by Alix Labelle
“I like you,” he murmured, and he kissed her neck, right where it linked to her core, causing her panties to soak and her core to throb harder with arousal. As he saturated her neck, he grinded his hips against hers, his cock pressing out of his jeans and against her cut offs.
She grabbed his hair as he kissed her. “I want you to tie me up,” she confessed, unashamed. “Like a rodeo.”
In response, he kissed her neck harder, his need for her growing. His kisses moved across her shoulder, bruising her skin, until he reached her bra. With his teeth, he ripped the strap down then used his hands to unhook it, freeing her breasts. Instantly, he took one of her breasts into his mouth, sucking it as he continued to grind against her.
The sensation of his tongue flicking across her nipple and the weight of his body against hers rocked her with bliss. She grew wetter, ready for him to plunge his cock inside her. She arched her back, begging him to give her what she wanted.
Obeying her earlier request, he grabbed her arms and forced them above her head. Using the lace of her bra, he tied her hands together, making her completely vulnerable to him.
“Do whatever you want,” she invited.
Her words charged him. No longer a gentleman, he rose to his knees and tore off her cutoffs, revealing lace panties that match her bra. With one hand pinning down her stomach, he used his other to reach within her panties and explore her with his fingers, driving them deep within her.
She gasped with pleasure as he banged her with his hand, his fingers caressing her from the inside as they thrust in and out, slick with her wetness. She clenched herself around his thrusts, the heat within her body rising with every stroke.
Before she exploded with bliss, he released her. He tore off her panties much like he had done with her cut offs, and he undid his jeans, unveiling his giant cock. In a seamless maneuver, he pulled her forward and spread out her legs so that she straddling him, her arms around his neck, still tied together, as they faced each other.
“You truly are breathtaking, sunshine,” he said before sliding her over his cock, filling her completely.
Her long brown hair fell around them both as she circled her hips, allowing his cock to massage every part of her. Her movements were like a slow, sensual burn. He kissed her as they made love, and when she finally erupted, it was powerful, like touching a piece of heaven. He came with her, growling out her name, claiming her as his own, their cries echoing into the night.
***
Content in the arms of her cowboy lover, Krista had been asleep, but a rustle outside woke her. Reaching out into the pitch black that curtained the tent, she grabbed for her flashlight and shone it outside.
She didn’t know what she expected to see. Maybe a coyote. Or tumbleweed. Or Lolli checking in on her. She did not expect to see the silhouette of tigers dancing around her tent like bees to a hive. She assumed they were tigers. The silhouettes were the right shape and size. They moved effortless in intangible patterns, directionless but with intent. It was impossible to know how many there were. Maybe only a handful. Maybe much more.
Terrified and hoping it was all a dream, she returned to Derek’s arms, who slept soundly, and rejoined him in slumber.
***
Chapter Four
“Morning,” Derek greeted as Krista stirred.
“Morning,” Krista said back.
He reached across the tent for his cowboy hat and put it on her head. “Ready to ride again?” he asked, running a hand down her naked flesh.
Her skin burned at his touch, still heated from the sweet anguish the night before, but as soon as she remembered the dream she had, she sat upright.
“The tigers,” she recalled. “They were here.”
“What?” Derek asked, instantly on his guard.
Krista shook her head, confused. “I don’t know. I dreamt that an army of tigers roamed outside, their silhouettes dancing against the tent, but I’m not so sure it was a dream.”
Silent but urgent, Derek dressed, and so did Krista. She left the tent to pull on her white cashmere sweater, blinking against the glare of the day. No paw prints were in the sand, but as soon as she reached the bones, she fell to her knees.
“They’re gone,” she said aloud. “The bones are gone.”
She didn’t understand any of it. Her dream must have been warning her of this. While sleeping, she must have heard a noise outside and the imagination of her subconscious filled in the rest. That made sense, much more than the alternative – that the ghost of tigers had somehow reclaimed their lost ancestor.
“I’m sorry,” Derek consoled. “I’m so sorry, sunshine. Why don’t you come back to the ranch with me. You’ll be safe there. There’s nothing left for you here.”
“This was my entire career,” Krista uttered. “Now it’s gone.”
“Maybe it’s for the best,” Derek said, helping her to stand. “The world isn’t ready to hear about shifters.”
“I have no interest in telling the world about shifters. It’s the lost settlers I’m looking for. The ones that disappeared from this area in the 1800’s. Those bones were my only clue to their fate.”
Well, not the only clue, she thought, remembering the artifact she had hidden away. It brought her some relief. With the artifact, she was more determined than ever to solve the mystery that taunted her.
***
It was a tight fit in her smart car, but they made it to the ranch. Built along the base of a hillside plateau, as if in hiding, the main building was one story but it stretched elaborately in a crescent half-circle. In the courtyard was a statue of a bronze mustang on his hind legs, gallant like a king. Real horses occupied a coral nearby, surrounded by further fields containing sheep and cattle. It wasn’t the lights and upscale stores of the city, but it was a step up from her tent.
“It’s wonderful,” Krista said. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Think of it as home,” Derek professed, and he kissed her. His kiss wasn’t as hungry as the night before, but there was a sentiment to it. She was more to him than a fling. He cared for her. She could feel it in the way the joined together in the kiss.
Breaking away, Krista went to the coral, taking a moment to absorb the emotions they were feeling. She leaned against the wooden fence of the coral and watched as the horses galloped around.
Derek was reluctant to follow.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I spook them,” he admitted. “The rest of the animals on my ranch – they recognize my authority. Not the horses. When I approach, they run off scared. I tend to leave them be.”
“Nonsense,” Krista said, digging her hand in the feed bucket and holding it out for the horses. A beige mare come to her and ate, her muzzle wet and warm against Krista’s hand. “You just have to realize that horses don’t want your authority. They want your respect.”
Derek still did not move.
“Relax,” Krista instructed him. “You look like you’re about to pounce. Loosen your shoulders. Tell the horse with your body language that you’re not a threat.”
Derek shook out the tension in his big bulky muscles and joined her at the fence. “We’re friends, aren’t we, girl? You know I won’t hurt you,” he mumbled to the mare before slowly lifting his hand to pet her coat.
Krista smiled but said nothing, letting him have his moment.
“Well look at that,” he breathed. “So we can get along with horses after all.”
She laughed. “What did you do before?”
“I have yard hands.” He rested his hand on the bulk of the mare’s neck, pleased. “How do you know animals so well?”
“As an anthropologist, I study the behavior of people. Animals may not be human, but they are people.”
“Yes, they are,” he agreed.
“What is she doing here?” Bridget sniped, finding them. She held a rake in her hand.
Immediately, the mare ran off.
“Krista will be staying with us
for a while,” Derek said with license, leaving little room for Bridget to argue.
She did anyway. “No,” she refuted. “Unacceptable.”
So much for them just being friends, Krista thought. Derek may not be able to see it, but Bridget was seeping possessiveness.
“You don’t have a say,” Derek told her. “This is my ranch.”
Bridget threw down the rake, furious. “It’s your ranch but the land belongs to all of us. She is meant to be on her way back to the filth of the city. Our people don’t want her here. This wasn’t part of the plan.”
Krista froze. “The plan?”
“Don’t,” Derek warned Bridget.
“Why not?” the redhead seethed. “You did this to her. You sealed her fate by bringing her here.” Bridget turned to Krista. “Didn’t you wonder why he kept checking in on you, asking questions about your work?”
“Bridget, stop,” Derek commanded. He put his hand on Krista’s back to guide her away, but she refused. She wanted to hear what Bridget had to say.
“Go on.”
Bridget lit up, victorious. “He was infiltrating, trying to uncover what you knew, what you had discovered. He was working for our people. It’s because of him we knew you’d uncovered the bones of our ancestor. Last night was the perfect distraction so we could reclaim them.”
Krista grabbed onto the fence to steady herself. She suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe. So many thoughts circled around in her mind, picking at her heart like a vulture.
She was devastated that Derek had betrayed her, but what echoed the loudest from Bridget’s confession was our ancestor.
“What happened between us last night was real,” Derek told her, touching her arm.
She barely heard him. “You’re tigers,” she said, looking up at him. “You’re a shifter.”
***
Derek
It twisted his insides to see Krista look upon him with such distrust. Most of what Bridget said was true. His relationship with Krista had been forged out of deception. He had been chosen to befriend her, keep tabs on her as she dug around the land they roamed. He was meant to protect her from the truth as much as he was to protect his own people. He’d failed.
That was the most unforgivable of his actions – that he had failed to protect them all, especially Krista.
Bridget had one thing wrong though. Last night had been real. It had meant something. It was not to distract her. He had not known his people would reclaim the bones as they slept together in the tent.
He wanted Krista to understand, but it didn’t matter. Not now. There was a more urgent matter to address. Thanks to Bridget, Krista knew they were shifters. It was the one thing he was supposed to keep Krista from discovering – that shifters still existed. They were not confined to the past.
By revealing their people, Bridget had handed Krista a death sentence.
Torn, Derek spun around towards Bridget. He knew what he had to do to protect Krista, but it was difficult. Bridget may have a red temper, but she was a good friend. Her actions were misled, as was her heart, but deep down all she wanted was the best for their people. They faced extinction. Knowing so could wilt a thorn.
But in the end, it had been Bridget who revealed the secret of their people. She may not have realized it, but by handing Krista a death sentence, she had inflicted one upon herself. Their people would never tolerate it.
The choice was either to destroy Bridget now, or let them both die.
“I’m sorry,” Derek said to Bridget, his heart wrenching as her face fell. “Forgive me.”
Full of remorse, he changed, transforming into a tiger, his fur thick and mighty around his neck.
Realizing his intentions, Bridget turned as well. As a tigress, she was quick and agile, like an assassin, but she would be no match against his bulk.
They clashed in the air, beast against beast. Bridget swiped at him, and her claws dug across his back. It was painful, but not as painful as knowing he had to destroy his friend, as if their nights drinking around the campfire and long hours spent herding cattle meant nothing to him.
She prepared to swipe again, as he knew she would. Her claws were her best defense. When she pulled her front leg back, he jolted forward and grabbed the scruff of her neck with his teeth. All he had to do was clamp down....
To his surprise, Bridget transformed back into her human form and slipped out of his hold. She was pleased with herself, but it had nothing to do with evading death.
Krista was gone, her car nowhere to be seen. This had been Bridget’s plan all along – to distract him while Krista ran.
Relinquishing, Derek transformed back as well.
There was no point killing Bridget now. She would not let the others find out that Krista knew, for her own sake. She did not want Krista dead. She just wanted her gone.
All of their lives were safe, but he had lost the love of his.
***
Chapter Five
Three Months Later
Krista
In her apartment in the city, Krista sat upon her bed, surrounded by stylish pillows that cascaded down around her, and looked at the artifact she held in her hand. It was a locket, but it held no photo inside. There had been one. A faded edge of one was trapped in the hinge, the photo itself likely torn out long ago.
“I have to go back,” Krista said out loud.
The mystery still taunted her, invading her waking and slumbering thoughts, but her reasons to go back to the desert valley far surpassed her desire to figure out what happened to the lost settlers. She placed a hand over her growing stomach, knowing that the baby who grew inside may possess a very special ability.
***
Nothing about the desert had changed since Krista had left, running from the secret Bridget had revealed, running from the enemy that was also her lover. That was the beauty of the desert. It was a time stamp, reminding the modern to revere the past, even when the future was so uncertain.
Krista pulled into the ranch. It was unkempt, losing the wonder it had before. The horses were huddled into their stables, the feed in their coral trays growing mold. The statue of the mustang in the courtyard was tarnished. It felt… defeated.
Taking a deep breath, knowing her life would never be the same, Krista left her smart car, ready to reveal her own secret to Derek, a secret that would soon enter the world.
“Derek!” she called from the courtyard. “We need to talk!”
Derek did not answer her call, but someone did.
Bridget.
“What are you doing here?” the redhead snapped, emerging from the main building.
“That’s a bit of a tired response, isn’t it?” Krista countered, in no mood to deal with the tigress.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Bridget said. “You’re a threat to my people.”
“I’m no threat,” she mumbled then called out again, “Derek!”
“He’s not here,” Bridget revealed. “He hasn’t been here for some time.”
Krista’s heart sank. It had taken her weeks to build up the courage to come back. She wasn’t sure she could a second time. “Where is he?”
“None of your business,” Bridget said. “I suggest you leave.”
“No,” Krista refused. “I’m not afraid of you.”
It was what Bridget wanted to hear. “You should be,” she teased before transforming into a tiger.
Krista didn’t flinch. Her instincts wanted her to run, but she knew that was what Bridget wanted, not because she was a tiger but because she was sadistic. She enjoyed her games.
Growling, Bridget sprang, her paw held out to claw Krista to the otherworld, but she stopped midair and dropped to the ground, human once more, fully clothed.
“You’re pregnant,” she muttered, stumbling over the words. “Is it Derek’s?”
Bridget changing into a tigress and back into a human had not been the astonishing transformation. The astonishing transformation was the softness she now spo
ke with. Her menace was gone, beaten by the truth that lie in Krista’s belly.
“It is,” Krista said. “I’m carrying his child.”
To her further amazement, Bridget hugged her, tears in her eyes. “Our people are near extinction,” she said. “This is good news. Every child born means a chance of our survival.”
So Bridget wasn’t so sadistic after all. She was just desperate to protect her people. Krista prided herself on her ability to analyze human behavior, it was what made her a decent anthropologist, but she had failed to see that behind Bridget’s temper was a woman desperate to save her own kind.
“Where is Derek?” Krista asked again.
“He’s in the city, looking for you.”
This time, the tears swelled in Krista’s eyes. “Really?”
“Of course.” Bridget took her hand. “But don’t worry. I’ll call him. Come into the house and rest, and by this evening, he’ll be here.”
***
“You’re pregnant?”
Derek was stunned, frozen by the news. Standing next to him in his bedroom, a large suite fitted with dark furniture, Krista was sure he was going to pass out.
He didn’t. Instead, he smiled broadly and picked her up into his arms. “Woo wee!” he shouted. “I’m gonna be a papa!”
“You are,” Krista said, laughing as her brawny cowboy spun her around.
“I went looking for you,” Derek said, setting her down, growing serious. “I wouldn’t have stopped until I found you.”
“I know,” she said. “I’m glad.”
Her words were simple, but they were weighed with emotion, an emotion that propelled them to the bed. Silent and admiring, Derek undressed her, venerating the beauty of her curves as he did.
“You’re more gorgeous every time I see you,” he said, kissing her stomach.