The leather bound notebook was a birthday present last year. Setting her thoughts on paper helped her deal with her past. She wrote in it on a regular basis, sitting on their bed with her knees bent, the tip of her tongue sticking out between her teeth.
Information in the journal could help rescue her. Reluctant, he offered Tony the link he had to his mate. “Skim through this. See if she gives any hints on where Chen would have taken her.” Disengaging his iron grip, he gave Tony the book.
The young shifter took it with greedy hands and sat on the floor, leaning his back against the wall. Tyler hated the way his hands flipped through the pages, jealous that he read Katrina’s private thoughts.
To keep from tearing the young shifter’s throat out, he left the room and paced the hallway.
Living with Sugar meant cramped quarters. Nine people in a brownstone, and only one of them human, should have stirred up more trouble than it had. Amazing they got along so well.
He and Katrina had chosen a basement bedroom when they’d moved in, because of the space. He recalled the day clearly.
“Angle it to the left more.” Tyler supported the mattress at the bottom of the staircase. It blocked his view of Katrina. The thing was so damn big. “It needs to get under that overhang.” How had he let her talk him into buying such a huge freaking bed? They were both rake thin, a double would have worked. But no. She wanted a king size.
Steering the bulk of springs and padding from the top, Katrina leaned it to the right.
“The other left, baby.” If they’d been humans, the weight would have been too much. However, as shifters, it didn’t strain them. Katrina’s steering, on the other hand, almost gave him a stroke.
“Okay, okay. I’m doing.” Katrina shoved the mattress to the left, in the process pinning his head to wall.
He grunted on impact.
Then with her unnatural strength, she thrust both it and Tyler through the bedroom door.
His feet couldn’t catch up to his body. Tyler hit the floor with a solid thunk. His teeth slammed together and he bit the tip of his tongue as the mattress smothered him. The surprise immobilized him more than the weight.
“Tyler?” Alarm drove Katrina’s voice to a higher pitch. Hurried footsteps down the stairs followed her cry, then the mattress was jostled off his body. His mate knelt by him. “I am so sorry. Are you all right?”
He nodded and grinned.
She giggled while helping him to sit. “I almost made you into a pancake.”
He loved it when she smiled and laughed. “Nothing sexier than a strong woman.” At less than a hundred pounds, her tiny body carried a lot of power.
A rosy blush bloomed across her cheeks. His chest swelled at the sight. After being together for a year, he could still fluster her.
Long, midnight hair fell over her shoulder, sweeping across his lap. He twirled a silken piece around his finger, reeling her closer until she straddled him.
Leaning forward, she gave him a tender kiss, a bare brush of her lips, soft and delicate, shy just like her.
Someone cleared their throat.
Katrina jumped from Tyler’s grasp.
Sam stood in the hall, a cardboard box in his arms. “Mind if I watch?”
Tyler stretched to the door and slammed it shut.
“I’ll take that as a ‘no’,” Sam called, then chuckled. His footsteps faded while he went toward his room further down the hall. They’d be sharing the basement with him and Daedalus.
Before the mood vanished, Tyler rolled Katrina onto the discarded mattress and crawled on top. “Let’s break in the bed.”
“There are no sheets.” She ran her hands over the cool padding.
“So what?” He nibbled at her earlobe, reveling in her response as she pressed her body against his.
“Tyler.” His name left her lips like a soft moan, causing his cock to swell. If Sam interrupted them again, he’d pound the larger werewolf into the next county.
He undid the buttons of her blouse. The tiny things kept slipping out of his eager fingers. “Could you have worn something more difficult to undo? Maybe a straight jacket?”
Laughter bubbled from her and she pulled the blouse over her head, exposing a lacy white bra. Her nipples puckered through the fabric as if teasing him. “Do not give me ideas.”
Bending, he took a tight bud in his mouth and rolled his tongue around it.
She arched her back, trusting his hands to support her.
He unlatched her bra and ran his hands under it, massaging her perky, palm sized breasts, so perfect and soft. He couldn’t remember life before Katrina and he didn’t want to.
A touch on his thigh burned through his jeans. She traced a finger along his groin, leaving a trail of heat and desire.
His cock strained against his zipper. He guided her hand to the bulge and left it there, letting her decide the next move.
After the abuse she’d taken from her old pack, it had taken him forever to gain her trust. He didn’t know the details of her past and wouldn’t ask. She’d talk to him when she was ready.
She unzipped his pants and slipped her hand inside, caressing him in smooth, firm strokes.
His balls ached. He wanted to tear her clothes off and thrust inside her until she begged him to stop. He could never do that. Not unless she asked. It was too closely related to her past.
“Undress me,” she whispered.
He groaned. How did she read his mind?
With a few easy moves, he removed all her clothes, doing his best to not tear anything. She deserved someone better than him. Someone bigger, stronger an alpha who could fight for her, but she got angry whenever he mentioned it.
He kissed and licked her silken skin. “I want you so bad.” She tasted of summer rain.
Turning onto her stomach, she knelt in front of him in her favorite traditional shifter position. She didn’t flinch at his touch and it meant so much to him. Sometimes action said so much more than words.
Running his hands over her smooth ass, he bent and slipped his tongue between the folds of her pussy. The taste of her arousal slid in his throat like a sweet gift. Her soft moans were an aphrodisiac setting him on fire.
He lapped at her wet desire. The ache between his legs grew more demanding, but she needed to be wetter, more ready, before he took her. He pulled his jeans down and stroked his hard cock, easing some of the discomfort.
Pressing back, she raised her hips and spread her thighs, giving him better access to her clit.
On his back, he moved further under her. Swirling his tongue around the bud, her moans grew higher in pitch before he slowed the pace, then repeated the process.
“Enough teasing, Tyler.”
Smug, he traced a fingertip over the sweat beads covering her back.
She shivered. Sliding down his body to face him, she grabbed the collar of his dirty t-shirt and tore it down the front, peeling him like a banana. Her eyes had gone wolf and the sharp edges of her nails caught the skin of his chest. They left scratches that welled with blood.
A hiss escaped his lips. It burned…yet felt so good.
Licking his wounds, Katrina pulled off the remaining shreds of his shirt. He could sense her beast just below the surface of her skin. Katrina’s beast liked him. However, she rarely surfaced during sex. They usually hunted together or ran with the pack. The beast part of his mate’s soul was still hurting from past abuse but her appearance gave him hope.
With her unnatural strength, she yanked his jeans the rest of the way off.
His cock popped free and she straddled his hips, positioning her wet pussy over him.
Not needing more of an invitation, he grabbed her ass and pushed into her tight hole. Sweet velvet muscles clenched his shaft. He remained still, letting his cock sink deeper. Then with steady thrusts, he fucked her from below.
Katrina flung her arms and head back, rocking to his rhythm with a low moan.
Guiding her hips, he pushed in and in and in.
Sweat stung the wounds on his chest and mingled with his blood. He couldn’t pry his gaze from her. The unfettered passion drew him like a moth to flame.
With a growl, she grabbed his shoulders and dug her claws into his flesh.
The pain was so intense, his vision faded. It made his pleasure more focused, leaving him vulnerable. His beast jumped into the driver’s seat. With a snarl, it took control. He twisted and pinned Katrina to the bed.
She responded with a snapping bite to his neck, clenching him with her teeth and her pussy.
Caught in an overload of erotic sensation, Tyler almost shifted, but he regained control of his mind. Not missing a beat, he continued to pump his hard cock into her core.
She lifted her legs over his shoulders, allowing him to thrust deeper with carnal need.
Breathless whimpers spurred him on. A wave of warm liquid caressed his cock as Katrina climaxed. Her pussy clenched around him, making control impossible.
Her secret muscles milked him, stroked his over-sensitized rod, until his seed poured from him. They howled together.
Exhausted, he dropped next to her, panting–
“I never realized how different packs are organized in China.” Tony’s voice snapped Tyler back to the present.
“What?” He stepped back into his bedroom, memories of Katrina still clinging to his thoughts.
“The Asian packs are run like the military. They fight over territories all the time.” Tony flipped a few pages. “An attack on us would seem normal for them.”
Tyler rubbed his forehead. “Then they’re more organized to fight than we are.”
“Yeah, but according to Katrina, we have more numbers. She writes about how their births are dwindling. Something about keeping their bloodlines pure.”
“I don’t get it.” Tyler leaned forward. “The bloodlines thing. I know shifters can make babies, but their children are human. What does it matter?”
“I’m born from shifter parents.” Tony set the diary on his lap. “They told me my transition would be easier, less chance of dying from the infection.” He shrugged. “Most American shifters are made, not born, so the culture is different. It’s more of a survivor’s club here than a way of life.”
“Anything about Chen?”
“No, but I found something that might have spurred his search for Katrina.” Tony found a page and read. “I will be going into season soon. I do not know how to explain this to Tyler. We never discussed having pups.”
Tyler sat heavily on the edge of the bed. “Read it again.”
Tony obliged.
“I’m feeling a little dense here, Tony. Help me out.”
“She’ll be in heat soon. Fertile.” The young male rubbed his neck, unable to meet his gaze. “Female shifters ovulate differently than humans. Once every few years, from what my mother told me. And it’s a sure thing.” He cleared his throat. “If–if someone mates with her during her heat, she’ll definitely conceive.”
Holy crap. Tyler sprung to his feet and paced the small room.
“I take it this is a surprise?” Tony closed the diary and slowly rose from the ground.
“Fuck!” For hours, he’d been on edge. Worried and frightened about Katrina. But…but this made it worse. Chen wanted to breed with his pure blooded mate. Worse, she hadn’t found him worthy enough to confide in him about her season. He roared at the wall as if under attack.
Tony carefully left the room, never turning his back.
How come Chen knew and he didn’t? Not for the first time, he wished the Vasi had more knowledge about their species. The Asian packs had more experience and history as shifters than his pack. For all he knew, they could calculate their seasons to the day. He ran trembling fingers through his tangled curls. Chen must have been watching Katrina for awhile to know when to nab her, which meant she’d be in heat soon. Weak-kneed, he leaned against the wall. What would he do if they rescued her too late?
A door slammed shut, followed by racing footsteps into the house. “Who the fuck’re you?” Spice’s voice carried to the basement.
Tyler tensed and sprang to his feet, taking the steps two at a time to the front entrance.
Spice had Tony pinned to the wall by the throat. Bless her.
Tyler snatched her around the waist and hugged her. “You’re alive.” Then he grabbed her wrists as she continued to choke Tony. “He’s Vasi. Let him go.”
She squeezed harder. “He’s Chinese.”
Using all his strength, Tyler pried her fingers off Tony’s neck. “Where’s Katrina? Was she with you?”
“Katrina?” She stepped away, releasing her hold.
The Asian shifter slid to the floor, sucking in air.
“She’s still in a warehouse on the docks. Number forty-five. You have to hurry. Once they find I’m gone, they’ll–”
“How could you leave her behind?” His voice echoed within their home.
Spice swallowed and looked away from him. “I couldn’t get her free and time–time was short. She told me to go…and that she loves you.” Spice clutched his hand. “We can go. Now.”
A horn honked outside and she spun to face the door. “That’s my cab. Do you have any money?”
Tony offered his wallet from his seat on the floor. “As my alpha commands.” He rubbed his neck, his voice raw.
She pushed it back at him. “Go pay.”
He left without another word.
Tyler pulled out his cell phone and dialed Eric. When he answered, Tyler didn’t give him a chance to speak. “Spice is here.”
“Wha–is she alright? Let me speak to her. Never mind, I’m on my way.” Eric spoke so quickly Tyler had trouble understanding him.
“Wait!” Tyler cried. “This will be the first place they’ll search if they want her back. I’ll send her to the hospital.”
“I want you and Katrina to come with her.”
Tyler licked his lips. “Chen still has Katrina, but Spice knows where.”
The silence on the other end of the phone lasted a moment. “Don’t go after her alone. Bring Spice and we’ll go with the pack.”
Tyler glanced at Tony as he walked back into the brownstone. “Yeah, sure. She’ll be there soon.”
“Tyler, promise me–”
Hanging up on his alpha and shutting off his phone, Tyler pointed to Tony. “Eric wants you to drive Spice to the hospital.”
“Hospital? I’m not that hurt.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Tell me about the warehouse.” Tyler touched her elbow and drew her aside. He needed her to tell him everything. If she clammed up and insisted on seeing Eric first, his rescue plan would fail. And if he told her about Sugar…she might not be able to speak at all.
“It’s mostly empty. There weren’t many guards because they drugged us with silver so we couldn’t–can’t shift. They chained us to the wall like fucking dogs.” She clenched her fists.
He wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but he would be lying and she’d know it. No comfort there.
“I got the keys from a guard. When Katrina tried to unlock her collar the key br–broke. I didn’t want to leave her.” A tear spilled down her cheek. “The three of us should go now. We can take ’em.”
“No. Tony needs to take you to the hospital.”
Spice stepped into his personal space, jabbing her finger into his chest. A full foot shorter than him, she managed to loom. “Screw that. I promised her I’d be back. I’m not let–”
“Sugar’s hurt.”
She stepped away, her hands fluttering over her chest. “What?” She spoke in a small voice. “How bad?”
“She’s in the intensive care.” He gently pushed her to Tony’s waiting arms. “Go.”
“Is she dying?”
“I can’t answer that.”
“What?” Spice glanced at Tony, then back at him. She broke from the young shifter’s arms and grabbed Tyler by the collar, pulling him close enough to smell her breath. “Bring Katrina
home.”
He kissed Spice on the forehead. “I’m not coming back without her.”
Chapter 7
Lying on the cold, hard floor, Katrina listened: distant rings of a buoy, irregular rhythm, dull and metallic…a vehicle outside creeping by the building, crunching gravel, heavy…cumbersome footsteps, slow, hard.
Moist scents of mold and dead fish filled Katrina’s nose. She kept her eyes shut tight. Hiding in the dark interior of her mind–forever, quiet, alone–eased her pain.
She could breathe, but the collar choked her freedom. Silver-tainted blood poisoned her beast and stole its presence. The empty room echoed her soul.
Running from Chen had broken an ancient treaty between her birth pack and his. Who knew what retribution Chen rained down on her parent’s people?
She’d accepted the help of the Omegas when she arrived in Chicago–in Chinatown. They’d been too small a pack to catch notice. After they grew, she should have left. Power drew Chen’s attention, and so did she. It was only a matter of time before he found her. But she’d been swept away by love.
Tyler wouldn’t ever take her back. She deserved no less for her betrayals. No hole existed that was deep enough for her to crawl into and disappear.
The door creaked open and someone entered. Quick steps approached her prone body. She didn’t have the will to even look. The sound of Spice’s empty collar clattered to the floor.
A heavy hand shook her. “Where did the bitch go?” The guard spoke in Mandarin.
Katrina fluttered her eyes open and gave him a secret smile. “She grew wings and flew away.”
He shoved her and ran from the room, fear clinging to his scent.
She laughed and savored the smell. Rising from the floor, Katrina stood in front of the door. Nothing she did would placate Chen, so she’d do her best to meet him as a Vasi werewolf.
Courage ran thin in her blood. Without her beast, without her mate, Katrina was a shadow. But people feared the dark. Somehow, she’d figure out how to instill that fear in Chen when he gazed upon her. One day…
Marching through the open door, Chen confronted her. Shades of anger darkened his complexion. “How did she escape?”
Omegas In Love Page 5