by L. P. Maxa
She was so close to the edge. The line she was toeing was a dangerous one, and it made everything feel all that much more intense. She arched her back, grinding on Linc’s cock. Her hands fisted in his hair, keeping his mouth on her. “More.”
His teeth clamped down on her nipple and his hand tightened around the column of her neck. She screamed out his name as she came, shattering around him. The moment she stopped shaking he pulled out. Fisting his dick, he pumped twice and came all over her stomach.
His head was resting on her chest, his breaths coming out in fast pants. “Fuck, Madden.” He licked her sweaty skin, letting out a low growl. “That was really close, baby.”
She used her hands in his hair to raise his head. She kissed his lips, angling over him, consuming him for a moment. “It was really fucking fun though, right?” She winked and collapsed against the couch cushions behind him.
“See? Our life will always be full of excitement.”
She smiled because she knew he was right.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Linc
“Baby. Why do you keep waking up an hour before the alarm clock goes off? Do you secretly hate me? Am I being punished for something?” Linc put a pillow over his head.
“I need to get to work. I still have charting that needs to be done. I had to leave early yesterday because of the ‘episode.’” Linc lifted the pillow in time to see Madden put air quotes around the word episode. He silently watched as her naked form started to dress.
“You should never wear clothes. Can we move to a nudist colony?”
She raised an eyebrow, looking at him over her bare shoulder. “You really want all those other men seeing me naked?”
He jumped out of bed, snaking his arm around her waist and then pulling her back down beside him. “Not a fucking chance.”
She sat up, straddling his lap. “Didn’t think so.”
“We’ll have our own nudist colony. Party of two.”
She gave him a quick kiss on his lips and then hopped out of bed once more. “I really have to go. I want to get as much done as early as possible. The first time I had an episode it’d been twenty-four hours, and then yesterday I only lasted thirteen. I’ll most likely get even less time today.”
Linc put his hands behind his head. “You know, I’m kind of loving this little problem we’ve got going right now.” Other than the fact his blind jealousy could make him murder someone he actually liked. “You literally have to have my dick. It’s the solution. My dick is what makes everything better.”
She snorted out a quick laugh. “I can see where that would be something you’d enjoy.”
He got out of bed, reaching for the t-shirt he’d worn yesterday. If he was up this early he might as well stop by his apartment before school. “I’m moving in here this weekend.”
Madden spun around to face him, her dark hair flying. “What?”
“You live on campus. I’m not going to keep driving all the way back to town to change clothes. It’s dumb.” He said it in a logical way, careful not to put too much emotion in his voice. He knew Madden, and just because she was falling in love with him didn’t mean she still couldn’t get spooked.
“I guess that makes sense.” She pulled on a pair of tight yoga pants then some tennis shoes. Madden looked like she was about to model for a Lululemon catalogue. Yes, he knew what that was.
“Of course it makes sense. I’m a fucking genius.” He followed her out of her bedroom and into the kitchen.
She opened a cabinet, frowning. “No coffee. We need to go to the grocery store.”
Linc’s heart swelled at her choice of words. We. When she turned to look at him, he tamped down his smile. “I’ll pick up some coffee on my way back to campus.” He held his breath, waiting to see if she’d pick up on what she’d actually said.
“Thanks.”
He let out a quiet sigh of relief as he trailed behind her to the front door. “You want me to drop you off?” What he really meant was, I’m going to drive you to your office. But again, he knew his girl. He knew what would make her bristle. Being mated wasn’t so hard. Why was Dom always in so much damn trouble?
“What if I have an ‘episode’? I should probably take my car so I can make a quick escape if I need to.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. “But, if it makes you feel better, you can follow me and then watch me walk in my building.”
He smiled. “That would make me feel a lot better.”
She nodded, returning his grin. “I figured.”
***
It took Linc walking into his apartment and seeing Brooks and Grimes sitting at his breakfast table for him to remember that they were staying there. He shut the door and sent them a wave. “Morning.”
They both stood, leaving their coffee and coming to shake his hand. Brooks squeezed his harder than necessary. Apparently he was still sore about the fact that Linc had slept with his fiancée. “Linc.” Brooks’s voice was clipped.
“Nice to see you again.” Grimes was much nicer.
“Did Keller fill you in? Did Jace get the description of Ox to you guys last night?” Linc glanced at his watch. He didn’t have much time before he needed to leave to get back to campus before his first class.
Grimes nodded. “We’ve been up most of the night. After we talked to Keller, Jace got on the line and gave us a pretty good description of this Ox character. He wasn’t in the system, at least not by his alias. Which means he’s good at what he does.”
Brooks took a sip of his coffee before speaking, “We hacked into St. Leasing’s security footage.” Linc wondered if Brooks would keep drinking it if he knew he was using Linc’s favorite mug. “We think Ox got onto campus by passing as a student’s father. We even have footage of him going to the admin building and getting a visitors pass.”
“Wow. That’s pretty ballsy.” Even more so since Ox knew the campus was crawling with shifters. Men who could easily overpower him if they worked together. “Can you tell which student he used? If he’s got a visitors pass, he has easy access to the whole damn campus.” Parents of St. Leasing students paid an arm and leg for their kids’ education. Not to mention that most of them donated large sums of money every year. Dean McCormick treated them like royalty when they came to visit, and rightfully so.
“We’re still looking into it.” Grimes sat back down at the table. “We’ve been brainstorming for hours, trying to come up with a way to draw Ox out of hiding. Make him slip up so we can catch him.”
“Come up with anything?”
Brooks nodded, wincing a little. “We thought we could use Jace.” He held his hand out when Linc opened his mouth to tell him there wasn’t a chance in hell they were going to let him use a kid as bait. Especially a kid that had been abused in some form or fashion for sixteen years straight. “Just hear me out. Jace was being groomed by his father to take over. Granted, his methods were abusive and vile, but he was still training him to run the business. If we can get Jace to find a way to reach out to this Ox asshole, we think he’ll go for it.”
“Why would he? Jace turned on his father. All Franklin’s men have to know that by now.”
Grimes held up a finger. “At the end of the day Franklin is still a businessman, a ruthless one at that. He lost his heir, his protégé. What would be more intriguing to Ox than to be the man that brought Jace back into the fold? The man that got Franklin’s son back on track.”
Linc hated to agree, but their plan made sense. As much as everyone was going to want to say no, it may work. “You two should stay hidden. I’ll get the rest of the guys to come here after school and you can share your idea.” Brooks and Grimes both nodded in agreement. Linc pointed back toward the living room. “We have PlayStation, cable. Make yourselves at home.” He headed into his room, showered quickly and then changed into fresh clothes. He was done in about ten minutes flat, his hair still damp.
He pulled out his phone, calling Madden. He needed her breakfast order,
and he wanted to hear her voice. He glanced at his watch again. It’d been almost an hour since he spoke to her. That’s all he could last without knowing she was okay. He was officially a loser, just like Keller and Dom.
“You on your way? I need coffee.”
He smiled. “Leaving now. What would you like?”
“Double shot vanilla latte. Please. Oh and like a muffin or something. I’m going to work through lunch so I can leave when I need to without falling behind.”
Linc grabbed his keys off the counter. “Or I can come by at lunch.” He waved a goodbye to the agents still at his kitchen table and grabbed the doorknob. “I can give you some of my massive—”
“Oh, hey, a parent just walked in. Let me go see what they need. It could be important.”
Linc’s blood ran cold. He was certain that the parent had to be Ox. It was early; the building was mostly empty. It would be the perfect time to make a move. “Madden, no. Listen to me you have to—”
“See you soon, bye.”
He stared at his phone. She’d hung up. “Grimes, Brooks. Ox is on campus. Ox has Madden.”
Grimes stood and Brooks looked perplexed. “Who is Madden?”
Linc was shaking, his whole body vibrating with rage. “My mat…my girlfriend. My fiancée. Whatever, my girl. He has my girl.” Linc threw open the door and raced to his car, not even caring if Brooks and Grimes were behind him. The only thing that mattered was Madden. He started his car, peeling out of his parking spot and racing toward campus. He used the dials on his steering wheel to call Keller.
“Hello?”
“Kel. Wake up Baze and get to Madden’s office. Now. Ox has her. He was there. You have to get to her before he takes her, before…”
“I’m running out the door, we both are. We’ll get there.”
The line went dead and Linc beat the shit out of his steering wheel. He glanced in his rearview mirror. There was an unmarked black Tahoe behind him. He could barely make out Grimes behind the wheel.
Linc’s body was vibrating. He felt out of control, he felt on edge. Like he could shift any second. In that moment he realized he could kill anyone who’d harm Madden.
And he’d be more than okay with it.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Madden
“Can I help you?” Madden smiled politely at the man standing before her. He was bald, and wore thick black-framed glasses and slacks. He looked like he used to play in the NFL but was now retired and did sportscasting as a hobby.
“I’m sure you can.” His eyes trailed over her body and fear started to prick along her spine. His gaze was gross, leering even.
“Are you looking for someone?” She took a step back, her unease growing when he took a step forward. Matching her like they were dancing. “A student?”
His grin was wrong on his face; it appeared menacing. “I’m looking for you, pretty girl.” He shut her office door, throwing the lock into place, his eyes never leaving hers. “If the two Feds camped out at your boyfriend’s apartment are any indication, that punk didn’t deliver my message effectively.” He took another step toward her.
Ox. This had to be Ox. Madden felt a wave of heat crash over her. She took a deep breath, tamping it down, trying to keep the inevitable from happening. Ox’s brow furrowed, like he was confused. Maybe it wouldn’t affect him like it had the kids. It hadn’t bothered Baze.
Her back hit her desk and her hands started to work behind her, searching for anything she could use as a weapon. “You picked the wrong woman. I’m not anything to any of them. I’m not Linc’s mate, I’m just some chick he’s screwing.” Ox was huge. He could easily overpower her. She was defenseless. Vulnerable wasn’t an emotion she handled well and it suddenly felt like there was lava running through her veins.
Ox sniffed the air. “Is that you? That perfectly wonderful smell?” He wagged his finger in her face, coming even closer. “You’re right little girl, you aren’t mated. But you want to be, don’t you? Your body does, at least.” He took one more step, putting his body flush against hers. “You need me to help you out? I have the time.” His mouth next to ear made her gag. His hands reached out, gripping her hips mercilessly.
He picked her up, spun her around and slammed her stomach against the edge of her desk. The pain knocked the air from her lungs. He grabbed her hair and pushed her head down, palming her behind with his free hand.
He leaned forward, pressing his hard-on against her ass and sniffing her neck. “I’ve heard about girls like you.” He moaned. “I need to tell Franklin. We could bottle up your scent and make millions.”
Madden’s eye searched the top of her desk, looking for something, anything to use as a weapon. The same time his belt clanked to the floor, she spotted her letter opener. She gripped it in her hand and swung around as hard as she could. She got him in the shoulder, and it hurt enough for him to stumble back. She kept her hold firm on the handle, the sharp edge ripping from his flesh as he stepped back.
“You stupid little cunt.”
He came at her again, and she ducked, ramming the blade into his thigh. Close enough to his dick that he screamed out in sheer terror.
Her eyes shot across the room as her door flew open. Keller and Baze rushed in, immediately jumping on Ox. They pinned him to the ground and then Baze punched him so hard Ox passed out.
Baze leapt up. “Madden, are you okay?” His hands flitted about, checking her for injuries.
She shook her head. “I’m fine.” She was fucking anything but fine. What she meant was, she was alive. She hadn’t been raped by some disgusting madman. She’d survived and she would be okay.
Baze’s hand went to her cheek. “You’re bleeding.”
“I must have hit it on something when he pushed me on the desk.” She put her hand up, touching blood. “It doesn’t even hurt.” And it didn’t. She knew it was her adrenaline. She knew that soon it would wear off and she’d start to shake. She’d start to hurt all over.
Baze grabbed a piece of gauze from a clear glass jar on one of her counters and dabbed it over her cheek. “Linc will be here so—”
Baze suddenly flew back, hitting Keller, and then the both of them fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Linc was standing over them. His eyes were glassy, his chest heaving. Madden grabbed his hand. “Linc, they were helping.”
“Get the fuck out. Now.” His voice was booming. His tone was unlike anything she’d ever heard before.
Keller and Baze both stood, each grabbing one of Ox’s hands and dragging him out into the hall. Baze glanced at her apologetically and started to pull her door closed. “Madden.” He ignored Linc’s low, deep snarl and continued. “The Feds will be here any second. I can hear them running down the hall. You have to calm him down. They don’t know. About shifters, about any of it. He can’t lose it in front of them.” When she nodded he pulled the door closed, wedging it with a splinter of wood so that it would stay that way.
“You smell like him.”
Madden looked around her office, her eyes settling on a case of wet wipes. She pulled a few out and wiped down her neck and arms the best she could. There was a sink in the corner, but no shower. “That help?”
He shook his head. His eyes filled with tears he didn’t let fall. “I’m so sorry, baby.” His voice was shaky, just like his body. His hands trembled as he reached for her. “Please forgive me.”
She took a deep breath, lust quickly replacing the fear in her chest. She knew what he was apologizing for. She knew he couldn’t let her walk out of here unless she was completely his. He was too far gone, too upset, too scared. The Feds would wonder what was wrong. If they tried to take her away to question her, he’d attack them. He’d blow the cover on his whole way of life.
She met his gaze, strong and unwavering. She grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Then she peeled off her tight pants and stood naked in front of him.
He swallowed. “I never wanted it to be like this, you have to kn
ow that.”
“Stop.” She took a step forward, her hands cupping his face. “You promised me adventure, and you promised me passion. What’s more that than this? Claiming me up against a wall in my office? Pretty fucking hot if you ask me.” She smirked, trying like hell to erase the despair she saw in his eyes.
“Baby, you don’t have to make me feel better.”
She silenced him with a kiss then stepped over her yoga pants. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. She was hot, her skin still craving cool air. She needed him in that moment as much as he needed her. She was ready. “I want you Linc. I want this. I want to be yours.” She kissed him again, her tongue sweeping into his mouth as she pushed his shorts down. “Claim. Me.” She whispered the words against his ear.
“Madden, I’m so…” His voice cracked and her heart ached in response. She was going to have to do this herself.
Linc knew what needed to be done. He knew he’d never let her walk out of here otherwise. But he was struggling. He felt guilty and ashamed and feral. She lifted herself up, her arms around his neck, and then slid down onto his waiting cock. “There is a shifter out there that wanted what was yours. He tried to take it. He almost did. He was so damn close.”
Linc let out a loud growl, pressing her back firmly against the wall and then thrusting into her so hard she lost her breath. He rested his forehead against hers, fucking her hard and fast, racing to claim what was always his. She sunk her nails into his shoulders, holding on as best she could. “Fuck, Madden.” He kissed her like he was trying to devour her. His arm muscles were taut and his hands were bruising her ass. “Look at me, baby.” He pulled back, his voice going soft again.
She didn’t hesitate, not this time. She wanted this. There was no going back. She met his gaze, biting her lip to keep herself from screaming as she came. A tear escaped as Linc stilled, emptying himself inside her.
Chapter Thirty-Five