Tainted Souls: A Shadow Creek Novel

by J. C RIMELL

  “I think it is.”

  She backed into the wall. “No, it's not. You love Madeleine… and that's okay.”

  His big body was a breath away from her own as she looked up at him. Damn him! He was gorgeous. Rough around the edges and so male, her body responded without permission.

  Dropping his eyes to catch her gaze, he said, “You're right.” His fingertips traced her jawline, the touch so light, yet held the weight of all the sexual tension between them. “I do love Madeleine. We both went through a traumatic experience and helped one another heal. She fixed me after...” he hesitated, his eyes misting over as though lost in a memory, “… losing my leg.”

  Gabrielle's brows furrowed, taken back by the revelation. “What?”

  “Yeah,” he said, before bending at the waist and tugging the leg of his fatigues loose from his boot to reveal a robotic looking prosthetic. “I hate it. It's ugly. I'm incomplete, but there's shit I can do about it.” He straightened back up, and she kept her emotions in check. The way he'd acted the night they were together started to make perfect sense. Ryker wasn't the type of man who'd want pity and she wasn't about give any. Having a prosthetic limb made him no less of a man and no less beautiful in her eyes.

  “How?” she asked.

  “Does it matter?”

  Gabrielle wanted to push him, wanted to know what had made him feel less than what he was. But that was a conversation for another time, she thought as she shook her head. “No.”

  His head tilted, his hands smoothing up her bare arms. “I love Madeleine because she's my friend. Part of my family. But I don't want her the way I want you, right now, Gabrielle.”

  “Well, I don't want you.” It was an out and out lie. She knew it and he knew it too, she could tell by the way his shaded gaze intensified on her and his lips curved knowingly in one corner.

  “I think you do, Gabrielle. I think, right now your body is aching...” his fingertips traced the v-neck of her T-shirt over her collarbone, “… to be touched just like mine is.”

  Shaking her head, she tried to keep it together. “No. It'll never work between us.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “I just know. Besides,” she added quickly, “long distance relationships never work out.”

  He tugged off his cap and lowered his head so his forehead almost came to rest against hers. “Charlotte isn't that far. I'm willing to give it a try.”

  She licked her lips and his gaze followed the movement. Everything inside of her clenched in anticipation. The promise of a kiss, his tongue, his hands on her body.

  She'd never wanted anyone the way she wanted him. He was like her gravity, keeping her from running. From flying away, because the pull, the attraction was just too powerful.

  “Gabrielle...”

  The way he said her name melted her icy façade. Reaching up on bare tip-toes she splayed her hands over his chest. “Don't make me regret this, soldier.”

  “Never.” The warm air of his breath on her lips was all the warning she had before he crushed her mouth with his.

  She surrendered. Mind. Body. And soul.

  Her hands moved between them, tugging at his waistband. “Off,” she breathed in quiet demand. “Everything off.”

  Stepping back, his eyes were fiercely bright when he said, “I… Shit, Gabrielle. I've never… not since...”

  She ripped her T-shirt off over her head, undid her bra and dropped it to the floor. Next, she was slipping free from her jeans and panties. Like all women, Gabrielle Robinson had hang-ups about her body. Her boobs could be bigger. Her ass could be smaller and no matter how many heavy-weight squats she did, that bit of fat on her thighs wouldn't budge. But she stood there in all her glory before him.

  “No one is perfect, Ryker.”

  “God,” he gasped with a stumble backward, the cords in his neck bulging against his skin. “You are so fucking perfect, Gabrielle. You're a vision of perfection.”

  Shaking her head, she stepped toward him, her hands coaxing off his camo vest, he let it fall from his body. “No, I'm not perfect.”

  “You are to me,” his voice was thick and strained.

  With a careful grip, she removed his gun from its holster and placed it beside her on the mantelpiece.

  “Especially with a gun in your hand,” he added.

  Gabrielle smiled. It thrilled her that he liked his women strong and able to handle themselves. Turning her attention back to him, she pulled the hem of his T-shirt from the waistband of his fatigues. “And you are to me, it's all that matters.”

  He took over and threw the fabric to the floor. Her hands roamed over his muscle, her lips brandishing his skin, claiming him. He was magnificent, his scent filled her senses as her tongue traced the sculpted lines of his body. Tilting back his head, she reached up and sucked the thick vein pulsing in his neck. A deep groan from him made her body ignite. Her hands moved to the front of his pants and undid the button and fly before dipping into his briefs and grabbing his erection.

  “Gabrielle...”

  Kissing her way down his body she dropped to her knees before him, his eyes hooking hers as she gazed up at him. Her fingers dragged his pants down slowly until his erection sprung free and his fatigues were around his ankles.

  She made quick work of his boots. Yanking the laces free she loosened them and he kicked one off and then she helped with the other before getting rid of the pants.

  Sitting back on her haunches she drank him in with her eyes. From the ruffle, outgrown cut of his dark hair, the glow of his unusual eyes, and the stubble on his square-cut jaw. To the heavy build of his body that tapered to a V down to his groin and his arousal that kicked as she stared at it. The thick thighs and his lower legs.

  Before he had a chance to feel self-conscious, she took his erection in a firm grip, a fire danced in his eyes then. With a lick of her lips she closed her mouth over his cock, his hands weaved into her hair as she tried to take him all.

  She was sure she heard a growl as she sucked and rolled her tongue over and over the soft head, her body rocking with her own need.

  “Gabrielle. Ah, come here.”

  She stood up, and he gripped her ass, his cock pressing tight into her abdomen. “You are everything I want in a man, Ryker.” Taking his hand she put it between her legs to the hot, wet core of her. “This is what you do to me, this is how you make me feel.”

  Slipping a finger into her entrance she gasped, bringing her leg around his hip she threw her arms around his neck for support as he worked her. She was already so close.

  “I need to fuck you. I want to be in you. Ah, Jesus, I've got to be in you, now.”

  Lost in lust, but always a safety girl, she knew she had no condoms. Shit. “Do you have some…?”

  Fisting himself he rubbed himself along the core of her. “Baby, you're safe with me, I swear you've nothing to worry about.”

  “I...”

  “Should I stop?” he panted at her ear, another stroke of his cock against her flesh. “Gabrielle?”

  “No,” she breathed, “No, please, don't stop.”

  He entered in one, slow thrust and pulled her up against him. She wrapped her legs around him as he leaned her against the wall.

  Ryker propelled into her, her ass hitting the wall with each deep plunge.

  It was animalistic, and she met him the whole way. Thrust for thrust. Kiss for kiss. She felt him sucking her neck, grazing her skin with his incisors. The sensation sending her into a frenzy, she almost wished he'd bite her. Craning her neck she gave him better access. His tongue scorched her skin, her body buzzing on the brink of orgasm. His momentum picked up, faster, deeper, and she gripped on.

  “Mine,” he growled against her throat. “You're mine.”

  “Yes, oh, yes, I'm yours.”

  She felt the tips of his teeth puncture her skin just as her orgasm hit. He sucked and groaned as he filled her, and holy shit… she was orbiting into outer-fucking-space.

/>   When Gabrielle finally came to, she was spread, buck naked on her bed. Her body ached in blissful contentment. She felt fingertips drawing lines up and down her spine, making her goose bump all over.

  “You know,” she said, her voice muffled against the duvet, “I'm sure what you did is illegal in pretty much every state.” She wanted answers. Not that she hadn't enjoyed Ryker sinking his teeth into her, although, the whole thing was… kinky strange to say the least.

  What she'd felt was?

  “You didn't like it?”

  She felt her cheeks grow hot. “You know I did.”

  Curiosity getting the better of her, she rolled over, her eyes catching his prosthetic. It wasn't at all how she'd imagined it would look. All silver and black and shaped like his other lower leg, it looked robotic.

  “Madeleine's waiting for the next bionic model that's being developed. I'll need an MRI and some super advanced bionic machine that'll mathematically measure the shape and tissue compliances. Or some shit like that.”

  “Wow.” What else could she say? It didn't matter to her that he had a prosthetic, but she could sense he was self-conscious. Getting up, she threw a leg over his waist and straddled his lap. The duvet covered his lower body, but she felt the instant he became hard against her inner thigh.

  Pushing her sexual urges aside for a minute, she studied his face as he stared back at her with a dark and sinful curve to his lips.

  “Are we ready for round two?”

  She cocked her head and smiled, her fingers tracing circles over his chest. “Your teeth,” she hedged, her eyes flicking from his lips up to meet his heavenly shade of gemstone eyes and seeing a hint of suspicion. “They're like razors. I want to see.”

  He grunted and pulled a huge, cheesy grin. She used her pointer finger to lift his lip off his canines. “They're so pointy,” she rubbed her tongue against her own to feel the difference. “And your eyes, they...”

  “I need to explain something, Gabrielle,” he cut in, taking a hold of her wrist and lowering it from his mouth.

  She leaned back a little, “Oh, okay.”

  “All I ask is, if you're gonna freak out and kick me outta here, you let me get my clothes first?”

  Her brows knotted together. What on earth was he going to confess? That he wears contacts? That his teeth were implants?

  Finally, she shrugged and said, “Deal.”

  “No one else can know, Gabrielle. You have to swear to me.” His expression grew serious and a warning flared in his gaze.

  “Okay. Jesus… just tell me already.” Whatever it was, she wanted to know, even if it was something bad. She'd rather find out what skeletons were lurking in his closet sooner than later.

  “You ever heard of wolf-shifters? You know, humans that can change into a wolf?”

  She felt her eyes bug wide in disbelief. Then she burst out laughing, so hard her whole body shook, before sucking in a breath and realizing he was dead serious.

  “What? Like all Twilight's Jacob Black and stuff?” she joked.

  He looked at her clearly miffed. Obviously not a Twilight fan. Whatever.

  “Gabrielle, I'm a shifter.”

  The silence lengthened between them.

  “You're shitting me?” she finally blurted out.

  He snickered. “Nah. Afraid it's the truth.”

  She scrambled off him, but not through fear. Not even because she was freaked out. Well, okay she was just a tad. Great, her soldier was nuts, and wasn't that just her luck.

  “Aw, come on. I'm not falling for it, soldier.” He was joking after all. It had to be a joke, right?

  He sighed lazily. “It's true.”

  She had to see it for herself to believe such a thing. “Show me,” she demanded, standing by the bed.

  He looked up at her. “What?”

  “You want me to believe you, and if we're doing this,” she said, her hand gesturing between them, “then I think I have a right to see, to know.” And a right to throw your crazy ass the hell out of here afterward.

  He rubbed a hand through his hair and sighed. “Okey-dokey.”

  Getting up, the duvet fell away to expose him in all his male glory and she couldn't resist giving him the once over, and back again.

  “If you're done, I need a little room,” he said with a raised brow when her eyes had finally had their fill.

  Nodding with a blush, she stepped back toward the love seat in the corner of the room.

  “This is crazy,” she muttered, watching intently as he stretched out those muscular limbs. A flash of bright light caused her to bring her hand up to shield her face. When she dropped it, Ryker was gone and in his place stood a wolf.

  A huge fricking wolf.

  “Oh… holy… holy… shit!” she whispered, staring at the beautiful creature who only had three legs. Ryker's prosthetic was lying on the floor. “I don't believe it. I mean… I do… but I don't.”

  He moved in a prowl toward her, his eyes glowing like lava. She knelt down and reached out her hand to slip her fingers into the thick pelt of his neck. “Ryker?”

  With a nudge of his head he whined before stepping back, and with another flash of light, Ryker was standing in front of her, putting his prosthetic back in place. “Is your curiosity satisfied now?”

  For once in her life, Gabrielle was stuck for words. She'd just seen it with her own two eyes and yet she still couldn't believe it. Dumb-struck she sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Are they… are they all like you?” she asked, turning to look at him as he sat down beside her.

  “Yep,” he said coolly. “Listen, I meant what I said, Gabrielle, I'm trusting you not to tell anyone. It would endanger all of us.”

  She nodded. Gabrielle wasn't stupid. If the world knew about this, Ryker and his colleagues would be subjected to God only knew what kind of tests and experiments. “Of course. I wouldn't, I won't tell a living soul.” Gabrielle, felt privileged that Ryker had just shared this secret with her. A secret that was so important.

  “Tell me more,” she said eagerly, moving her body so she straddled his lap. “Tell me everything about you.”

  Ryker's eyes flashed with heat as he stared back at her. His canines inched out to press into his lower lip, and his arousal thick and hard nudging at her entrance. “Later, Gabrielle,” he said. Slipping his hands under her ass, he lifted her body just enough to allow him penetration. With a sigh, she gripped his massive shoulders and lowered herself slowly onto his cock.

  “I'll tell you… everything… later. Right now, I need to fuck you, Gabrielle,” he whispered against her throat as he began to move inside of her.

  Twenty-Six

  Madeleine entered Fleet's office and her alpha met her gaze with a warm smile.

  “Hey, how you holding up?”

  She shrugged and sank into the chair opposite his desk. “I feel like I've been to hell and back again.”

  Fleet's gaze narrowed, and she knew he was using his bond to sense just how she was really feeling. “You love this guy?”

  “It's against the Society's laws, but yes, I do.”

  Sitting back into his seat with a sigh, his lips twisted. “In light of everything that's happened with Cade and Kit, and recent events, I think the Society has some adjustments to make to our laws.”

  “Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact Jared might well be sentenced to death.”

  “It'll come down to a vote, Madoc, you know that. And, the way I see it, he attacked Alex to protect you. The problem arises when what he did to you and to Ryker get taken into account.”

  “He was going through his transition.”

  “So, what? You forgive him for almost ripping off your arm and changing your life, not to

  mention what he did to Ryker?”

  “I do. But I can't speak for Ryker.”

  Madeleine was sure if anything, Jared's fate came down to Ryker's forgiveness. And while she and Ryker had patched things up as friends, she didn't know if he wa
s willing to go that far for Jared. Not even for her.

  It was the biggest meeting ever held at the Society's Headquarters since Christopher Warden became the Overseer.

  Every member of Shadow Pack, including Cade's mate, Kit were present and seated around one end of the table. Along either side were Protectors, Jack Henderson and Benjamin Silver, and the Society's six sentinels.

  Madeleine's gaze followed the Overseer as he took his seat at the head of the table. The burden of recent events was evident in the shadows masking his eyes. Even a dominant with all the Overseer's power couldn't hide the pain, she thought. A betrayal by a friend is one thing, but by your own brother? Your own blood wasn't something you could just brush under the carpet and forget about.

  His eyes scanned each one of them before he addressed them as their leader.

  “The first matter we will discuss will be that of Alex Warden.” Clearing his throat, he got to his feet. “He is guilty of the following crimes: Betrayal of The Society. For threatening each members safety. The kidnapping of a member of the Society. Multiple injuries and deaths of innocent humans. And the coercion of rogue shifters.”

  “My vote,” he said, his silver eyes suddenly somber, “is guilty.”

  Each member gave their vote in turn. Madeleine didn't hesitate, “Guilty.”

  The Overseer sat back down, and after a momentary pause he nodded. “The vote is unanimous. Alex Warden's sentence will be death.”

  Madeleine swallowed her apprehension. She knew what was coming next and the air suddenly seemed heavy and too thick for her to inhale. Like a fist around her heart caused an ache so severe she wanted to scream.

  She barely kept it together, when the Overseer finally broke the silence.

  “The rogue, Jared, is accountable for three crimes. The first,” he paused, “for the attack on Alex Warden.”

  She watched in silence as glances passed between everyone.

  “I see his actions against Alex Warden as self-defense and coming to the aid of an innocent member of the Society. Therefore, my vote is 'not guilty' of this crime.”