Pussy Whipped: Bad Alpha Dads (F.E.R.A.L. Shifters Book 1)

by Tonya Brooks

"Do you know what the Pussycat Palace is?"

  "I know it's not the kind of place to raise an innocent child," she responded since there was no reason to insult the women by calling it a whore house.

  "Don't believe the rumors. We're not like the Bunny Mansion," one of the women insisted. "This really is an old-fashioned gentleman's club. It's a comfortable place where the members can unwind, get a massage, or broker deals in a stress-free environment."

  "But to the werecat community, it's a safe haven," another one interjected. "A refuge where we can live and work without fear. Sure we walk around in skimpy costumes and flirt with the members, but we're not prostitutes or strippers, and the members treat us with respect or get kicked out."

  "The wealthiest men in the world pay exorbitant fees for the prestige of being a member," another one explained. "Jett uses the bulk of that money to provide tuition for any pride member who wants to continue their education. Since he's also the CFO of the FERAL foundation, he donates a large portion of funds to it."

  "So you're trying to tell me that he's really a philanthropist who surrounds himself with beautiful women for purely altruistic reasons?" She queried cattily.

  "Jett is a good man and a great alpha," the woman assured her. "He's taken in as many males as females, and most of us owe him our lives."

  "My old alpha ran off all the males and forced the females into prostitution," the vapid one informed her. "The fat cats killed him, and Jett brought us here. He gave us decent jobs and even provided counseling."

  "I was forced to marry my alpha. He beat me every day and raped me every night. When I managed to escape, Jett took me in and protected me when the bastard tracked me down," another one confessed. "He saved my life."

  "So you have sex with him to show your gratitude?" She queried in surprise and shifted Justis onto her shoulder to burp him when he finished his bottle.

  "Oh, hell, no," the bored one denied. "We have sex with him because he's a fantastic lover."

  "At least we did," another one sighed regretfully. "Now that he's found his mate he'll never touch anyone else."

  "He was serious about that?" Aylese asked with more interest than was decent.

  "Even if he wanted to cheat, his cat wouldn't let him," was imparted solemnly.

  "Not that he'll want to cheat," another one denied. "Mates share an unbreakable bond for life."

  "It's all so romantic," the vapid one sighed.

  Justis gave a lusty belch, and Aylese was surprised when she wasn't doused with foul-smelling formula. Bringing the baby back down to cradle in her arms she praised, "What a good boy, Justis. You didn't spit up on me this time."

  "His formula was the problem, so I changed it," one of the women informed her. "Justis keeps the cat milk down much better."

  "Cat… milk?" She asked wide-eyed and didn't even know how to respond to that.

  The other woman must have understood her perplexed expression because she explained, "I'm a veterinarian. It's the same formula we give house cats, just in larger quantities. The human formula didn't agree with Justis at all, so I ordered several cases of cat milk for your cub."

  "He's not my cub," she denied and hated the taste of the words on her lips. Because nothing would make her happier than to be the little darling's mother. Unfortunately, his father was part of the deal. Although the thought of that wasn't as repulsive as it had been now that she knew he wasn't a glorified pimp.

  "He is," another one countered. "Justis claimed you when he bit you."

  "Where did he bite you?" Jerrett's voice asked and surprised her because she hadn't even been aware that he'd entered the room. Her hand lifted of its own volition and covered her right breast. His eyes followed the movement, and a wicked grin spread across his face as he said proudly, "That's my boy."

  "Insufferable ass," she accused without heat and had to fight a grin of her own.

  CHAPTER SIX

  "Are you sure we wouldn't be safer at the Palace?" Aylese asked for the umpteenth time as Jett tipped the bellman and ushered him out of the hotel suite.

  His cat was more than a little pissed that their mate doubted their ability to protect her and their cub so his voice was a little growly when he asked, "Do you think I'd let anything happen to either of you?"

  She looked surprised by the question. "No, but…"

  "But?" He queried, and it was a genuine growl this time.

  "I'm not used to being alone in a hotel room with a man I barely know," she replied in exasperation.

  That admission soothed both man and cat's ruffled fur. His mate was nervous about being alone with him. He wondered if it was because she thought he'd try to seduce her or because she wanted him to. Either option sounded good to him, but to ease her mind, he teased, "If it's any consolation, neither am I."

  "Insufferable ass," she shot back, but there was amusement in her tone as she walked over to stare out of the floor to ceiling windows at the Las Vegas skyline. "That's quite a view."

  Jett didn't even bother looking outside. The only view that interested him was the sight of his mate's delectable backside encased in form-fitting denim. "That it is," he agreed huskily and lifted his gaze to meet the look of disapproval she gave him over her shoulder. Busted, he offered a sheepish grin and sat down on the couch. "Come sit with me."

  Aylese turned to face him, his sleeping cub in her arms and asked suspiciously, "Why?"

  He shrugged and admitted, "I thought if we got to know each other a little better it might make you more comfortable."

  "Or you could get your own room," she countered.

  "I'm not letting either one of you out of my sight," he denied and patted the cushion beside him. With a long-suffering sigh, his mate walked over to the couch and sat as far away from him as possible. It amused him because one day very soon he fully intended to have her in his lap. Preferably while they were both naked.

  "Tell me about Aylese Delacort," he commanded.

  "What do you want to know?" She queried.

  "Everything. Start with the day you were born."

  ***

  Two days later his patience had paid off. His mate was completely at ease with him, and she even teased him on occasion. He discovered that she had a droll sense of humor and her deadpan expression never failed to keep him guessing as to whether she was serious or not. He loved to hear her laugh, even at his own expense.

  Aylese was a fascinating woman, and Jett genuinely enjoyed the hours they had spent getting to know each other. He discovered that she had been raised by her father and as his only child she'd been groomed from birth to take over the family business. It was a responsibility that she excelled at but didn't particularly enjoy.

  He also learned that her mother had been married four times and had children with each husband. His mate had admitted that her mother's inability to settle down with one man was the main reason why she'd never come close to marriage herself. When she made that kind of commitment, she wanted it to be forever.

  He was in complete agreement with that.

  Jett had been hesitant to reveal his less than savory childhood, but his tender-hearted mate had cried and hugged him tightly. After a reaction like that he'd bared his soul and told her anything she wanted to know. With the exception of his sexual conquests, which were not the type of things that a mate would want to know.

  He sure as hell hadn't wanted to hear about hers. The thought of Aylese with another man would make both man and beast homicidal. Once they were mated, their past lovers would be nothing more than a hazy memory. Their only desire would be for each other, and he could barely wait to start making new memories with her.

  His mate had been taking her allergy medication regularly so she'd stopped sneezing and her beautiful eyes and nose were no longer red. It slayed him that she was allergic to both he and their cub. Fate obviously had a sick sense of humor for mating a werecat to a woman with allergies to cat fur.

  His cub was reveling in their undivided attention. Justis pounced
back and forth between them and spent equal time in each of their laps. Aylese had taught Jett how to prepare the bottle, and he had fed his son several times. Burping the cub was a little tricky, but he was getting the hang of it. Being a dad wasn't so hard after all.

  Although he did threaten to put his son back in the deep freezer if he didn't stop trying to shred the furniture. His mate had taken exception to that and given him a stern lesson in baby etiquette to which he had dutifully listened. She'd even researched how to care for jaguar cubs much to his amusement.

  His mate took parenting very seriously.

  He was thoroughly pleased with how their relationship was progressing and enjoying learning how to be a father. They had discussed the confusion about the cub's name, and Jett had decided not to change it. He fully intended to get justice for the atrocities his son had suffered so naming him Justis seemed appropriate.

  For once, his mate had been in complete agreement.

  The only thing that concerned them both was that the lead they had to GenMod turned out to be a bust. By the time his brothers got there, the entire facility was nothing but a burned out shell. Their shifter noses had been able to detect an accelerant that confirmed the fire had been deliberately set to cover their tracks.

  They still had no idea who had been experimenting on Justis, but Ari was digging into everything he could find about GenMod via the dark web. The good news was that Wilds had been successful at finding Harper, but she was proving to be obstinate and refused to tell them anything until she saw Aylese in person.

  Apparently, stubbornness was a family trait. His mate certainly had her share of it and proved it by continuing to fight the bond they shared. He knew she felt it. It was impossible for a mate not to. And it was getting stronger every day. Jett knew that she desired him as well. The scent of her arousal made his cat crazy.

  Since he'd discovered that Aylese preferred straight talk to pussyfooting around, that night after he had put Justis to bed, he came right out and asked, "How long are you going to torment us both by fighting the inevitable?"

  "What might the inevitable be?" She asked with an arched brow.

  "Becoming my mate."

  She shot him a scathing look and asked cattily, "Missing your harem already, Jerrett?"

  "More like aching for you," he corrected.

  "Sex isn't everything," she informed him with a smirk and then taunted, "I can live without it. Can you?"

  "Do you know why you can live without it, love?" He queried in a silken tone. "Because you have no idea what sex with your mate is like. Once you've experienced the wild passion we'll share, you'll crave it, crave me, with every fiber of your being, every minute of every day for the rest of your life."

  "You're a conceited ass if you believe that," she accused as she walked over to the window.

  Jett had seen the excitement flash in her eyes, heard her breathing hitch. She liked his animal side, and he was determined to make her admit it. A silent and deadly predator, he stalked his prey. Stopping with a scant inch between his chest and her back, he wrapped his hands around her wrists and felt her pulse racing.

  Lowering his lips to her neck, he breathed in the intoxicating scent of her arousal. "The reason you don't believe me is because you've never had sex with a werecat," he purred seductively against her ear. "I'm not a gentleman in bed, Aylese. I'm a beast." Her soft moan was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard.

  Pressing his cock against her tight little ass, he wrapped his arms around her trembling frame. "You were born to mate with a werecat, love. Your body was created for my animalistic desire. Nothing less will satisfy you," he breathed as his lips trailed down the wildly racing pulse in her neck. "And I'll give you everything you need."

  She turned to face him, her eyes glittering with the same wild hunger racing through his body. "Show me," she whispered in a tone laden with desire.

  Jett grasped the back of her neck with one hand and fused his mouth to hers. Their first kiss was deep, sensual and wildly erotic. She moaned. He growled. She tangled her hands in his hair. He wrapped her silken tresses in his fist. His mate clawed at the buttons on his shirt. He shredded her clothes with his claws.

  He stepped back and let his heated gaze rake over her. His beautiful mate stood before him completely bare. Chest heaving, breath rasping from her lungs, parted lips panting. Legs spread, hands splayed against the wall of glass behind her, eyes glazed with a wild hunger that only he could appease.

  His cat growled their need.

  His mate responded with an answering growl, and he lost his rational mind.

  ***

  Over the past couple of days, Aylese had decided that Jerrett Black was not a good man. He was an exceptional one. The werecat had suffered unspeakable atrocities as a child, and he'd not only survived, he'd thrived because of it. His perseverance in the face of such adversity showed a strength of character and determination that awed her.

  Because he cared far more deeply for his cub and his pride than she'd given him credit for. His level of commitment to them was humbling. He was exactly the kind of man she'd always wanted. But he wasn't just a man. He was so much more. More than she had ever imagined possible.

  The fact that he could shift from a man to a jaguar was nothing short of miraculous. Oddly enough, the knowledge no longer frightened her. After witnessing the massive beast play so gently with his cub, she couldn't fear the big cat. What she did fear was her feelings for him. Because she knew that their bond was real.

  Aylese belonged to him body and soul. The knowledge resonated deep within her, and she yearned for his total possession. It would be so easy to let him into her heart, but if something went wrong, losing Jerrett would destroy her. The simple truth was that she was too much of a coward to reach out and take what he was offering.

  What she craved with every beat of her heart.

  As usual, she'd thrown out a scathing retort and walked away, but he wasn't letting her go that easily. This time her predator pursued and trapped her in place between his body and the wall of glass. She could have escaped. He wouldn't have held her against her will. But she was so tired of fighting her own desires.

  His whispered words spoken in that decadently sensual voice inflamed the passion she kept buried deep inside. The erotic images he painted in her mind were darkly seductive and so very tempting. This amazing man knew exactly what she needed, what her body yearned for, and he'd promised to give it to her.

  Grasping a fragile thread of courage, she turned and looked up at him. The raw hunger she saw in his amber eyes far surpassed her own. Jerrett wanted her with a desperation he didn't try to hide. And he wanted her to know how much he needed her. In his bed. As his mate. Her resistance shattered.

  "Show me," she had whispered in a tone laden with desire.

  Within the blink of an eye, all of her trepidation faded away like a mist on the breeze. Nothing had ever felt more right than being held in his strong embrace, feeling his lips on hers. Sharing the very air they breathed. But she wanted more of him. All of him. Needed to feel his flesh against her own.

  Aylese clawed at the buttons on his shirt and was stunned to realize that he had shredded her clothes without her even being aware. Jerrett stepped back, and she felt the heat of his smoldering gaze as it raked her over from head to toe. Naked, she leaned against the wall of glass behind her for support as she fought to drag air into her heaving lungs.

  Then he growled at her.

  A growl of pure primitive need.

  It was the single most erotic sound she'd ever heard. Something about it reached her on a primal level, and an answering growl rose up in her throat. That was the last coherent thought she had for quite some time. Because Jerrett had pounced on her with a hunger that would no longer be denied.

  She found herself whirled around, her front pressed into the cool pane of glass, the heat of his body melded against her back. Lips, teeth, and tongue tormented the sensitive flesh of her neck as his hands memorized th
e shape and texture of her trembling frame. Hands pressed against the glass, she arched back into the hard ridge of his cock.

  One hand snaked around to cup a breast while the other slid between her parted thighs, fingers probing deep. Her lips parted on a silent plea for more as she rode his hand in a wanton manner completely alien to her nature. A torrent of sensual whispers fell from his lips in the form of praise and dirty promises.

  Aylese was poised on the cusp of orgasm, desperate for more when Jerrett grasped her hips and thrust his cock so very deep. A broken cry escaped her as a climax tore through her body with hurricane force. But her werecat lover didn't give her a chance to recover before he began pounding into her without restraint.

  She went wild, nails clawing at the glass as cries of sheer ecstasy were torn from her lips. This was passion such as she'd never known. Pleasure so intense it bordered on pain. Sweat slicked their bodies, dripped from his brow onto her back. Jerrett wrapped himself around her, licked a tremble inducing trail in the hollow of her neck.

  "Be my mate, Aylese," his desire roughened voice commanded in a low growl. "Let me claim you as mine."

  "Yes," she panted between thrusts. "Please. God. Yes!"

  With the speed of a true predator, Jerrett sank sharp teeth into her shoulder. Their mutual climax struck without warning, sending her pleasure spiraling out of control. The earth slid off its axis and soared into the stratosphere. A kaleidoscope of stars whirled before her eyes; liquid fire streaked through her veins.

  Aylese screamed until her throat was raw as the orgasm continued on without end. The sound of Jerrett's triumphant roar echoing in the room. Their joined bodies spasmed and quaked with aftershocks for endless minutes. Exhausted and boneless, she would have collapsed had it not been for the strong arms supporting her.

  Jerrett turned her to face him, and she smiled wearily up at his handsome face. His amber eyes glowed with an otherworldly light as he stared at her shoulder. His expression one of masculine pride, he leaned down and placed a tender kiss in the center of his mating mark. "Mine," he whispered in a feral tone of satisfaction.