Hunter blinked open his eyes when he heard the sizzle of bacon from the kitchen downstairs. He stretched, arching his naked body in between Neri’s soft sheets as his shoulders popped, before he lay back and contemplated more sleep. Last night was their first night in a bed since Zahava’s visit, too exhausted to do anything but sleep.
It had been a busy four days for he and Neri as Ghost sent them to track Zahava’s scent. Neri commented the human’s scent had changed little since she grew into adulthood and became determined to find the woman and eliminate the threat. Ghost hadn’t hesitated, knowing Neri could defend herself or come get the rest of them in a blink if needed.
The scent lead to Downtown Snowfall before it disappeared. Zahava wouldn’t be the leader of an unknown shifter group for so long if she wasn’t an expert at deception and hiding her tracks. As Neri tracked Zahava, Hunter categorized the shifter’s scents under her direction. Although he differentiated the individual animals they shifted into; it’s hard to miss a lion, a puma, and two mountain lions. But in the background lingered their human’s scents.
Even when the assassins shifted, their human’s scents stayed with them. The animals they shifted into had their own distinct essence, but when Neri shifted, he identified lilac and the natural scents she carried with her.
“What do I smell like to you, when I’m in my panther form?” Hunter asked.
Neri’s brows drew down, and she turned her attention from the indistinct office building they stood in front of off Treetop Drive in the heart of downtown.
Although Zahava’s scent had long since disappeared, something brought Neri back to the unfamiliar fourteen story red brick building which looked abandoned from the outside.
“A weird question,” Neri shook her head and turned her attention back to the building before answering, “but to be honest, when you shift, your pine scent comes through. The citrus, lemon-lime scent becomes muted. But when you’re human, the citrus scent comes through before the pine.”
“Huh.”
“Why do you ask?”
“What was dominant scent from Zahava’s shifters when they were at Kai and Liv’s?”
“I scented animals, their other forms.”
Neri paused, her hands clenched at her hips. Her mouth pursed as she tried to recall their run-in’s with the other group.
Hunter sucked in a surprised breath as Neri’s memories, including touch and smell, replayed at the forefront of his mind. The memory was as clear to him as if he experienced the moment personally. Instead of dwelling too much on how Neri could do this, he reviewed each incident Neri had with the shifters since they’d met.
In the clearing where he first spotted her, the wind dissipated her scent. Both sniffed, turning their head from side to side to see if they picked out something, anything, but all he caught was the crisp air and pine trees. There was a quick blink before they were onto her second memory.
Outside Neri’s house, he listened to the fight going on between the five shifters and himself. He noted Reaper and Kai were flanking her position and he scented both men before she darted forward to throw herself into he fight. As she jumped onto the shoulders of the first one, he tried to scent the shifters. Blood, he scented blood. But as he studied the shifters who were attacking him, their skin was the same sickly, gaunt flesh. An observation he missed the first time.
He took a moment to concentrate on their movements. Their training in hand-to-hand combat had improved since the last fight over a year ago, but they couldn’t predict his movements before he struck. As Neri drew closer, instead of going back to the muscle memory of their training, they panicked and flung their arms out, hoping to hit him or the others.
He recognized nothing from scent alone, but he made a note to bring a body back for Liv to study after the next run-in with them.
In another blink, they stood in Liv and Kai’s living room, looking up at Zahava and her shifters.
Yep, Axel was right. She is bat-shit crazy.
Hunter chuckled but when Zahava stiffened at Neri’s disdainful words telling her to use her indoor voice, he concentrated on the scene in front of him and scented the room. While he scented his family, there was an obvious wild animal scent present in the room. When they leapt up to the second floor, the scent became cloying and there was nothing human that came through.
Huh, it’s like a wet cat and dog. Nothing other than that.
He blinked several times, getting used to the bright sunshine after Neri’s memory.
“Well, you’re stronger as a shifter.”
She smiled. “Yeah, I thought about you experiencing the memory with me and soon after, I sensed you in my head. So cool.”
“It was jarring at first, but to see what you’ve seen without my senses being cut off is helpful.”
Hunter took a moment to think about all the differences between the shifters who transitioned through a venomous bite and Zahava’s shifters.
“I hate to ask this, but can you take me into your memory before they injected you with venom and the bioweapon?”
Neri nodded and soon after he blinked, he stood in the sterile, hated room at Standard.
What do I smell like?
He leaned closer to Neri strapped to the table, he inhaled and the familiar lilac and earthy tones hit his senses and sent a relieved shiver over his body.
The same as you do now. We’re done here, angel.
Neri turned her gaze to him as soon as they left her mind. There was relief painted on her face.
“I’m not like them. Thank the gods. So, if I know shifter venom injected transitioned me from human to failed shifter and then to half vampire, it must have been something different from what they are using now. I remember Jade mentioning Noah’s friend had died because the transition overwhelmed his body. She said a lot of humans died during the transition. Do you think, like me, they inject venom into humans, but somehow the venom became tainted, and that’s why they aren’t human any longer?”
Hunter pulled Neri close and kissed the top of her head. “I don’t know, but until we have a sample of their blood or bring a body to Liv for dissection, there’s no use worrying about it. Until then, let’s head home, get food and some sleep before we report into Ghost and see what everyone else found.”
Neri nodded against his chest. “Let’s go.”
Not used to teleportation, he braced himself in time to land in Neri’s bedroom. They stripped out of their clothes and burrowed under the covers. He pulled Neri close and when she sighed, her breath washing over his chest, then he allowed himself to close his eyes and drift off to sleep.
“Love, breakfast,” Neri called from downstairs.
He jolted awake, lost in his thoughts and warm from the blankets covering him, he’d almost fallen asleep again. With reluctance, he rolled out of bed and searched for a pair of sweats and a tee, happy to find them hanging on the arm of a chair in the corner.
His stomach grumbled as he walked into the kitchen, but as he spotted Neri leaning against the counter in a long-sleeved tee and loose yoga pants grasping a cup of coffee in both hands, he made a beeline to her and kissed her forehead.
“What are you thinking about?”
She shook her head. “I hoped we could report back we found the sniveling little bitch and killed her.”
“It’s like a puzzle. We get pieces, see where they fit, and hope the entire picture emerges. We’ll never understand her motivations, but with one more piece of the puzzle, we’ll recognize her objectives and for the first time in four years, get ahead of her and take her and her crew out. Until then, we wait.”
Neri’s shoulders relaxed, and she turned toward the stove to plate up breakfast. He grabbed the plates from her and set them on the table. She poured him a cup of coffee and along with her own, joined him at the table.
“I’ll give Xander the information about the building and see if it connects with Zahava somehow.”
With that, she picked up her fork and ate. Hun
ter, following suit, taking a bite and moaning over fluffy scrambled eggs and spicy potatoes.
“If you do that again, we’ll forget about breakfast and head upstairs.” She choked out, her breathing uneven.
Without answering, they both ate in silence. Hunter’s eyes never left Neri’s face and bit back a groan when her eyes kept dropping to his mouth before licking her lips and taking another bite. Breakfast had never been so torturous in all his existence. By the time they finished eating, his cock was as hard as a rock. Driven by her scent arousal and the pink tinge of a blush on her cheeks, neck, and chest.
“Dishes later?” She asked.
“Oh, thank fuck,” Hunter growled.
He reached for her and spanned his hands around her waist and lifted her into his arms. “Bed, now.”
Her hands cupped his face and when she leaned down to touch their lips together, she teleported them and they landed on the bed with Hunter on his back.
“That’s handy. I don’t suppose you can get rid of our clothes as fast?”
“Hmm.”
Neri’s hands gripped his clothing and within a millisecond, he stood there naked. He glanced around and smiled when he found them in the exact spot they were in when he woke. Before Neri could do the same to her own clothing, Hunter shook his head.
“Let me. I need to taste you again, all over.”
He flipped her onto her back and captured both of her hands in one of his lifting her arms above her head and trapping them there. He licked a swath over his mark and sucked in a breath when she bucked up, caressing his cock with a light touch.
“I need you, love. Need you inside me.”
He used one hand to skim over the thin layer of shirt, savoring Neri’s heat as she wriggled underneath him. Soon, he reached the hem and slid his hand underneath, pressing the palm down on her stomach and splaying his fingers. Her breathing sped up and when he slid his hand up toward her breasts to find them uncovered, he growled.
His teeth nipped at her ear before his tongue flicked the lobe, drawing a harsh breath from Neri. He continued, scraping his elongated fangs down the side of her neck before nipping at his mark. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than Neri to mark him as hers, but this time he wouldn’t push for more than she was ready for.
“I love your hands on me.”
Neri sucked in another breath when his forefinger and thumb pinched at her swollen nipple. Unable to deal with the barrier of clothing in between them any longer, he released the hold on her wrists and snagged the tee by the neckline. With one tug, the shirt ripped in two and he pushed it out of the way.
His mouth found the other nipple, the one not being tweaked by his fingers, and suckled at it. Her taste bloomed in his mouth. He couldn’t get enough of her sweetness.
“Hunter, fuck, I need more. I need you inside me.”
“And I need you wet, angel.”
She scoffed. “You’ve had me wet since you walked into the kitchen, rumpled from sleep. I wanted to strip you out of your sweats and climb you, wrapping my legs your waist. And then I would drop on your cock and make you take me against the kitchen wall.”
“Fuck, fuck. Okay.”
With a wicked smile, Neri reached between them and vanished her sweats. When the barrier disappeared, Hunter reached between them and flicked his thumb against her clit, sucking in a deep breath at her wetness coating his thumb. Sliding the digit further down toward her entrance, he laved his thumb in her desire for him before he lifted it to his mouth and licked her essence.
He needed to see her desire for him. With careful movements, he turned them both on their sides and had Neri face him. He draped her leg over his hips and wrapped his right arm underneath her body, keeping her close.
“I’ll take you like this.”
Need and desire flashed in her beautiful silver eyes and no longer able to stay away, he captured her mouth in a searing kiss. Instead of the frenzy driving them wild in the kitchen, Neri relaxed in his arms as her tongue explored his mouth, tasting him. He shivered as her free hand roamed over his back, his hips, each inch of skin sizzling with a desire for her, his mate.
“I love you, angel.”
Neri jerked from the unexpected declaration from him, but after a second, a beautiful smile replaced the shock and she brushed a kiss against his lips.
“I love you, too, Hunter.”
His heart swelled. Never in his entire existence had he been this happy. He had found his mate; his beautiful, talented, funny, and sexy-as-sin mate and she loved him back.
The constant whirring of thoughts in his head ceased at her declaration and he needed to show Neri how much he loved her. He wrapped her close in his arms and watched as her pupils dilated when he slid inside her. Her eyes fluttered closed at his first thrust. But almost as if she didn’t want to miss anything after their declaration, she forced her eyes open and captured his gaze.
Lovemaking had never been this sensual. Their bodies were in sync; when he moved, she moved. Hands were everywhere, scalding hot yet comforting, and he wanted more, wanted everything.
“Hunter, it’s almost too much.”
He cupped her cheek and kissed her. He swallowed her moans and her gasps, loving the bite of her nails on his back and hips.
Her teeth scraped against his neck as she leaned forward. She followed them with a swipe of her tongue and moaning when she sampled his blood. This time, when she touched his neck, she nipped him, drawing a moan from deep in his throat.
“I know, angel.”
Time lost all meaning. Everything in his existence faded away until it was him and Neri, loving each other.
Unable to deny either of them pleasure, his left hand wrapped under her hip and he drove her closer each time he thrust into her. Blackness edged into his vision as his orgasm tingled in his balls.
“Not going to last much longer, Neri. I need you to come, come on my cock.”
Neri threw her head back and screamed as his words pushed her over the edge.
He gasped, savoring her tight wetness and gasped when her muscles locked down on his cock, keeping him deep inside. Her mouth found his and unable to get enough of her, sipped at her lips until she pulled away.
“Come inside me, Hunter. I need it.”
“Oh, fuck.”
A shiver ran down his spine and when it reached his lower back, the first pulse of his orgasm started with a vengeance. He knew he was about to come hard, but startled when Neri exposed her teeth and bit down on his neck, her fangs piercing his skin.
“Holy fuck!”
His hips jerked forward while his hands grasped Neri’s. He pulled her until his cock pressed deep inside and came harder than he ever had in his life. Despite knowing it shouldn’t have been possible, he traced Neri’s venom running through his veins. Half expecting it to be cold, he gasped in surprise as warmth spread through him, causing his extended orgasm until he fell onto the bed, exhausted and spent.
A small pang of disappointment ran through his chest when Neri removed her fangs from his neck. As he tried to catch his breath and open his eyes to Neri to see was okay, blackness pulled him under.
A few minutes later, he forced his eyes open and blinked at a worried Neri hovering over him.
“What’s wrong,” he wheezed.
Neri huffed out a laugh. “I thought I killed you for a second.”
He tried to shake his head from side to side when a searing flash of heat rushed through him. His head ached and so did the rest of his body.
“Well, shit. I’m going through my transition again.”
“What—”
Everything faded away as pain, the pain he remembered from his transition close to a century ago, seared through his body. But this pain differed from what he remembered. Instead of the bone deep ache or the headache being the worst of his pain, this time, it was a searing heat that ran through his veins. And this time, his mind was clear. He could pinpoint where the pain had started and where it was traveling.<
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It moved from his head to his neck, down to his chest, but his arms hurt the worst and the pain lasted the longest in his hands. It continued through his arms and centered on his hips, moving down his thighs, then his calves, and to his feet. The last of the burning sensation disappeared from his toes, over his arch, before leaving from his heels.
He opened his eyes, blowing out a relieved breath when he spotted a worried Neri kneeling next to him. But when he saw the look on her face, he sat up and reached for her.
“Sorry if I worried you. How long was I out?”
“Two minutes.”
His heart broke as he watched a tear escape and make its way down her cheek.
“No, angel. I’m okay. It was a transition, but it was mild compared to my first transition.”
He sucked in a breath when her fingers reached out and touched her mark. As she caressed it, his cock swelled, and he moaned. A long, low, dirty moan.
“Hunter?”
Without waiting a second longer, he moved with a speed he lacked before and laid Neri down on the bed, face first as he draped his body over her.
“Can I take you like this?”
She moaned and opened her legs, allowing his hips to shift in between her stretched thighs. He thrust inside her, wrapping his arms around her chest and burrowing against her neck, inhaling her scent as he drove into her like a madman.
“Yes, harder, love.”
His panther growled as each thrust caused her to whimper and beg for more. He took her, losing himself in the sensations, until she threw her head back and screamed his name as her orgasm washed over him. His teeth elongated and he bit down on his mark, releasing inside her when his bite made her thrash underneath him.
The energy he saved up from a good night’s sleep drained as he rolled to his side and pulled Neri onto his chest. His eyes blinked closed, almost letting exhaustion take over, when Neri sucked in a breath.
“I’m yours now.”
“And I am yours, angel.”
He took a deep breath and loved her scent as it surrounded him.
She snuggled in closer before she huffed out a breath and leaned back to search his face. “We’ll meet up with the others and share the intel we have. It’s noon and Ghost expected us to be at Kai’s about an hour ago.”
Hunter (A Dark Assassins Novel Book Five) Page 14