“I don’t want to wait.” She pushed up toward him and kissed his lips. “We might not live through this human threat. Let’s seal our bond while we still can.”
He couldn’t help the grin that bloomed. By the time he’d buried his lips in her neck, she’d kicked off her shoes and was unzipping her pants and wriggling out of them.
“Race you!” He jumped up and began pulling his T-shirt off.
“Ha! Everything’s a competition with you.” She stood, dragging her shirt off as she did.
“Says you.” He laughed.
Her pants hit the ground a second before his and he tackled her to the ground as he undid her bra. It sprang loose and her breasts bounced out.
Oh gods.
“You’re good at that.” She giggled, covering her breasts.
“Beginner’s luck.” He dropped the bra beside them. “Put your hands down.”
She did and he knelt to take her breasts into his mouth, first one nipple, then the other. He dragged his teeth gently along the hardening flesh. Lara’s eyes rolled as she arched, pushing against him. Her skin, so hot to the touch, filled with gooseflesh and he rubbed her back.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Far from it.”
An owl sounded in the distance and they paused. A few seconds later, the owl’s mate answered. The insects had quieted down and a breeze had picked up, surfing the meadow and filling in between the trees.
She laid her head against him and sighed. “I love summer nights in Deep Creek.”
“Mmm. Perfection. I wish all nights were like this.”
“They can be.”
He nipped her jaw then her collarbone, sucking it softly and letting his lips pull away as he savored her taste. So good.
Why had he not seen before now that she was his? Why had it taken Shoshannah to bring them together?
It didn’t really matter as long as she was his.
A wolf howled in the distance, followed by another long bay. The wolves were on watch in the northern part of the forest where the pipeline had first entered the park. Hopefully they weren’t facing trouble.
“Mason, please. Make love to me. Claim me.”
He looked into her eyes. In the moonlight, they shone with the glint of passion. He straightened the edge of the blanket and laid her back. Spread in the blue light coming through the trees, she looked like a forest fairy or princess, her hair spread out around her like a mane.
He slipped off his underwear, then bent over her. She smiled.
Looping his thumbs under the sides of her panties, he tugged them down her hips and off. She clasped her knees together and he ran his hand along her smooth legs and down to her soft feet. He massaged her arches and she groaned. Bringing a foot to his mouth, he kissed the top of her foot gently then set her leg down.
He pushed her legs apart. Her scent rose up and he inhaled. His mate. All his.
Mine.
He bent and kissed her belly button, then trailed a few kisses down to the apex of her thighs where neatly trimmed curls covered her. He parted the folds and kissed her deeply, flicking his tongue against her clit. She jerked and pushed his head away.
“I need to feel you inside me.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. Shifters couldn’t spread STDs, but he wondered if she was on birth control. He hated to ruin the mood but it’d be irresponsible not to ask.
“Are you on birth control? I don’t have a condom with me.”
“I am. I get shots to even out my hormones and they protect against pregnancy, too.”
He smiled. “Good. I prefer skin on skin.”
She nodded and tugged him toward her.
He held himself above her and then bent to kiss her forehead, letting his cock trail across her stomach and feeling her flesh quiver at the contact. After positioning himself, he pushed gently, not wanting to hurt her.
“Mmm.” Her head lolled to the side.
She was wet. Wet enough to allow him inside without much resistance. “Oh gods, that feels perfect.”
She pushed up to meet him, her hips slamming against his thighs and he picked up the pace of his thrusts, trying to go deep.
The threads of the mating bond grabbed him with such a force, he almost pulled away. The bond lashed together and he felt Lara close inside his consciousness. They came together hard and fast and the bond locked firm.
Tightness in his balls told him he didn’t have much time left. He pushed harder and faster and she kept up. The friction drove him crazy and he closed his eyes as his orgasm slammed into him. She held him tightly.
“That was wonderful.” She sighed.
He slipped out and lay beside her, his cock still throbbing. Upset he’d finished so soon, he reached for her, slipping his finger inside her and rubbing her clit with his thumb, circling it and pressing it gently in rhythm with his finger thrusts.
Lara held on to his hand and moved him deeper. He thrust faster and pushed her clit harder. She bucked against him and then her pussy clenched as she came.
She moaned a small moan, and he could have sworn it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard.
Chapter Seventeen
After tugging the fuzzy blanket up, Lara held tight to Mason. The morning, though midsummer, was cool. Sleeping in a tent was not her idea of fun, but if she had to do it, sleeping with Mason was the way to make it bearable. The air in the tent was a little stuffy but if she opened the flap, she’d let insects in.
She’d never have believed that things would turn out like they had with Mason. Her expectations had been all wrong. He had accepted her.
She played with a lock of his hair as he breathed, a slight buzzing that was more hum than snore. His lips, barely parted, held both a firmness and a softness, and the memory of them trailing along her bare skin sent a shiver up her spine. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so satiated. They’d spent the night making love and she’d lost count of how many times he pleased her. Her soul was content.
And she was truly happy.
What did it all mean? It wasn’t a feeling she’d ever thought would be hers.
Oh gods, she had a mate.
Not just any mate, but a melanistic mountain lion who was one of the twin leaders of the pride. He didn’t think she was a lesser shifter because she was a mixed breed. He held her with such care, she couldn’t believe he was the same person who fought bears to the death. His reputation was that of a tough guy, not very nice, but really relentless in his protectiveness of the pride. To experience his gentle touch and soft endearments made it difficult to reconcile the two sides of his personality.
She reached for her underwear from the pile of clothing next to the sleeping bag. Outside the tent, birds complained it was morning, and a light wind brushed the fabric. Barely enough room to sit in the tent meant she couldn’t stand up to put on her clothing—the ceiling wasn’t tall enough.
She’d have to get creative. She pulled on her panties lying down, then latched her bra and tugged on her shirt.
Her stomach growled. Maybe they would have time to go hunting before returning to the pride. Or maybe they’d wait till they got back to the pride and make a big breakfast of bacon and eggs. And cinnamon toast.
Her stomach growled.
“And what are you doing?” Mason yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Why are you getting dressed?”
He reached for her and she leaned away, giggling.
“It’s morning. We have to hike back to the pride.”
“Not yet. We can rest a while longer.”
She lay down on the sleeping bag beside him. “Last night was wonderful. Thank you.”
“Who says we’re done?”
“I’m hungry.”
“I’m hungry, too.”
The picnic
and snacks they’d brought were long gone.
“Not as hungry as I am.” In fact, her stomach felt like it was eating itself. It growled again in protest. “See? I told you.”
In a flash, he had her on her back and underneath him. “I’ll take care of that hunger.”
His sultry voice almost convinced her to stay, but the pull of hunger was strong.
“Let’s find food and get home. I need energy. Then we can do other things.”
“Did I wear you out?”
“You could say that.” She kissed him. “Let’s go home.”
“Okay, if you say so. But I’m taking you up on doing other things later.” He tugged on his underwear and jeans then lay back again. “I’m tired. Are you sure we can’t stay a little longer?”
She ran her hands over his smooth chest and he closed his eyes. She was just about to give in when a voice sounded outside the tent.
“Whoever’s in there, come out now. We’re not waiting.”
Lara looked at Mason, her heart speeding. They didn’t have weapons and wouldn’t have time to shift.
Trapped.
He motioned her outside. “We’ll handle whatever it is,” he whispered. “Stay calm.”
Lara unzipped the tent and crawled out, Mason on her heels. The bright sunlight backlit the three people standing in front of her and she couldn’t see their faces. So much for setting a tent to face the rising sun as good luck.
“Stand up, hands on your head,” a woman’s voice called. “No quick moves or we’ll shoot.”
Cara! Lara recognized the shifter’s voice. What the hell? Why was the shifter out in the woods of Deep Creek, inspecting tents?
Lara stood, hands on head as directed. Cara had helped her escape once but what did she really want? Had she changed her mind about sending shifters to the laboratory?
Lara glanced at Mason. He stood, shirtless, with his hands on his head.
“Good.” Cara moved into the tree shadows, her rifle visible. “Is anyone else in there?” She pointed the rifle at the tent.
“No, it’s just us.” Lara kept her head down.
Cara tapped her painted nails on the rifle in a clickety-clack. “Names? What are you doing out here?”
Lara struggled to come up with something. What kind of game was Cara playing? She knew Lara, and likely recognized Mason, too. She must be trying to fool the humans with her.
“Matt and Arlene.” Mason spoke up. “What’s the problem here, Officer? Have we done something wrong? We have a permit to camp.”
“Matt, huh.” Cara waved the other two people closer with her rifle. “Do we look like officers?”
“I guess not, but the guns made me hope you were.”
Cara scowled. “Seen any lions or bears?”
“No, didn’t see anything last night.” Mason stepped forward. “Or yesterday either.”
“Stop moving!” Cara pointed the rifle at his chest. “I’d hate to accidentally shoot you. Well, hate is a strong word. I would not like to shoot you.”
Mason stopped.
“You sure you saw nothing?” Cara lowered the rifle. “No animals? We’ve heard there are a lot of big animals roaming these woods.”
“Nothing.” Lara tried to change her voice. “It was a quiet night.”
Cara stepped closer. “You two look familiar.”
“No.” Mason and Lara spoke in unison.
“Not so sure about that. You sure you aren’t TempCo employees?”
One of the men fidgeted.
“What’s that?” Mason rubbed his eyes and yawned. “I’m just trying to get some sleep. If there’s nothing else, I’m going back to bed.”
“I didn’t say you could leave.” Cara raised the gun. “No bears or lions?”
“None,” Lara answered.
“Good.” Cara scanned the area then locked on her helpers. “Go on back to AllOil. I’ll be right behind you. I’m going to chat with these two, then I’ll catch up.”
One of the men spoke up. “Don’t you need us? There are two of them.”
“Nope. I’ve got a gun.”
The man laughed.
“Go on,” Cara said. “Check the traps in sector A13 on your way back.”
“Will do, boss.”
The men tromped off through the woods. Lara’s lip quivered. If she had the chance, she’d take out Cara. The woman had too much power and had no right to threaten them. Sure, she’d let Lara go when she was trapped in the cage at AllOil’s camp, but Cara had an agenda and it revolved around her own gain. And Lara wanted to know what it was.
“You can put your hands down, but keep them where I can see them.” Cara lowered the rifle.
Lara dropped her hands. “What do you want with us, Cara?”
The woman smiled. Her light hair had come partially loose from its bun and hung down onto her shoulders. Her lipstick, slightly smeared, was the color of fake roses. Too red to be real and too dark to be on pale skin.
“I want to talk.”
“With a gun.” The smirk in Mason’s voice was loud and clear. “Talk.”
Hopefully he wouldn’t get them shot.
“Very funny. Now sit and let’s talk. Lara, who’s this guy with you?”
Lara sat cross-legged on the ground. The morning dew had already evaporated and it was going to be a hot day in Deep Creek.
“This is Mason.”
A smile spread across Cara’s face. “Leader of the lions, I understand. How interesting.”
“Yeah, that’s me. What do you want?”
Cara paused. “Lara, you are lion, but also...”
“Tiger.” Lara growled. “That isn’t public knowledge.”
“Who am I going to tell?” Cara raised her penciled eyebrows.
“And what are you?” Mason took a deep whiff. “I can’t figure it out. Maybe it’s the amount of perfume you’re wearing. I’m surprised you haven’t attracted all the bugs out here in the forest, with the way you smell.”
“I’m a shifter, but I rarely shift. Hardly ever have, in fact.”
“What kind?” Mason repeated.
“She’s a tiger.” The scent dawned on Lara. Why hadn’t she noticed it before? “You’re a tiger like me.”
“Yes. I asked you to set up a meeting with the shifters and me. You didn’t, so I had to take control.” She sat down and laid the rifle beside her.
Mason started to move and Cara put her hand on the gun.
“Don’t even think about it.”
Mason stilled. “We need to get home.”
“Well, I was hoping to find Lara, so you’re a bonus. Since you’re here, I have a few questions.”
“Shoot.” Mason paused. “Not literally.”
Cara laughed. “Well, first off I want to tell you that we’re on the same side.”
“I don’t think so,” Lara murmured. “You’re sending shifters to a laboratory where they’re held against their will. You say you don’t want to, yet you still do.”
Cara glanced at her, then back to Mason. “I really am against the humans.”
“You work for them,” Mason growled. “Why would I believe you?”
“It’s the truth.” Cara shrugged. “Till recently, I didn’t know that so many shifters lived in this area. I’ve always thought the few shifters that existed were spread out. My mother abandoned me not long after birth. Until a couple of years ago, I didn’t realize there were other shifters in the world.”
“So why Deep Creek? Why AllOil?”
“I’d read some stories about sightings of animals changing into humans. I looked for my mother’s family, and found they were in this area at one point. Why else, except to be with other shifters?” Cara tightened her hair clasp. “I was already working for AllOil, and had worked on a few projects of theirs, h
ardly ever running across true shifters. Deep Creek is like a shifter gold mine.”
“What do you want with us? As long as you work for AllOil, you aren’t our friend.” Lara crossed her arms. “In fact, as long as you’re with the enemy at all, that’s how I look at you. As an enemy.”
Cara nodded. “I understand that. I don’t blame you.”
“Can we go now?” Mason asked.
“Not yet. I need to explain something.”
“I’m listening.” Lara took a deep breath. Cara was full of shit. She’d not believe the tigress was anything but an enemy. She was helping the humans and that was what counted. Her motives weren’t genuine. Cara looked out for herself.
“It’s true, I’ve been collecting shifters to send to a lab for research, but I thought it was for the good of the community.”
“How is imprisoning our people good for us?” Mason started to stand but Cara reached for her gun.
“They said they were trying to find ways shifter DNA could help humans and other shifters with genetic problems. I thought I was performing a good service. But then I found out the truth.” Cara looked down.
“What did you find out?” Lara’s heart sped.
Cara looked at her. “I went to the lab to renegotiate the contract and I saw how the shifters were treated and experimented on. And how they...were killed.”
Lara took a sharp intake of breath. “Oh gods.”
“Yeah. Then and there I decided I wouldn’t give them any more shifters. That’s why I let you go that night.”
“Thank you.”
“When you came to my office, I wanted to tell you more detail, but thought it would be better if we met away from AllOil.”
“What can we do?” Mason rubbed his chin. “Where is this research center?”
Lara realized that Mason was acting like he didn’t know as much as he did about the laboratory. He was testing Cara. Lara smiled.
Her mate was smart.
“Just north of Henredon.”
Lara interjected, “I’d like to break in and let the others go.”
“I can help,” Cara said. “I have blueprints of the lab. Picked them up when I visited once and stuck the paper in my purse.”
Claiming His Lioness (Shifter Wars) Page 17