On the Growl: A Shifter Romance Anthology

by Lynn Red

  “You jackass,” Rika said, laughing, the second before she sank her teeth into Thor’s muscled neck. At first he yelped slightly, but then he groaned, scratching his hands up and down her back. He settled them back on her breasts when she urged them there. “I’ll bite if you taunt me.”

  She started rocking, back and forth, her sex swallowing all of him, her muscles constricting so sweetly. She ground her clit against his pubic bone, he rmouth falling open at the same time her eyes couldn’t keep from closing.

  “I’m so close,” she pitched forward, catching herself on her hands, one on either side of his huge head. “I can’t hold on, I can’t—“

  As her orgasm took her, curling her toes, making the hair stand up on the back of her neck, and sprouting soft fur all up and down her back, Rika’s teeth stuck out further, just like always. She felt her giant lover tremble, and felt his muscles flex taut.

  “That’s the secret bear mating ritual,” he hissed through clenched teeth.

  Relentlessly, as if driven by some impossible to contain passion, Rika slammed her hips up and down, harder and harder, faster, hungrier. “What is?” she gasped, between deep, hissing breaths.

  “We always,” he took a breath and gritted his teeth, “always come at the same time.”

  The tightness between her legs gave out at once. Relief swelled up and washed over Rika, head to toe. Her nipples, so sensitive and aching sweetly, stiffened to hard peaks just as her bear closed his mouth over one, and squeezed the other. She threw her head back, driving her hips down onto him one last time.

  He surged, and she felt him fill her in a completely different way with every twitch, every pulse.

  Rika sucked a breath, her nose filling with the scents of his sweat, their sex, and the vaguest hint of CK1. She flicked her tongue over those teeth, the ones she’d hated so much, for so long. Thor nuzzled her neck, pressing his nose into the hollow of her throat and kissing the flushed skin between her breasts. He was so gentle, so caring, and… holy shit he was big.

  She kissed his check and then rolled to the side, the void he left when his cock slid out of her hurting worse than any stretch ever had. She felt empty, until he kissed her again, and she slid an arm around his waist and cuddled into the crook of his arm. There, she could hear, she could feel, the rhythm of his heart, thumping in time with hers.

  “So,” she finally asked, as the aftershocks began to wane, “is that just the first time?”

  He quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing.

  “The whole coming together bit. That’s just something you do the first time, and from now on you’re gonna kiss me a few times, then whip off your pants and go to town?”

  He smiled. “You wanna find out?” His mouth found hers.

  Before she knew it, he was back inside, hard as ever, and she was wailing out her pleasure, clawing at his back and tugging his hair. As she crested the second wave, she couldn’t help notice him smiling at her with sweat running down his face. “What?” she asked, breathing hard and fast.

  “I guess you were right. That time, you went first.”

  “Miss Ampton? Jamie Ampton?” Abby called out the next name on the sign-up sheet, staring at the packed-full waiting room. It had been a long, long time since she’d seen one of these.

  Moving to Jamesburg was a little strange for her, but she adjusted quickly, all things considered. A tall woman, near six-foot, clad in all black, glided past her with a smoothness that professional ballerinas would envy.

  “Miss Ampton?”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Jamie said, “I have something to admit.”

  Abby looked at her slightly sideways. “Should this wait until the—”

  “I haven’t had my teeth cleaned.”

  “In how long?”

  Jamie stuck her pinkie in her mouth and chewed at the nail with an elongated canine. “Well, ever, really.”

  “They look pretty white from where I’m standing,” Abby said with an easy smile. She put her hand on the woman’s shoulder, which was surprisingly cold, and turned her toward a room. “I promise, it won’t be the worst thing I’ve seen.” She turned, but paused for a second before turning back. “But if it is, I promise not to say anything.”

  Jamie smiled, but as Abby led her to the room, she was shaking. As soon as she was in the chair, the poor thing started to try and climb out of it. “I think maybe I made a mistake,” she said. “I don’t know about all this, I think—”

  Just when she was getting to the point where Abby thought she might be better off coming back later, Thor walked through the door with his hand stuck out. Jamie grabbed it and shook.

  “I’ve heard about you,” he said. “You’re the bat? Er, vampire... ah,” he chuckled softly. “I’m new. I keep forgetting how to talk to people. You’re Jamie,” he said. “That’s all I really care about.”

  Instantly, she settled back into the chair, eyes fixed on Thor’s dimple. Abby couldn’t help but laugh. Somehow he always managed to know just what to do. And, usually, just what to do was simply smiling. “So, how long has it been since your last—”

  He was interrupted by Abby giving him a finger-across-the-throat gesture. He laughed it off. “Teeth look very nice,” he said soothingly. “Very, er, pointy. It’s mostly blood, then?”

  She shook her head. “Mostly, but I really like oranges. And sometimes soda, but not very often.”

  Thor nodded. “Well, oranges and soda, both pretty acidic. Blood, I’ll,” he trailed off for a moment. “I’ll have to check on that one, but the other two, definitely acidic. Do you brush?”

  She nodded, mumbling something around the fingers in her mouth.

  “Good,” he said. “Floss? Your teeth look remarkable. Have you ever had X-rays done?”

  Jamie’s eyes got as big as saucers. He sensed that maybe, shooting a bunch of radiation into a vampire wasn’t the best idea. “That’s another thing. Learning about all these different sorts of teeth. I’m a bear, which you probably guessed, so I have to be real sure to brush and floss every time I eat half a Burger King dumpster.”

  He waited for laughter, but when it didn’t come, he started chuckling to egg her on. But she just sat there, stock-still.

  “It’s a joke,” he said. “That stuff’s terrible for you.” He got close to her head. “Okay, tell you the truth? Sometimes I can’t help myself. I sneak back there when no one’s looking and just tear into that fry vat.”

  She snorted, she coughed, and before she had time to get nervous again, normally calm and cool Jamie Ampton was honking like a damn goose.

  “Thor? You in there?”

  The big bear turned his head toward the door, hearing his mate’s voice, but slightly terrified that she’d barge into an exam. Jamie, for her part, was still honking. Thor shrugged and Abby opened the door to let in the overburdened bunny.

  “God!” Paprika said, dropping an arm load of brown paper sacks onto the counter top as both Thor and Abby stared at her, and Jamie kept making a noise that sounded like a goose mating with a warthog. “You have no idea how heavy thirty damn burgers is.” She wiped the sweat off her head, and swept some red curls back with it. “I had to carry those things on a bike, halfway across town.”

  Finally, Jamie calmed down enough to realize there was someone else in the room. “Oh!” she said. “You’re the new girl, the one keeping Jenga sane, right?”

  “Well, that’s relative,” Rika said. “I keep his schedule, but I don’t think anyone could keep him sane.”

  Jamie started to snicker, but neither of the other two really understood why.

  “He seems like a nice guy,” Thor said, leaning over and grabbing a burger. He unwrapped it as quietly as possible and took a bite, then let out an obnoxiously loud groan, reminding Rika of the sexual noises people on the Travel Channel made when they tasted a tamale made by someone’s grandma.

  Abby shot him a nasty glance, and he put the incredibly juicy, double patty bacon cheeseburger, cut the onions, back on the c
ounter. Jamie recoiled when he turned back to her, even though he put his mask back on.

  “Milt’s?” she asked. “The burger?”

  He shrugged.

  “Yeah!” Rika piped up. “Those things are good, but I’m lucky to choke down half of one, let alone the pile this asshole can eat without gaining a pound.”

  Jamie smiled as she settled back into the seat for her fluoride treatment. A few seconds later, she spat, and was free. On her way out the door, she put a hand on Rika’s shoulder. “Bears,” she whispered. “Don’t even try to keep up.” And then giggled on her way out. Abby followed, shaking her head, and saying she’d get the next patient ready, but make sure to give the two lovebirds a few minutes.

  As soon as the room was empty, Thor grabbed his mate with one hand, pulling her into his lap, and his half-eaten hamburger with another.

  “You don’t know which you want more, do you?” she asked with a smirk.

  “Well,” Thor took another bite, almost finishing the burger. “You, I can’t live without. This thing? I literally cannot live without.”

  She smiled, curling up in his lap and resting her head in the crook of her bear’s neck. They’d been in Jamesburg a month. For such a short stay, they’d gotten remarkably settled in. Thor still couldn’t believe he’d somehow talked Abby into moving into this whacked-out town and taking over the sublet in Petunia’s house.

  And Rika couldn’t believe how amazingly well Abby and her sister got along. Petunia got her community service sentence dropped off since she was very clearly not a threat to anything or anyone, and Paprika took up working in Jenga’s surgery, herbal supplements, and health food store. He had to call it that to avoid FDA issues.

  Everything settled down into... well, something like home. It all just worked.

  After a moment of just cuddling, she finally sat up and poked Thor in the side of the face until he turned his attention away from the burger. “You know what I was thinking?” she asked. He grunted. “That stuff you said about the universe. How if you let it work out?”

  He was nodding. “Yeah,” he swallowed. “You just have to sit there and let it happen?”

  Rika kissed his neck and made a purring sound. “As crazy as this place is, as nuts as we were to move like this?”

  Thor was eating another burger already, but he nodded emphatically.

  “I think I might have just started believing you.”

  THE END

  About the Author

  Lynn Red writes what she loves – wild romances with strong heroines and big, bad, awesome heroes that make her smile. When she’s not pounding violently on a keyboard trying to make words come out, she can usually be found in a hammock with a corgi on her stomach, and a big glass of wine (Malbec, thank you very much!) balanced on the corgi. He doesn’t like it much, but he can deal.

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  Also By Lynn Red

  Bear Me Away [Amazon]

  To Screech Their Own

  By Marina Maddix

  What happens at Haven…doesn’t always stay there.

  Life couldn’t get much better for fun-loving housecat shifter Katie O’Meghan. She’s left her alley cat upbringing behind to become an activities coordinator at the luxurious Haven Resort, an exclusive island retreat for shapeshifters. Not even in her wildest fantasies did she imagine landing such a prestigious job and she would never do anything to risk losing it.

  Arnaud Simpson hasn’t taken a vacation in two years and he doesn’t intend to start now. Work is what kept him going after his mate’s death, and it’s the only thing that helps him forget he’ll spend the rest of his life alone. Eagles mate for life, after all.

  When Arnaud’s job brings him to Haven, Katie’s zest for life — not to mention her luscious curves — tempt him in ways he never thought possible. But even if he could mate again, would a free spirit like Katie ever want to settle down with a conservative corporate attorney like him? It hardly matters because the most important rule at Haven is the one rule that would keep them apart.

  To Screech Their Own is the first in a series of standalone shapeshifter romances set at the mysterious Haven Resort.

  Prologue

  “You see, Ms. Davids, fraternization with our guests is strictly forbidden. It is one of the mostly strictly enforced rules here at Haven Resort. There are many, to be sure, and new employees are allowed some latitude until they settle in. Except for that one rule, which is Rule #1. No fraternization with guests.”

  Haven was the most popular resort in the shifter world, attracting all manner of species from every walk of life. From werewolves to were-tit mice, they all wanted to vacation at the exclusive retreat. Not that exclusive equaled expensive. In fact, the rates were on a sliding scale so even a struggling waitress could, conceivably, afford to visit.

  The exclusivity came from an enormous waiting list that was rumored to be five years long. Only the resort’s owner, Mr. Roarke, knew for sure, because he handled all reservations. There was a lengthy application to fill out, and the common opinion was that he’d designed a special computer program with algorithms that sorted all applications in order of desirability. Some claimed he pushed less-desirable guests lower on the list in favor of more interesting visitors, but no one ever dared question his methods.

  Not ever.

  Besides, whatever he was doing, it worked. Haven was always full to capacity and every single guest left with a smile on their face.

  “Haven has a reputation to maintain, and that can only be achieved through strict adherence to my rules. You will learn them and you will live by them. Is that clear?”

  Mr. Roarke dropped a stern look at the young woman he was escorting around the grounds — well, a small portion of them, anyway — and her head bobbed furiously in understanding.

  Don’t fuck the guests. Got it.

  Haven was spread across an entire South Pacific island. According to the official map of the property, there were dozens of different sectors, each uniquely themed, along with hundreds of miles of hiking trails and roads. Even Mr. Roarke claimed to have not seen every corner of it. Lush vegetation threatened to overrun every inch of land if it wasn’t rigorously maintained, and as they toured the central building of the resort, gardeners were hard at work with machetes and Weedwackers.

  Mr. Roarke was a classically handsome man, with sapphire eyes and dark brown hair that was greying at the temples. His tall, lean frame allowed his tan linen slacks and brightly patterned Hawaiian shirt to drape on him as if he were a model. A tour of his closet would show row after row of such shirts, some silk, some cotton, all gaudy.

  “Your duties as an Activities Coordinator will include creating and implementing programs for guests, as well as staff, that will enhance their stay at Haven. All suggestions will be presented to your immediate supervisor, the Activities Director, whom you will meet shortly.”

  The Activities Department at Haven was second to none. With world-class programs that included everything from yoga to mountain climbing, aerobics to themed costume balls, Haven offered something for everyone. Job opportunities rarely opened at the resort, and ones in the Activities Department were especially coveted, mainly because it seemed like so much fun.

  Blue-crowned lorikeets and orange-breasted honeyeaters fluttered and flitted through the trees as Mr. Roarke pointed out the eternal pool. “It’s quite a lovely thing to sit in the cool, clean water and to look out across the ocean as if you’re sitting in it.” He sounded almost wistful.

  “But please take note of the rules regarding its use.” He pointed at a big sign attached to the gate leading into the pool area. It included all the normal pool rules — no unattended kids, no running, no food and so on — plus a whole catalog of odd ones, such as Sexual Relations in the Pool Are Not Allowed and Furred Shifters May Not Shift Whilst in the Pool and No Marking of Territory in the Pool Area. Gross.

  “Mr. Roarke, may I ask a question that’s none of my business,” asked
the new employee, Miss Davids. She was a petite young woman, brimming with energy and ideas.

  He cast a sidelong glance at her. “You may ask, but you may not receive an answer.”

  “Fair enough. I was just curious what happened to my predecessor. I mean, I can’t imagine giving up a job like this willingly. It’s heaven here.”

  Mr. Roarke nodded approvingly of her enthusiasm. It was one of the reasons he hired her in the first place. And while she didn’t precisely have the right to know the details, perhaps the story would serve as a lesson on how to behave at Haven.

  “As you’ll come to discover, Ms. Davids, I am a very understanding employer. I value each employee and work very hard to match the person with the job. I also put a tremendous amount of faith in my staff, and when one betrays that trust…well, hard decisions must be made. In this particular situation, I was forced to do something I find particularly distasteful. I had to fire someone.”

  Chapter 1

  Faster, KatieKat! Panic rose in Katie O’Meghan’s throat as she urged her kitty to run faster than her short little legs had ever moved before. She didn’t need to look behind her to know the panther was hot on her trail and gaining fast. The sound of its big paws tearing up the ground grew louder and louder until it was thundering around Katie.

  Swerving in and out of the island’s lush undergrowth, she hoped to shake the big cat but the bitch stuck to her like white on rice — or black on tabby, as the case may be. If she and her kitty didn’t find a way to escape, they were going to become the cranky cat’s lunch, and she’d be damned if she would give her supervisor the satisfaction.

  A whoosh of air ruffled across her fur a split second before she felt the sting of razor sharp claws grazing her flank. That was going to smart later but she had too much adrenaline pumping through her veins to feel much of anything — except fear. She felt plenty of that.

  Katie didn’t miss a step from the swat but the panther lost at least one full stride in its failed attempt to snack on her. It was just enough time for Katie to hightail it toward one of Haven’s many scratching posts.