by Wendy Stone
She turned seeing his eyes, the eyes of his wolf looking back. With an indulgent smile, she shifted against him, playing with the ring on her finger and watching the way the light played across the pretty diamond. “You’re like a kid in a candy shop,” she sighed. “Hey!” she said when he pulled away from her, getting up and going to the mirror against the far wall of the closet. “What are you doing?”
His hands were on his face and he opened his mouth, feeling the fangs that filled them. “How do I change?” he asked excitedly.
“Well, I see the honeymoon is over,” she sighed, shaking her head, but there was an indulgent smile upon her face. “You’ve found your beast?” she waited for him to nod. “Then just let him loose, release whatever hold you have on him and let him go.”
She watched as he closed his eyes. Five minutes later, when he’d opened them again, he was still himself. He was disappointed and it showed.
“Here,” Callie said, rising lithely and nude from the bed, coming to stand in front of him so he could see her back in the mirror. “Let me help you,” she purred, finding and kissing his neck.
“How is this supposed to help?” he growled as her hands stroked down his stomach and lower.
“Hey, who’s the expert at this?” she countered, dropping to her knees in front of him. “Just relax, my love and listen to your beast.” With that, she slipped his hard cock between her lips, sucking him with obvious relish.
Brian’s head fell back as her mouth slid over him, taking him deep into her heat. Her tongue was a tangible presence, licking and swirling around him as she bobbed. “Ahh,” he moaned, closing his eyes to enjoy the sensation. His hands slid into the cool silk of her hair, guiding her into a rhythm that pleased him.
Heat coiled deep in his belly and he could feel a rising pressure in his balls. She was just so incredibly good at this, it was as if he hadn’t come in weeks. Looking in the mirror, he was surprised to see a dense dark fur growing over his body. When she scraped her teeth lightly over the head of his cock, he heard a howl and was surprised to realize it came from him. He looked like a hybrid, a pairing of man and wolf, a little of both but not wholly one or the other.
“Release him,” Callie said from where she knelt in front of him. “Let him go, baby.” With that, she closed her own eyes and seconds later, a black she wolf stood before him.
A creak of pain caught him off guard and he twisted, falling to the floor. He felt Callie’s nose on his face as his body cramped, changing. When it was done, he stood on his four new legs and looked at the world around him.
You did it, he heard in his head.
He looked up to see Callie’s swirling silver eyes. I couldn’t have without you, he thought. Something sparkled at her foot and he looked down at the diamond that he’d placed upon her finger just a bit ago. We’ll have to figure out something to do about that, he thought.
She became human again, picking the ring up from where it’d fallen off her finger when she’d changed. “I’ll get a chain,” she said, putting it back on her finger. She yawned widely, turning back toward the bed. Crawling up onto the mattress, she didn’t realize what kind of view she was giving Brian.
He jumped up on the bed after her, grabbing her by the back of the neck and whining.
She giggled, loosing herself from his weak grasp. “You want me honey, you’ve got to change back. Just cage the beast, baby.”
She watched as he slowly changed, his eyes the last to lose their wolfen appearance. Holding her arms out to him, she giggled again as he dragged her under him.
* * * *
Kadian knocked lightly on the door before opening it. He didn’t see her at first, until he glanced over at the bed. She lay like a child, curled on her side with her hands under one soft cheek. She was wearing some of Marissa’s borrowed clothing, a summery dress with two thin straps holding it up. It was a rich brown covered in big orchids in muted colors of cream and yellow. The dress reached her ankles. As he watched, she rolled to her back, stretching and mumbling something before her eyes opened and she looked up at him.
“I’m sorry,” he said, feeling slightly guilty at being caught watching her sleep. “I knocked but you were sleeping.”
“Oh,” she said, as if she suddenly realized where she was. “I-I was dreaming and then…”
“And then…” he urged, wanting to hear.
Her cheeks flooded with color. She sat up. “Nothing. It’s nothing. Did you need me for something?”
“I just wanted to see if you were hungry. I thought, well, maybe we could go and get something to eat if you feel up to it.”
A smile touched her lips and he felt his heart begin to race. “Let me go grab the sweater that goes with this,” she said. Scooting off the bed, she brushed against him as she passed to go into the bathroom. “You look nice,” she said, stopping in the doorway as she slid the sweater on, taking the ends and wrapping them around her waist and tying them in a loose bow. Her eyes moved over him. He wore borrowed dress pants and a silk shirt in a shade of green that made his eyes sparkle against his darkly tanned skin.
“Thanks, you look--wow,” he said as she stepped out to grab her old boots, an interesting juxtaposition with the dress.
“It’s Marissa’s. I thought it was pretty.” She plucked at the flower by her thigh. Her hair, now clean, curled in long ringlets to her waist, bouncing with a life of its own. It shone, a fiery halo in the light of the room.
“Lukah is going to let us stay here after the mating. He and Marissa are going with Lucinda and Marshal to Greece, to the island of their forefathers, after they spend a few days in some romantic spot here,” Kadian said, trying to make conversation and ignore the tingling in his hands. They wanted to bury themselves in her hair, to hold her still so that he could make love to her.
“That’s very nice of him. I-I just can’t help but wonder why you’re all being so nice to me. I-I killed those men, Kadian.” She looked so alone standing there that he couldn’t help but go to her side, his hand resting against her shoulder.
“Those men were trying to kidnap you, Charisma,” he said softly. “You were protecting yourself.”
“I could have stopped short of killing them,” she said, staring up into his face. “I could have made them forget their orders and sent them back to Hood with their memories wiped.”
“You can do that?”
“I’m part Siren, Kadian,” she reminded him.
His hand rose from her shoulder to cup her cheek, his fingertips brushing the softness of her hair. “I know, I can’t seem to forget it,” he murmured, his head dropping toward her own. His mouth was warm and firm against hers and he felt her fight it for a moment. Then she sighed, her lips parting against his.
He took advantage of that sexy little sigh and dipped his tongue between her lips, feeling hers come against his, tangling and rubbing sensually. Suddenly she was in his arms and he was backing her toward the bed, pressing her back down on it. “Charisma,” he moaned as he tore his mouth from hers. “I can’t get you out of my head.” His lips nibbled at her jaw line, his tongue swirling around her ear.
Sexy little whimpers came from her lips, sounds that he wanted to hear more. His lips trailed down her neck, his hands going to the bow that she’d just tied to hold her sweater on and easily releasing it. “I want you so much,” he admitted, glancing into her face.
Her eyes were closed and a single tear slipped from under her lid. “Charisma?” he called, his thumb coming up to wipe away the tear. “What is it?”
“Y-you j-just seemed s-so, so nice,” she stammered, as more tears slipped from her eyes, streaming down the side of her temples to wet the hair there. “B-but you, you’re like him.”
“What?” he asked, confused.
“Y-you’re just like Hood.”
Chapter Seven
“I’m like Hood?” Kadian asked, his voice sharp. “How the hell can I be like Hood?”
“He only wanted me for sex and for the power I can give h
im,” she said, scooting across the bed and away from him. “You want me for sex and my powers too. That’s why you’ve been so nice.”
“Charisma, honey, you’ve got me pegged all wrong. I’m attracted to you, that’s pretty hard to refute,” he said, glancing down to where his erection bulged in his pants. “But I’ll never force myself on you or want you to use your powers in any way. You don’t have to fear me,” he said softly, seeing the fear in her eyes. “I promise, cross my heart and hope to die.”
“Then why have you been so nice to me, rescuing me from being caught, bringing me here? Why?” she asked, her voice rising slightly, as if she were afraid to believe what he said.
“I’m not sure, really. It might have to do with the music I hear in your soul. No one could have music like that and not be a good person. I don’t like to see good people hurt. Then there is that kiss,” he said, smiling as her face flushed red.
“A gentleman wouldn’t bring up something like that,” she said primly, making him laugh.
“I never claimed to be a gentleman,” he said. “Where did you hear that from?”
“When I was younger, before my parents died, we had a television set. It didn’t get many channels but one night, when mom and dad were arguing, I watched Gone with the Wind.” She kept her eyes downcast as she spoke, not wanting to see if he would make fun of her or not.
“One of my favorite movies,” Kadian said, smiling and lifting her chin with his hand. “When I was younger, I wanted to be Rhett Butler. But that’s a secret, so don’t blab it on me.”
She giggled, an enchanting sound that touched a chord near his heart. Even her laughter was musical.
“Okay, how about we blow this place and go get something to eat,” he asked, holding his hand out and waiting to see if she would trust him enough to take it.
She stared at it for a minute and just as he was about to give up, slipped her small hand into his much larger one. “You won’t hurt me?” she asked a bit timidly.
“I’d tear off my own arm first,” he vowed.
“Okay,” she said. “I am kind of hungry.”
* * * *
“Where is she?” Hood brought his fist down hard upon the desk, hearing the wood under it crack. “You two came to me with excellent references. Now I gotta wonder if someone is trying to pull something when you can’t find one tiny girl.” He stepped toward the two men in front of the desk. Neither man moved, though he could see a nervous twitch in the eye of the one on the left side.
“What?” he shouted. “Cat got your fucking tongue? Where is she?” he screamed in their faces, spraying them with his spittle.
“We almost had her but ASP is hunting her too, boss. How are we supposed to find her when they have their goons out looking for her?”
“ASP,” Hood ground his teeth. “They couldn’t find their asses with both hands and a fucking flashlight. I want the bitch found and I want her brought to me unharmed. Do you understand? If there is even a mark on that sexy little body of hers, I’ll gut both of you and feed you to the fishes.”
“Yes, boss,” they chorused, tripping over each other in their hurry to be away from Hood.
Hood smiled, his teeth razor sharp. As soon as the two of them left, he stripped down to his skin and pushed open the other door in his office. Three women rose from where they’d been primping and came to him, pressing their naked bodies against him. “Did you get what I wanted?” he asked the oldest of the three.
“Yes, Hood,” she said, grimacing just a bit as she pointed to the center of the huge hole in the floor. Trussed up was one of the men he’d had out looking for Charisma. He was naked in the water, his body tied to a metal weight, which was too heavy for him to move. Some tiny minnows were circling the man, nibbling on his extremities.
“Oh, very good, very good indeed.” He took the girl off to one side and sat down where he would have a perfect view of what would happen next, setting the girl on his erection with little to no foreplay. She gasped as he filled her past the point of comfort, stretching her delicate tissue. “Ride me,” he whispered to her, his big hands groping her breasts as she began bouncing up and down on him. He waved one of the other girls over and ordered her to kneel between their legs, pleasuring both of them with her tongue. Her toes were above the water, ever little wave getting them wet.
There was a button next to the couch he sat on. His hand hovered over it as he waved the last girl over. “You know him?” he nodded at the man who was trussed up.
“Yes,” she said slowly, keeping any inflection out of her voice.
“Who is he to you?” Hood asked, his finger stroking the button as if it were a woman.
“He’s my friend,” she said knowing that to lie to Hood would have her in the pool next.
“So, what do you think I should do to your friend for screwing up his assignment so badly?” he said softly, almost kindly.
“Hood, please,” the girl said, scared almost to the point of not being able to speak. “I-I think you should do what you want to do,” she said finally.
Hood reached out and took the girl’s hand. He pulled her closer until her hand was close to his mouth. “That’s a cop out,” he said, drawing her finger into his mouth and closing his teeth on it. “Would you like to try again?”
His teeth cut lightly into her finger. Blood filled his mouth and he almost bit down hungrily. But he stopped himself. “Well?” he asked.
“The button,” she cried, sobs causing her breasts to move on her chest. “You should use the button.”
He pulled her finger out of his mouth, kissing the tiny cut his teeth had caused and then took her finger and held it against the button. “It’s for you to do now,” he said, a coarse sounding chuckle emanating from inside him.
He held her with one hand. The other he used to push her thighs apart. Slipping his hand in between, he let his finger circle her clit, hearing her gasp and feeling the wetness of her coat his fingers. “When you’re ready,” he said, catching her eye and nodding down at the button.
“I-I don’t know if I can,” she cried, shuddering as he brought her more pleasure.
“You can or you can take his place,” Hood said, his voice growing husky as he felt the girl riding him coming. The one licking the two of them was fingering herself, bringing herself to pleasure as her busy little tongue took care of him. “Do it before I come or I might grow bored with waiting,” he warned.
His head fell back and he ground his teeth together, the gnashing sound making her cry. She tried to push down but his hand held hers, stopping her. Finally, she shook him off, her hand slapping the big yellow button. The ratcheting of machinery filled the room as part of the round tank opened.
Hungry sharks swam inside the small pen; Great Whites, Tigers, and Bulls. They fought for room, and then fought for position as they began to chomp on the man in the middle of the pool. His screams were terrible to hear, almost as terrible as the red water that churned around him.
Hood laughed, his eyes growing darker and taking on the dead appearance of the sharks eyes. He let out a roar as he came inside the woman on top of him, his teeth clamping down upon her shoulder, forcing a scream from her mouth. She tried to get away, knocking into the girl that had been between her thighs, who fell backwards with a scream of terror. A fifteen foot Great White got to her first, biting her in half with a toss of his mighty head. She died quickly in a churn of red murky water.
Hood and the two girls that were left watched as the sharks swam around the tank before heading back to the open sea. The girl that Hood had bitten had her hand over the wound, hoping that Hood wouldn’t want to look at it or play with them anymore that night.
“Get it looked at,” he ordered, then smiled at the other girl, showing off his filed teeth, stained with blood. “You did well,” he said, wiggling his finger at her. “Now there is only one job left,” he said, nodding down at his cock, wet from the girl he’d fucked. “Clean me up.”
She knelt obe
diently, opening her mouth over the dangling flesh and sucking it into her mouth. With her tongue, she quickly cleaned him, tasting both the girl and his own muskier flavor. He pushed her away when he’d decided that he was done and left the room.
The two girls looked at each other, tears welling in their eyes. It was a fact of life that any girl that caught Hood’s eyes didn’t last long, either ending up as food for the sharks or given to his men. The one on her knees rose and took the hand of the other, taking her to where she could wash the wound and bandage it.
* * * *
Charisma giggled, taking another sip of the wine that Kadian had ordered. She had never drank wine before. Too many of the street people were drunks who’d do anything for the bottle and she hadn’t wanted to end up with that crutch. But now, she sat in a fancy restaurant across from the most handsome man in the room . He was making her the center of his attention and making her laugh. How could she not giggle a bit?
When the first dish was set before her, she blinked down at the long line of silverware in confusion. Kadian leaned across the table. “I usually just use one fork and say to hell with it,” he whispered confidentially. “But don’t tell anyone I said that.”
“Of course not,” she giggled. “It’d wreck your reputation.”
“Hey, don’t you know that a reputation is hard to get and very easy to lose?”
“Yeah, mine isn’t the greatest,” she said as she started eating. The first bite of salad made her mouth water. She’d forgotten how hungry she was while she was with him. “This is good,” she said.
“Charisma, slow down,” he joked. “No one’s going to take it away from you.”
Her cheeks turned pink and she pushed the plate back a bit. “I’m sorry,” she said self-consciously.
“No, I’m sorry. That was rude of me.” Kadian sat back, watching as she forced herself to quit hugging her plate and take smaller bites. “You’ve lived on the streets for a while now, haven’t you?”
“Since my parents died and they put me in the first foster care home.” Charisma watched as their waiter brought bowls of soup, taking away her salad. She dipped her spoon in and then stuck it in her mouth, her eyes watering because it was so hot.