by Milly Taiden
Picky was his middle name. Sophia had seen one of his girlfriends and was sure the woman came off the cover of For Him Magazine. Only the sexiest feminine bodies in the planet graced that cover. Green with jealousy, Sophia had visualized doing horrible things like calling in Father Dominico and saying the girl was a hooker in need of salvation.
Tryx looked her straight in the eyes. “Promise me that even if Chase isn’t there, you’ll have Julia call him over. He’ll know why once he gets there.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Just promise, okay?” Tryx had gone from cute to way-out-there bizarre, but Sophia supposed it was best to just nod and get the heck out of there before somebody else acted weird.
After agreeing to Tryx’s demands, Sophia was safely on the road again, munching on the distracting cookies. She wondered what the hell was wrong with everybody. Not herself—she knew she had a few screws loose. It was what made her so good at being alone too long.
Chase sat in one of the lounge chairs by his brother’s pool with a cold beer in his grasp. He’d just walked out of the cool water and had to admit he was actually having a good time. Of course, Julia had yet to do one of her Oscar-worthy performances, but it was still early.
It was clear summer had arrived by the presence of the high temperatures, the smell of barbecued meat, and the uncovered pool ready for use. Every few minutes, Julia would bring out more food to the side table they had set up. What was she feeding, an army?
Granted, he and his brother could eat, but she’d made enough food for twenty. His stomach grumbled in complaint, letting him know he was easily able to eat enough food for twenty.
Julia was really excited about the news she was going to share with Sophia and him. Of course, he knew what the news was. His keen sense of smell detected the change in her the minute she’d conceived, but he’d kept his mouth shut. Women were strange about being pregnant, having babies…and weddings.
A car pulled up in the front, a door opened, and a soft voice called, “Jules, I’m here.” His gut clenched. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Sophia had arrived, and the wolf that had been lying dormant inside him lifted its head in sudden interest. She came around the side of the yard straight to the back. She was wearing a short-sleeve wrap dress that showed off her curvy body.
He frowned when he saw long, loose brown curls hugging her shoulders. He knew the last time he’d seen her it had been cropped to her jaw line. Her glasses were also missing.
Knowing she could barely see without them, he found that strange. Julia had said Sophia didn’t like contacts—they irritated her eyes since she worked such long hours. But it seemed she must be wearing them.
She carried a white box in her hands, and the minute she saw him, she stopped midstride. He watched her nostrils flare and her eyes brighten to a molten gray when she took in his wet and barely-clothed state.
He tightened his stomach muscles in a conscious effort to keep her gaze on his body. His dick hardened at her perusal of his physique, and when her tongue darted out to lick her lips, he got the impression she liked what she saw.
Interesting.
Would it be too much if he walked over, grabbed her hand, and placed it on his aching cock? Yeah, it might seem somewhat depraved and give her the wrong impression…or it might give her the right impression—that he was so hard for her, he couldn’t fucking think straight.
Sophia stopped walking the minute she caught sight of Chase lying on a lounger like an erotic, half-naked sex god. His skin was wet from having been in the pool, and it glistened with a healthy bronze glow.
She took a moment to stare at the only man that made her babble and left her tongue-tied at the same time. Overwhelming, lust-filled heat invaded her body. Fascination seized hold. She watched drops of water crawl slowly down his muscular torso and cling to his nipples.
Oh good Lord, help me not attack this man and tear those shorts off that sexy ass.
Her mouth turned into the Sahara Desert, and her tongue licked at her suddenly dry lips. The wicked water droplets on Chase’s chest seemed to beckon her as they traveled his six-pack abs to the waistband of his brown swimming trunks, right where a smattering of hair peeked.
Gulping to try to slow down her breathing, Sophia’s breasts grew heavy and full, her nipples puckered into painful hard points that rubbed against the cotton fabric of her bra, which seemed much rougher against her skin than normal. Her pussy clenched in need, and moisture gathered between her thighs, soaking her panties.
Chase was truly a feast for hungry eyes. She longed to use her tongue and suck on each errant drop of water. To get down on her knees, rip his trunks off, grab his cock, and suck until he came in her mouth, on her breasts and belly. She wanted him to take her from behind, come inside her pussy, wanted him to fill her with his seed and claim her as his mate.
What the hell?
Where were these thoughts coming from? She’d never been an overtly sexual person, but now she was positively frantic for him to fuck her. Besides, how could he possibly want somebody like her, short and curvy, when he could have tall and drop-dead gorgeous?
Need clawed at her womb and again she pictured him giving her the rough, explosive sex she was craving. The kind of sex that made everything around her disappear while leaving only his delectable body in hers, over her and all around her, bringing her to the height of pleasure. She knew Chase would make her finally have the big O without having to use one of her battery-operated toys.
Shaking her thoughts out of her daydream, she walked to the food table and placed the cake box next to the other fruit trays and assorted cookies.
Wanting to get away from the sight of a nearly-naked Chase, she turned to go into the house when Julia opened the screen door and walked out.
Her sister was wearing a short white denim skirt with a peach T-shirt that read “Baby Mama.”
It took her a moment to realize what that meant, but then she looked up at Julia’s twinkling smile and couldn’t help the scream that came out of her. “Oh my gosh. Congratulations!” Grinning, she ran toward her sister and enveloped her in a hug.
Julia was hugging her, just as excited, when she took a sniff and pulled away from Sophia. Julia looked at her and frowned. Her eyes widened, and alarm and anger cloaked her features.
What was it with people and frowning at her that day?
“What?” She took a few steps back from her sister, who looked a little like she was about to turn into her she-wolf persona.
“Sophia! What did you do?” Julia yelled at her in that rough, deep, wolf-is-about-to-come-out-and-maul-your-ass voice. Julia was so angry, she was practically vibrating. This was so wrong—her own sister was about to turn her into a doggy snack.
Taking a couple more cautious steps back from her sibling, Sophia backed into a wall of muscle. A hand steadied her elbow. Chase, who had left the lounger and come up behind them, was holding her.
He turned her into his arms, and she ended up plastered to his hot, wet torso. What the… Mmm…
Her body decided that was exactly where it wanted to be and immediately curved into him. Her arms wound around his neck to hold him near, and at that moment, the most unbelievable thing happened. She purred.
Sophia quickly became lost in the blissful sensation of having Chase hold her. His warmth surrounded her and seeped into her pores, lighting a slow fire in her womb. She rubbed her nose into the curve of his neck and licked the harsh pulse that beat at the base of his throat.
A sensual fog closed in on her and disabled all human thought processes. Her mind turned blank and sexual need took over.
Chase had never had such a hard time keeping his skin. He’d seen Julia’s anger and knew he needed to step in. He wouldn’t allow her to hurt her sister or accidentally shift, which would put her baby in danger. He grabbed Sophia’s arm and turned her toward him.
What he hadn’t expected was for her to plaster herself to him like they were made of Velcro. It was s
o shocking, it took him a moment to realize she was purring. His eyes narrowed, and he lowered his head to take a deep inhale of her scent.
He smelled the peaches and cream that was pure Sophia, but he also scented wolf and cat in her. He sniffed her again, deeper, and couldn’t help the growing erection at her blatant rubbing of his body with her own.
She was in heat. Which meant any logical thinking on her part went out the window. Shifter women in heat were a potential disaster. Males would tear each other apart to get to an unclaimed female in heat. And the female would encourage the destruction, wanting the strongest, the best.
Even a shy, innocent like Sophia could turn savage and not even have a clue of what she was doing. She wouldn’t even remember what happened when her animal was in such a frenetic state. And two animals…
He didn’t know how, but Sophia had a cat and a wolf inside her, both animals currently desperately needing to mate. She licked his neck and ran her lips over his jaw. His biggest fantasy had just come true.
Sophia was hot…for him.
Arousal spiked through his system. It spiraled like a derailed train with only one focus: to get Sophia’s body closer to his. A rumble sounded in his chest.
The effect of her body fanned the flames that licked through his veins and injected an urgent need to possess and seize the woman within his grasp.
Chase’s wolf challenged him for dominance. He’d wanted to claim Sophia as his mate ever since he’d gotten a whiff of her sweet scent the first time he’d seen her. The animal could smell her need and wanted to take her as his own. It took every ounce of Chase’s willpower to pull the wolf back and calm him down. The caged beast was horny and wanted out of the skin. He wrapped his arms around Sophia’s waist and held her closer to him.
Her scent drove him wild, every pore in his body yelled for him to take her, lick her until he stamped himself all over her, to eat her cream and suck on her swollen wet folds over and over while she screamed his name. She was so ready for him that when he licked his lips, he was sure he could taste the honey dripping down her thighs.
Julia grabbed Sophia’s arm and attempted to pull her away from Chase. Sophia growled and burrowed deeper into the heated skin of his neck.
Chase’s head snapped up. “Mine,” he snarled loudly at Julia, baring his teeth in a clear threat.
He watched Julia take a hasty step back into her husband, who had appeared after Sophia had attached herself to him like crazy glue. Chase’s gaze met with River’s, and it was clear from River’s expression that he was trying to make sense of what was happening. River moved Julia behind him for her own safety.
“Chase?” Julia peered over River’s shoulder at him.
The anxiety in her expression cooled some of the sensual haze surrounding him and Sophia. Chase struggled to clear his head. He needed to think, to figure out how Sophia had ended up with not one, but two animals inside. Lifting his head, he looked into her lust-clouded eyes… Fuck! Sophia was gone. It was just her animals.
He needed to get her alone and show her who she belonged to. To claim her. His wolf… His cat… His woman… His mate.
No, no, no. Not like this. He wanted her with her knowledge, with her human mind agreeing.
He took a deep breath. “Sophia?”
She ignored his call. The licking and kissing on his neck and jaw made it a challenge to keep his mind on getting answers. His dick had become so hard, he could have sworn it had petrified.
He pulled her arms from around his neck and held her about a foot away, trying to ignore her purring. Fuck, but that was hot. Her entire body vibrated, and the sound did something to him that pushed his control to the snapping point.
“Sweetheart, you need to listen to me. Can you hear me?” His voice had become hard, commanding, to show her he was the alpha in charge.
Her unfocused gaze peered at him from under dark lashes on a beautiful, flushed face. Her pink tongue licked her plump lower lip. He clenched all his muscles to keep from doing something only a brainless idiot would do, like fucking her in front of his brother and her sister.
There was one sure way he could get her out of her sensual haze, even if for a few minutes. The situation called for him to act. His gut burned with distaste. He called on his animal, who didn’t really want to follow his instructions and upset his mate. It took him a moment of irritated ordering to finally get his wolf to growl at her.
She stopped, frowned, and cocked her head at him, her eyes a little more focused than before.
Growling again, he watched as her gaze cleared. It bothered him to have to do it this way, but he refused to mate her without her clearheaded consent. He would not have her regretting her actions later.
3
“Sophia?” With tears in her eyes, Julia looked at her sister.
The woman he desired looked up at him. Chase watched as she cleared her passion-dazed eyes and kept swallowing in an attempt to get rid of a dry throat.
He was sure that the moment she saw where she was, her upper arms in his grasp, she’d pass out like the last time she was so close to him unexpectedly. She’d disliked him so much, she would’ve rather been out cold than have him touching her.
Guess all that had changed now.
Sophia’s face drained of color when she realized where she stood next to him. Well, maybe things hadn’t changed.
He read the question in her eyes: how did she get there? She was talking to Julia before the animals’ heat took over her conscious mind.
She stumbled out of his hold and turned to her sister. “Why are you crying?” Sophia asked Julia.
How in the hell was he going to explain this? First off, though, he wanted answers. “I think we all need to sit down. Sophia needs something to drink.”
He motioned for Julia to stroll with her to a lounge chair. If they had any hope of figuring out what had happened to her, he needed to stay away from her, or they would end up right where they were before.
The next time he wouldn’t stop until he was buried so deeply inside her, they’d need a crowbar to separate them.
River stayed a few steps behind with him. The wind blew his hair into messy threads across his forehead.
River gave him a questioning look. “Did I smell what I think I smelled? Sophia has two animals inside?” Concern and astonishment colored his words. His eyes followed the women as they made their way to the drink table.
Somehow, Chase wasn’t surprised. He’d need to keep better track of his mate, or the woman could get herself into a heap of trouble and not even realize it.
“What I want to know is how. We need to talk to her before the heat becomes unbearable for her again. We might only have a few minutes, and we have to find out as much information as possible.”
Looking at his mate, he knew they had very little time. Her hands shook as she swallowed the icy drink her sister handed her.
“Sophia, what did you do?” Julia’s outward calm was not deceiving anyone. The tension in her face was evident in the way she held the glass in a white-knuckled grip. She waited expectantly for Sophia to reply.
“What do you mean? I haven’t done anything.” Her head turned away, hiding her face.
Three sets of eyes watched as she gulped down the water like she’d been suffering from dehydration.
Julia dropped into her seat with a dramatic sigh. Even Julia had taken awhile to adjust when she’d first turned. Her body had fought the new physiology, not to mention the near-death experience from the rogue wolf that had attacked her.
Those had been some very tense months, when no one was sure how the change would affect her. Her first shift was much too soon and almost killed her there in the hospital.
Chase wasn’t sure what kind of effect this would have on Sophia’s body, but he was sure it wasn’t going to be good.
“Sophia, I know you’ve been doing something in that lab of yours, and you’re going to tell us what it is before you start the weird shit we just witnessed a momen
t ago.” Julia’s hysteria rose until she ended the sentence in a high-pitched squeak. Tears filled her eyes all over again.
Chase was unable to stop the wince that covered his face at her theatrics.
“What the hell is wrong with her?” Sophia asked, looking from Chase to River. “And what is really going on here? I mean, has everyone in this frigging town lost their mind today?”
As he thought, she didn’t remember any of it. Not good. Chase questioned her in a voice that was unbending steel. “What are you working on at your lab, Sophia?” He used the don’t-fuck-with-the-alpha attitude that ensured his pack members knew he meant business. Her animals would obey.
What he got from Sophia was a strong whiff of arousal at his tone.
So she liked a dominant male. His wolf rolled over in excitement, ready to burst his skin and do flips.
She blushed and tried to look away, but his eyes locked on hers as he waited for her to answer him. “I…I wanted to find a way to help Julia go back to being human or stop her from shifting.”
Her sister’s shocked gasp filled the humid afternoon air. “Why would you do that?” Julia demanded and jumped to her feet. Her tears had miraculously disappeared.
Chase ignored Julia’s question and proceeded with his own. “And did you find a way to do it? To stop her from shifting?” His voice whipped around the quiet yard, and his hard gaze never wavered from her face.
“Yes and no. Of course, if I had a couple more weeks at the lab, I might be able to turn her into a full human again. Shit, give me a few months and I can make her Batman.” The fire in her eyes revealed how proud she was of her work. She’d done what no one else ever had.
He knew they needed to keep her work under wraps. It would create chaos among shifters if they realized what she’d discovered. She’d be hunted.
The thought didn’t sit well with his animal. It pushed at the skin cage once again and tried to get free. Chase bit back a snarl at the imaginary threat to his mate.