by T. S. Joyce
Well, okay Gray Back.
Wish. Fucking. Granted.
Chapter Seven
“No, no, no, no!” Jenny screamed as Barret ripped apart in an instant.
Eden barely had time to get out of the way before the massive pure-black panther charged Jaxon. Oh, she’d seen Jaxon’s grizzly growing up. He was a beast, but Barret’s panther was terrifying. He was damn near the size of a mature male lion, three times the size of a panther in the wild, and his face was twisted in a fearsome expression that promised death to Jaxon’s grizzly. And he was fast. So fast. She pitched backward out of the way, and just before she hit the ground and put her tailbone through her esophagus, Barret changed course and skidded under her, cushioning her fall.
There was a moment when she thought, well, that was sweet. He pulled off mid-fight to make sure I was okay. Swoon. And then she’d seen Jaxon barreling toward her with murder in his glowing green eyes, and adrenaline had dumped into her system. Change, Change, Change, Change! The falcon was quiet inside of her, watching, uninterested in fucking survival, apparently, because she wasn’t answering Eden’s desperate call. She needed her wings, but the falcon didn’t give them to her.
Barret slid out from under her and stood over her body as she curled in on herself and waited for a monstrous swat from Jaxon’s brown bear. Barret’s body jerked, and a panther scream ripped through the night. Then his weight was gone.
She was afraid to open her eyes. What if he had been blasted all the way across the clearing, or was injured so badly he couldn’t come back from it? But when she did find her courage and ease one eye open, it was Jaxon who was in trouble. Barret was latched onto his neck, jaws working, every claw dug into Jaxon’s thick skin as he held himself in place for that kill bite.
“Barret, stop!” Ben yelled as the massive grizzly ripped desperately at Barret’s back. Claw mark after claw mark showed up crimson against Barret’s black fur as Jaxon roared his fury and pain.
Falcon! I need you!
She had to do something to help, but she just sat there instead. Who was she supposed to defend? Her childhood friend or the man who had somehow pulled her heart from her chest and claimed it like a goddamned wizard?
The others were Changing now. Ben’s massive black cat hit Barret so hard his left paw raked down Jaxon’s shoulder. Ben sank his teeth into Barret’s shoulder, but Murder Kitty didn’t even flinch. It was as if he felt no pain at all.
Jaxon and Barret were destroying everything like a hurricane. Dirt was kicked up in a cloud as they spun and battled. They crashed through chairs and then through the grill, meat and corn cobs flying into the air, the screech of metal piercing the peaceful night. Jenny was yelling at Annalise not to Change, but it was too late. She was doubled over, teeth too long at the canines, eyes shining in the dim light like an animal’s in headlights. And strangely enough, in this moment of clarity, fear, and confusion, Eden realized those shining eyes were intent on her.
A black panther with charcoal-gray spots through her coat exploded from Annalise and immediately charged.
“Fuck!” Jenny yelled. “Eden, run!”
Run? She needed to fly! Fly away from this crew of unbalanced crazy-cats. She’d grown up with the Ashe Crew, but Red Havoc was even worse in their violent tendencies.
“Oh, my gosh,” Eden murmured as she rolled out of the path of the three panthers trying to separate Jaxon and Barret.
They cut off her line of sight to Annalise’s cat, but Eden had seen the look of a hunter before, and Annalise wouldn’t be put off for long. Eden pushed up and sprinted as fast as she could toward the closest cabin. Each step was agony because she knew she was being chased by a terrifying shifter—one who would hurt her badly if she caught her.
Stairs, stairs, stairs, so close. She just had to make it to the stairs, across the small porch, and in through the door. Please God let it be unlocked! She could feel the beast so close behind her. No time to turn around and gauge how much time she had. The answer was no time at all.
The instant her hand touched the door handle, something massive barreled into her and slammed her against the door. Pain slashed across the front of her right thigh, and she yelled out in agony as she hit the ground. The spotted panther looked over her shoulder for an instant before she screamed a deafening sound, opened her mouth, and came for Eden’s throat.
A black torpedo hit her with the power of a Mack truck. Annalise went straight through the railing, destroying half the porch on impact. And then Barret was there, protecting her body as Eden rolled back and forth on her back in pain, gripping her shredded thigh. The scent of iron filled the air. Her blood painted the porch, and when she looked around Barret’s massive body, her heart threatened to pound right out of her chest. Jaxon was stalking them, his throat torn to pieces and streaming crimson. The panthers were approaching too, and so was an enormous, muscular lioness. All of their ears were flattened against their heads, teeth bared, bloodlust in their eyes, and she was in trouble. No, not just her. She and Barret were both in trouble because he wasn’t backing down an inch. He let off a deep scream and raked his claws across the face of the nearest panther who got too close. The change in the animal’s facial expression was instant. He lurched back, unsnarled his lips and looked around at the others, like he didn’t know how he’d gotten here. Bloodlust did that to predator shifters. It took over the mind.
Barret went after that panther again with another paw to the face. The slap echoed across the clearing, and then Barret was back to her, standing over her, protecting her. His tail was twitching with agitation, but whatever he was doing to the big panther, it seemed to be working.
The predator turned on the lioness and hissed long and low. God, his teeth were so long. These males were mature, dominant, and were much bigger than Lynn’s panther. He hissed again, the sound tapering into a low growl. The sound turned to a groan when the panther tucked away and Ben’s human skin replaced it. “Change back!” he demanded. “Now!”
Even Eden who wasn’t a part of this crew could feel the power behind his order. Barret wasn’t Changing, but the others were affected immediately. Their Changes looked forced and painful. They were slow, and there was a chorus of agonized groans while their bodies broke apart.
Clutching her leg to staunch the bleeding, Eden sat up slowly, carefully. Barret turned around, and she was stunned by the vibrant color of his green eyes. She’d never seen a green-eyed panther before, and the color was striking against the pitch color of his fur. His pupils were so small his eyes looked even brighter as he scanned her body. He didn’t seem to see the others as a threat anymore since he gave his crew his back. Barret leaned down and sniffed at her hands, which were smeared with red.
He nudged her hands to the side gently and ran his tongue up the tattered fabric of her jeans. It hurt so bad, but when she tried to shield it from him again, he hissed a warning.
“Give them space,” Ben ordered, jerking his chin toward the destroyed chairs and grill. His crew followed him and then began righting chairs and picking food off the ground, murmuring softly to each other, too low for Eden to hear.
Her leg hurt less now. It was her shifter healing kicking in, but falcons didn’t heal as fast as other shifters. She would probably have claw mark scars thanks to Annalise, and the adrenaline dump was making her shake badly, but Barret seemed intent on cleaning her. He laid on his belly, half across her legs, and laved his tongue across her claw mark over and over until she stopped bleeding entirely. A purr rattled his wrecked body. She had one claw mark. He had dozens. He’d already stopped bleeding, but most of them were open and painful looking.
He was hurt, yet here he was taking care of her in his own animalistic way.
With a sigh to release some of the tension, she eased back against the door and brushed her fingers lightly over his ear as he worked. Her chest felt all strange and fluttery, and with each slow lick of his tongue, she found more courage to pet him deeper. Palm flat, she ran it up his m
assive head. Barret closed his eyes as he cleaned her, as if her touch felt good. Oh, she liked him. He was as violent as a Gray Back, broken perhaps, but he’d come for her twice in one fight. Come to protect her. And she’d seen him. Felt him. He would’ve gone to war with his entire damn crew to protect her.
Who was this man who was collecting her devotion so seamlessly? Barret seemed to have so many walls and barriers, but his panther was clearly just fine in letting her see his caring side.
He stood suddenly and meandered gracefully off the porch where Annalise had broken the rails. She was in Jaxon’s arms near the doused bonfire, talking low and swaying with him. He had one arm around her, the other hand gripping his neck where he was still bleeding. And it struck her what Annalise had done. The others had been struggling to get Barret off her mate, so she’d gone after Eden instead of Barret. Clever cat. She’d taken a risk and left her mate vulnerable to get Barret’s attention off Jaxon. She’d attacked Eden, and Barret had come for her.
But what did it mean that Annalise knew going after Eden would work? What did it mean that it did work? What did it mean that Barret could be pulled off a kill bite, in full-blown bloodlust, and come to protect her instead?
Mate.
She shook her head slowly because that couldn’t be right. She couldn’t hold a man’s attention. She wasn’t meant for a mate, and Barret had said the same thing about himself.
Mate.
Her falcon was finally here, just in time to whisper that one, all-important word inside of her.
Could he be the one she’d waited for her whole life?
Could he be the one to end the loneliness?
Don’t fall in love.
Barret strode out of the shadows, his eyes burning right into her. His big fists were clenched, and his strides were long and powerful. His naked body was the epitome of masculinity and predatory grace. He was smeared with blood and dirt, and his eyes were intense, locked on hers with such intensity, she couldn’t take her eyes away from him if she wanted to.
He was coming straight for her. Something deep inside of her said he was the type of man who would protect her at all costs to him.
It wasn’t L-O-V-E yet, but in that moment, she reached the second letter.
Barret didn’t slow as he approached. He simply hopped the three stairs gracefully and stooped, picked her up like she weighed nothing, gathered her tightly to his chest, and then shoved open the door to the cabin.
“Is this…is this your den?” she asked quietly as she looked around the small living room.
“Yes,” he said in a voice that was low and gravelly. And sexy.
The couch and chair were made of dark, fragrant leather, and on the rustic wooden coffee table, there were outdoor magazines in disarray. Two pair of work boots, covered in dirt and scuffs, sat by the front door. A tan jacket hung on a hook on the wall along with a set of keys, and the kitchen across the living room was small but tidy, other than a sink full of dishes.
“I should’ve stayed away longer,” he said low, settling her on her feet. He gripped her hips, rested his forehead against hers, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. “I want you rough right now, so bad.”
She inhaled sharply at what those words did to her body. He made her instantly wet, instantly ready for him. Her nipples drew up to tight buds, like they were begging for him to suck on them. Rough didn’t sound like a bad idea at all right now. Perhaps those five words would’ve scared her with anyone else, but with Barret, they were a huge turn-on. Especially with him backing her toward the bedroom off the kitchen. Especially with his fingers digging into her hips. Especially with his thick erection pressed against her belly. She wanted him inside her, and right now, after the adrenaline rush and the fear and the realization of how damn important he was…she wanted him to be himself and take her as he pleased.
He leaned down and kissed her, but his breath shook. He was too controlled. He was fighting his nature to keep gentle.
“No, Bad Cat,” she whispered. “No hiding tonight.” She kissed him and bit his bottom lip almost hard enough to draw blood.
Cut up, smelling like iron and fur, Barret snarled and yanked her hips against his as he kissed her again. This time he let his control slip and thrust his tongue into her mouth immediately. And each time he dominated her mouth, he let off a quick breath and rocked his hips against her hard.
She was already so wet from the anticipation that when he pushed his hand down into her panties and shoved a finger inside of her, she was ready. Eden groaned when he pulled it out slowly and licked his finger. “I fucking love the way you taste, Eden.”
His hand gripped her hair at the base of her neck as her ass hit a dresser. It was dark in here, but her eyes were adjusting. Another kiss, harder this time, and he was controlling the pace. Sexy, sexy man. She didn’t like to be bossed around in the outside world, but here, with the man she trusted, she wanted him to show her what he liked. She wanted him to take control and instruct her on what to do.
“Turn around,” he murmured.
Okay then, hell yes, she was ready to do this! Until the point when she saw herself in the mirror and realized she was going to have to watch herself do this.
“Watch me,” he said as he peeled her shirt over her head. “I’m about to fuck the shit out of you, Eden, but you’ll know it isn’t casual for me. You aren’t casual for me. I need fast and hard right now, but I’ll take care of you better our second time.”
Oooh, he was already making plans for next time?
Ziiiip. The sound of her zipper wrenched a helpless noise from her throat. Arching her back, she rolled her ass against his erection and exhaled breathily when his hand went to her throat, the other to her hip. He drew her back against him tightly. He was so hard and so thick.
“I fucking love the way you react to me,” he murmured in that sexy, deep tone of his.
Her panties tickled her knees on the way down, and when Barret pushed them to her ankles, she stepped out of them and kicked them into the pile with the other clothes. She liked how Barret didn’t hesitate on removing her clothes. She didn’t have to question if he wanted her, not like with Marcus. His lips touched her shoulder blade at the exact same moment he grabbed her hip and pulled her back against his dick. She gasped at the fiery sensation of his soft bite. With each sucking kiss that his teeth scraped her skin, she rolled back against him in a steady rhythm, begging silently for him to be inside of her already.
He brushed his fingertips down her arm, intertwined their fingers, then slammed her hand on the dresser, held it there tightly as he shoved her ankles farther apart. Please, please, please. God she was so ready. He was right there at her entrance. As Barret pushed into her by a couple inches, he growled out a sexy sound. She groaned his name and rolled her eyes closed. This had to be better than the best high. He withdrew, and the next time he wasn’t gentle. After a moment of hesitation, he slammed into her. So deep. Soooo deep. She arched her back, giving him a better angle, begging for more. Begging for it all.
He pulled back and thrust into her again, his hand still clutching hers, pinning hers to the dresser. His other hand held her hips in place, setting the pace, pulling her onto his dick as he pushed into her again and again, faster now. Faster and harder until she could hear the rhythmic slap of their skin. Until she was filled to bursting and moaning with how good it felt. Until his hand went to her hair, pulled it in the back, made her arch her spine even deeper as he pummeled into her.
She’d never finished like this, not even close, but orgasm exploded through her unexpectedly. It felt so intensely good, all she could do was cry out his name and grip where his hand pinned hers. She opened her eyes just in time to see him grit his teeth, blazing green eyes on hers in their reflection, his powerful body slamming into her one last time before he yelled out and froze. Warmth spurted into her, and then he moved again, sliding in and out of her with each pulse of his release. Warmth trickled down her legs, but he didn’t stop until
both of their throbbing orgasms had slowed and eventually faded to nothing.
His hand went gentle in her hair, and he ran the flat of his palm down her back, eyes raking hungrily over her body in the mirror. The way he looked at her made her feel like a goddess.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured and pressed a kiss against the tip of her shoulder, eyes on hers in the mirror. “I have to tell you something. Something bad.”
“Tell me anything,” she whispered.
“I wanted to bite you. You’ll have to be careful giving me your back now. I was close to claiming you, and trust me Eden, you don’t want that kind of devotion from me.”
She couldn’t help but feel hurt. “Why not?”
He bit her shoulder gently, held the skin there between his teeth. The corners of his lips lifted in a feral smile. Releasing her, he said, “Because I’ll ruin your life. I’m on my way down a bunny hole, and I can’t turn around. You don’t want me taking you with me.” The corners of his eyes tightened slightly, and the smile dipped from his face so fast it was as if it had never existed at all. “Trust me.”
Eden turned slowly and slipped her arms around his back, rested her cheek against his chest, and sighed. “Wall.”
“What?”
“You put up walls, but you tease me. You show me the good parts of you for just a second, and then you cover it back up again. I still see you though, Barret.”
His heart drummed under her cheek. In a voice so low she almost missed it, he murmured, “Say that again.”
She scratched her nails gently up his back, raising gooseflesh with her touch. “I. See. You.”
He exhaled a gust of trembling breath, as if he’d been holding it in his whole life. His muscles relaxed under her touch, and he slid his arms around her, hugged her so tight it was hard to breathe, but she didn’t care. Barret was jokes and loudness to distract from the gritty parts of himself he didn’t want people to notice. He hadn’t been careful enough with her though, and she saw the rough edges. She saw, and she accepted them.