by Mina Carter
“Why are we back here?” Her voice was groggy with sleep but quickly cleared. A shiver hit her. The heat enchantment had broken when she’d stopped touching him so she wrapped her arms around herself as protection against the night chill. “Surely they know about this place?”
“Exactly.” He took her hand and led her inside. The door opened with a wave of his hand. “So it’s the last place they’d expect us to be. We can crash for a couple of hours, then move on.”
She nodded. It made sense. If they’d already searched the place, there was no reason for them to come back here. Once inside, a sigh of relief escaped her. They could finally relax, and feel safe for a couple of hours. Her heart warmed as she noticed her camera bag, put safely on the hall table out of harm’s way. A quick glance revealed the window he’d jumped through earlier had was whole now as well.
“You cleaned up,” she said in surprise, turning to look at him.
“Of course. What else did you expect?”
The look on his face stopped her in her tracks. Heated and tight with desire, it was the kind of look that said the rest of the world could go fuck itself. That his sole focus was what was right in front of him.
Her.
Sliding a hand around her waist, he pulled her hard against him. The solid muscles of his upper arms met her hands as she braced herself. Pressed to him from breast to thigh, she felt every solid line and plane of his ripped body. Felt his heartbeat pick up, the raggedness of his breathing and the solid length of his cock pressing against the softness of her stomach.
She held her ground, lifting her chin to meet his gaze. “Hold that thought time?”
“Yeah.”
His voice was deep and raspy. Heat flooded her system, worked its way through her blood and veins until it reached her core. Her pussy throbbed, a heavy ache that made her press closer to him.
He took her lips in a maelstrom of passion and need. Biting kisses sent the heat in her blood to boiling. She kissed him back, undaunted by the fury and passion in his touch. Instead, she reveled in it. Teased and evaded him with her tongue until he growled, then broke away to demand.
“Bedroom. Which way?”
Chapter Five
The pull of magic caught her in the center of her chest and she closed her eyes just in time. When she opened them, they stood in her bedroom.
“You’re full of surprises.” Her voice caught, all breathy and sexy, and totally unlike normal. But this situation was out of the norm for her. Men who looked like him did not chase women like her: full of curves and wobbly bits.
His lips twisted as he lowered to hers again, the words whispered against them. “How about I show you a few of my favorites?”
His lips whispered over hers, before blazing a trail across her jaw to find the sensitive spot behind her ear. She melted, clutching at his arms for support as her cat purred deeply within her. This was right, what they wanted… what they needed. A powerful male like this to complete them.
A sigh of pleasure escaped her lips as he urged her onto the soft surface of the bed. Thank god she’d made it this morning and tidied up. His hands slid down her body and she forgot all about the housekeeping. He had such big hands, big enough to fit into the curve of her waist and slide underneath, arching her back and hips to display her body better for his perusal.
She bit her lip as he called magic again, waving a hand to trace her figure. With a whisper of fabric, the clothing disappeared, leaving her naked beneath him. A flush hit her cheeks as she nestled against him, the rough denim of his jeans and the cool leather strangely erotic against her bare skin.
He tutted, pulling her chin up so she had to meet his eyes. “No hiding. You’re beautiful, Renae, never doubt that.”
He honestly believed that, she saw it in his eyes and felt it in his touch. In the fine tremor of his hand as he cupped her breast. She moaned, arching her back to offer more of herself to him. She needed this, needed him, the ache in her body almost unbearable.
His lips were hot along her throat, and he paused to nip the curve where her shoulder met her neck. She gasped, fire replacing her blood.
“Hale… please, don’t tease.”
“I won’t, not much…”
He moved over her, parting her legs with one of his. He hadn’t removed his clothing, but she didn’t care. It was naughtier this way. That he couldn’t wait to undress before touching her fed her feminine ego.
His hand slid between her lips, fingers dipping into her folds. They both gasped when he skated between the slick lips.
“Fuck… you’re already wet for me.”
Her only answer was a whimper as he found her clit. Relentlessly he attacked, rubbing and circling the small bundle until her breathing was ragged and her hips rocked against his hand. Her release in the motel seemed so long ago, her entire body aching to come again.
“Please…”
“Shh… I got you, sweetheart.”
He moved over her, tearing at his fly to release his cock. She moaned as it slapped against her stomach; a silken, steel length that left a small wet smear of pre-cum against her skin.
Dipping his hips, he gripped his cock and slid the head along her folds. Used it to rub over her clit until she moaned and writhed beneath him.
“Unfair,” she managed to pant, her nails sharpening to claws as they dug into his upper arms. Luckily he still wore the leather jacket or she’d have cut him to ribbons.
“Life’s not fair. Didn’t you get that memo?” he threw back, still teasing her. When she thought she couldn’t take anymore, he moved and fit the head of his cock to her slick entrance.
“Look at me,” he ordered. She looked up to find his expression hard and triumphant. “You’re mine.”
He pushed into her in one hard shove, stealing her breath. Pleasure assaulted her as her body was forced wide to accommodate him. Holy hell, he was big. Way bigger than Lance and long. She was forced to breathe through her nose as her body stretched around his invading cock. Gradually the burning sensation faded, leaving just pleasure and she relaxed, only realizing at that moment she’d locked up.
He leaned down to nuzzle her nose with his, expression concerned until she nodded. That he’d held still to let her adapt to his size stole a little bit of her heart right there and then. Bad boy he might be, but there was a good man in there somewhere.
Sliding one forearm under her neck, he slid the other hand under the small of her back and tilted her hips for a better angle. She dragged in a ragged breath as he pulled back, his thick cock sliding against nerve endings she didn’t know she had. His next thrust was hard and fast, driving into her with a power and precision that made her toes curl. He pulled back, driving into her again and again. Building momentum and pleasure with each quick advance and retreat until the room was filled with the sound of skin against skin and their moans of pleasure.
It wasn’t a seduction, she realized as she caught a look at his expression—driven and focused—it was a claiming. He might not have bitten her, but each thrust of his cock into her depths was his way of marking her.
She trembled, the force of her oncoming climax so powerful she could barely contain it. She didn’t need him to bite her. Magic swirled around them, pulling at her chest, her skin and her animal within. Each rock of his hips, each time her clit throbbed with need, bound her tighter to him.
“I’m… ohhhh!”
Pleasure rose out of the depths, threatening to wash over and submerge her. She pressed her eyes closed and tried to fight it off. She didn’t want this to be over, not yet. She wanted it to last forever. A perfect moment for her to treasure, no matter what the future held.
“That’s it,” he shifted positions, adding an extra rock at the end of each stroke to catch her clit between them. He shook his hips over the nub, rubbing it one way, then the other until it throbbed. “Come for me, Renae… I want to feel your heat all over my cock.”
The words and his actions were too much for even her iron con
trol. On his next thrust and roll she shattered with pleasure. Her pussy clamped around his cock, milking him and drawing a growl from his lips.
Her body was awash with sensation, every cell saturated, but she felt him drag her closer. His thrusts sped up, his hard body moving over and within her as he chased his own release. Cock jerking, he thrust within her one last time before throwing his head back to roar. Buried deep within her, his cock pulsed, bathing her inner walls with his white-hot seed.
She murmured in pleasure, wrapping herself around him as his release fed hers. A loop of sheer and utter pleasure as he bent his head, arms shaking as he rest his forehead against her shoulder.
She smiled, her lips grazing his temple while he fought to get his breathing under control. He rolled them so she sprawled over his chest, her hair covering them like a cloak.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” he warned when she snuggled down and closed her eyes. “I’m nowhere near done with you yet.”
Turning her again, he stripped out of his clothes, and set about proving just that.
***
The sun was up when Renae woke the next morning. Warm and comfortable, she purred in contentment, a rare display of her other nature, before turning over. Or she tried to anyway. Her foot collided with a hairy leg halfway and her eyes widened as memory kicked in.
Shit. The motel. The dragon. Hale. Last night. Oh shit, Hale.
Her slight movement must have roused him a little because he murmured and moved to wrap a strong arm around her, pulling her against his side. He was a total bed hog, which figured. She doubted he ever did anything by halves. It didn’t matter though. She usually slept curled into a little ball so she didn’t take up much space, and her cat liked being wrapped around his large, warm body.
Peeking over the edge of the duvet, she studied his profile. Dust motes danced in a stream of early morning sunlight that reached delicate fingers through a gap in the curtains and highlighted his features. He looked younger and less fierce when asleep, and so damn handsome that she had to pinch herself to prove it wasn’t a dream.
The pinch made her wince though. Soreness in some other, intimate, places proved beyond a shadow of a doubt her memories of the night before weren’t wishful thinking. She couldn’t be blamed for thinking they were. In her world the sexy, hot guy didn’t fall for the curvy chick. Like ever.
But somehow he had. He liked her plump, curvaceous body. Had reveled in it in fact. More than that, he’d been insatiable. Some of the things he’d done to her and made her do… her cheeks blazed hot enough to cook eggs on.
A small breeze through the open window ruffled the curtains and brought the scent of the forest to her.
Her nose wrinkled as her sensitive sense of smell picked up other, more delicious smells. Her mouth watered. She smelt bacon. Someone was cooking breakfast. Probably old Mr. Morris down the road. The elderly shifter was always up early and did love his fried breakfasts.
Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since midday yesterday. Which was way too long for her grumpy cat, which liked its food as much as she did. After their exertions overnight, Hale would probably be hungry when he woke.
Sliding out from under his arm, she slipped from the bed. After a quick trip to the bathroom, she grabbed his shirt again and pulled it on. Being surrounded by his scent made her cat purr and she padded downstairs to make breakfast.
Her kitchen was light and bright with a cosy breakfast nook that looked onto the garden. It was one of the reasons she’d fallen in love with the place. Humming to herself, she bustled around the room. Luckily she kept her pantry well stocked so she had bacon, eggs, milk… all the fixings for breakfast.
The little voice in the back of her head screamed at her as she grabbed bowls and pans, warning her not to fall prey to the fairy tale. She didn’t need the warning. Hale wasn’t any kind of prince charming. He might not have handed her over to Lance but that didn’t mean they were riding off into the sunset together and living happily ever after.
An image of their wedding day played in her mind. Of throwing the bouquet and turning to kiss her handsome husband… She blinked, suddenly realizing she’d lost time. How long had she stood here looking at the bowls? Hale must have worn her out more than she’d thought. Her stomach rumbled as she dropped the bacon into a hot pan. It sizzled, filling the room with its delicious smell. She measured ingredients for pancakes and beat the mixture. She loved pancakes, always had. They were her favorite breakfast food.
Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to fall into good memories. One of the few she had of her parents before they died was of her mom making breakfast on a Sunday morning. Even now, she remembered the little song her mother used to sing and the smell of her father’s tobacco.
Sadness tinged her mood. Smells… she could remember smells, but she couldn’t recall their faces anymore. Oh, she knew what they’d looked like. Both had been into photography so she had plenty of photos of them, and her as a baby, but she couldn’t remember what her dad looked like when he laughed, or her mom when she concentrated on her sewing.
Her hackles rose, the skin between her shoulders crawling as her cat went on high alert. She snapped her eyes open, convinced someone was watching her from the window, but there was no one there. No hulking figure with glowing eyes. Not even the damn postman.
But still the feeling persisted. Reaching out, she picked up the nearest thing to hand and plastered herself against the wall by the window. She held her breath and ducked forward, peeking out quickly before she hid behind the curtain again. No one in the garden.
Her gaze latched onto the back door. Crouching, she did her best impression of a ninja as she scuttled to the other side of the room. If ninja’s were short, blond women who wore their boyfriends T-shirts. Well, Hale wasn’t really her boyfriend, but werelock-who’d-been-hired-to-find-her-and-had-decided-to-save-her-for-himself-instead was a bit of a mouthful so boyfriend it was.
She looked stupid, but finally reached the wall by the door and peered out. No one there either. Lowering the saucepan in her hand, amusement curved her lips. Then she laughed at herself.
A saucepan. Really? She was a predator with natural weaponry, and she picked up a damn saucepan to defend herself?
Talk about ridiculous.
Her nose twitched. Was that… She looked to the stove to see smoke starting to rise from the pan. The bacon…
“Shit. No, no, no, don’t you dare burn,” she cried out as she raced to the stove to try and salvage breakfast. Before she could scrape the burnt bits of bacon from the bottom of the pan, the back door burst inward and the kitchen filled with snarling werelions.
Brogan werelions.
Lance had found her.
Snarling with rage, she did the first thing she could think of, grabbed the pan off the stove and showered all of them with hot fat and burnt bacon.
“Aaaargh!”
“What the fuck!”
There were male screams and swearing as they dried to duck the swing of the pan. One guy clutched at his eyes, howling in agony and crashed over the table, breaking it. He was one of Lance’s more brutal bullyboys so no sympathy filled her at his plight. She hoped she’d blinded the bastard. The things he’d done for Lance, he deserved it and worse.
She swung the now-empty pan at the nearest lion. The smell of burning skin and hair filled the air. It smelt like barbeque chicken. Damn, there went her appetite. Grabbing the bowl of pancake batter she threw that at her assailants, screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Hale, they’re here! Hale!”
The fight turned into an all-out comedy sketch. There wasn’t a door, drawer or pan she didn’t use, ramming them into guts, or slamming them into faces as she danced around the kitchen trying to stay out of reach. The lions were still in human form simply because they couldn’t all fit in here in their other forms. That, and putting so many males in such a small space was a real bad idea. They’d forget what they were supposed to do and
start fighting each other.
Lance might be the most powerful alpha in the pride, but that didn’t mean he maintained discipline correctly. As long as they obeyed him without question, that was all he cared about.
She waited for the tug in the center of her chest to indicate Hale had called his magic, but it didn’t come. Shit. They were making enough noise down here to wake up a city block. Something was wrong.
“Hale! Wake up!”
She carried on yelling. The floor was slippery with batter and one lion lost his footing, sliding toward her. Opening the fridge door just in time, she slammed it shut on his head. It bounced back so she did it again. He jerked, unconscious. Wouldn’t stay that way for long though, more was the pity.
Shit. There were too many of them for her to take down on her own. She lashed out with claws and the knives from the block by the stove, but it was only a matter of time. They were bigger and stronger, sooner or later she was going to slip up and get pinned.
Looking up, she saw a couple more men behind the lions who surrounded her. A sharp stink made her nose wrinkle. Magic. Shit. Roaring, she hurled plates at them, making them duck as they tried to get to the stairs.
“HALE! Warlocks!”
Her attention divided between the warlocks and the lions, she missed one sneaking behind her. A hard arm snaked around her neck, and she was yanked backward, her air almost cut off.
“Hey there, pretty.” A familiar voice leered in her ear. Dom, Lance’s brutish second in command and the bane of her life for years. “Lance wants you back, bitch.”
She snarled and bit his arm, dropping fangs into her mouth before sinking them deep.
“Arrrgh, fucking bitch bit me!”
Blows rained down over her head and shoulders but she growled and held on, shaking from side to side. Her teeth slid into his flesh, tearing through skin and muscle, scraping bone. Blood filled her mouth, dripping from the seal of her lips around his arm.