flaming bits of the house she'd lived in for years fell all around her.
* * * *
Rogan and Wade both flew backward at the force of the blast. Thick plumes of smoke mushroomed into the sky, curling upwards as if reaching to Heaven.
"MARLIE!" Rogan screamed, trying to scramble to his feet.
Wade tackled him. “Rogan, don't! It's an inferno in there!"
"I don't care! She's in there, Wade! I told her to stay put! Let me go!"
"No! She's gone, buddy. She's gone!"
"NO!"
Rogan wept as he crumbled to the ground, watching the house burn out of control. Rage boiled inside of him. He'd lost her—just when he'd found her again. Shit, he should have made love to her last night! Fat tears rolled down his cheeks as he hit the snow with his fists over and over in his anger.
"AAAAAHHHH!” Rogan was back on his feet, grabbing the shotgun and wiping his eyes.
"What are you doing?” Wade asked, his eyes wide.
"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch!"
"With a shotgun? Are you mad, Rogan? He's a Kodiak!"
"I don't give a shit!” Rogan's eyes flashed. “Let the bastard kill me too."
"You're upset, Rogan, but we've gotta go. I know she meant a lot to you, but she's gone. We have to go!"
"No, I won't leave her. Not again!"
"Marlie's dead!” Wade shouted.
Rogan balled his fist and punched him square in the jaw. Just as Wade went down, Rogan stepped over him and ran toward the burning remains of the house he'd bought with his wife, the gun firmly clutched in his hand.
* * * *
Sean watched with glee as the house burned on its foundations. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Even from where he was a few hundred yards away, he could hear Rogan's screams of terror and anger at losing his wife. Sean chuckled to himself.
"Serves you right, you bastard,” he muttered as he fingered the angry scar on his face that ran from his forehead to his chin, the scar Rogan had given him. Not more than a year ago, the scientists at B*E*A*S*T* had pitted him against Rogan in a fight to see which one of them would be the victor—the wolf or the grizzly.
They'd each fought for their lives, and neither of them had come out of the fight unscathed. Sean had never forgiven Rogan for giving him the scar he now bore, and it hadn't taken long before that anger had burned to hatred inside
of him. The other shifters at B*E*A*S*T* had liked to taunt him, wondering how a mighty grizzly could have possibly been beaten by a mere timber wolf.
Yet he hadn't been beaten. The scientists had stopped the fight before there had been a victor, but it hadn't mattered. His inability to defeat Rogan Wolfe in a fair fight had been known far and wide throughout the B*E*A*S*T* compound, and Sean had never lived it down. He'd kill that damned wolf if it was the last thing he ever did.
A familiar flowery scent assaulted his nostrils, and his anger flared anew. Shit! The woman had escaped the explosion!
No matter. She would die today; he'd make sure of it. The woman had no hope against him. No hope at all.
With a growl, Sean stripped once again there in the snow and shifted.
Nine
As Rogan charged the house with tears in his eyes, a wonderful scent wafted to him on the breeze. Something familiar, tugging on his memory. He stopped for a moment while he breathed deeply, trying hard not to cough as the acrid smoke burned his lungs. Every hair on his body stood on end as he recognized the scent.
Marlie!
Following the faint flowery scent, he rounded the house near a small rise, swallowing his thundering heart.
"Oh, please, please let her be alive!” he cried, not even sure who he was speaking to. He didn't dare get too close to the burning house, which was now setting a few of the surrounding trees on fire. But as he approached the small hill, Marlie's scent became much more pronounced.
"Marlie!” he called, trudging through the snow. “Marlie!"
"Rogan!"
His eyes followed the sound of her voice to the top of the hill and saw his wife crouched behind a fallen tree. Rogan ran up the gentle slope and jumped over the log, dropping the gun at the same time. Instantly his arms went around her as he cried into her neck, holding her close, crushing her to him. He inhaled deeply, threading his fingers through her hair, pulling away just enough to kiss her lips. Again and again he kissed her, relief flowing through him like a rushing wind.
B*E*A*S*T* of Burden Page 4