by Tia Didmon
Racheal attempted to push against him. “Hunter, please.”
He inched in a little further. “Please what?”
Racheal panted. “I want you inside me.”
Hunter pulled out. “Who am I, Racheal?"
She squirmed. “You're mine. My mate.”
Hunter slammed into her. She shouted his name as she came. He held her immobile as he pumped into her with all his strength. Each stroke created the delicious friction that had him begging for more. Her tight pussy constricting him – a pleasure he would never tire of.
The man understood his cat's need to make her prove she would submit when the time was right. He wanted her addicted to the pleasure only he could give her. When she came a second time, he pulled out, rubbing her juices between the globes of her ass.
Hunter pulled her arms up slightly, forcing her ass in the air. “Spread your legs further apart.”
Racheal complied.
He eased his cock into her ass slowly, feeling her tight muscles give way. When he had buried himself to the hilt he let go of her arms and grabbed her hips. He pulled back before slamming into her forcefully, setting a harsh pace.
Racheal clutched at the seat. White scratches now marred the once perfect black leather.
Hunter felt his body harden. The ecstasy too much for him to sustain. Every stroke became harder as her ass tightened around him. He groaned as he came, pumping into her and holding himself there. Not wanting to move.
He pulled out of her slowly then sat back on the seat, pulling her up on top of him.
Racheal placed her legs on either side of his, rubbing her face against his stubbled jaw.
He and his cougar loved the content mew that erupted from her mouth as she kissed his neck.
He felt a sting of pain before realizing her bite drew blood.
Hunter felt his cougar lunge inside him. His incisors burst through his gums. She had marked him.
Racheal's instincts ruled her emotions. She knew she shouldn't push Hunter this way but her cougar didn't care. It was tired of waiting for its mate to stake his claim. She was making her anger known.
Racheal felt the ripple of fur on her arms as her gums continued to throb. She closed her eyes tightly to focus on her inner struggle.
Hunter squeezed her arms. “Racheal, what's happening? “My cat is crazed right now,” he said through clenched teeth.”
Racheal opened her eyes, staring into Hunter's bright gaze. “She's mad. She wants you to bite her.”
Hunter put his finger to her lip, pushing up to expose her teeth. “Your teeth are longer. Not quite incisors but...”
Racheal caught the concern in his voice. “That isn't normal is it?”
Hunter's eyes dimmed to a dull yellow. “Teeth don't transform until after a first shift. I don't know what to tell you.”
Racheal's arousal continued to burn through her. She should be sated yet she couldn't think from wanting Hunter inside her again. The emotional firestorm combined with the struggle to keep her cougar on a leash proved too much. She put her hands to her face as the tears ran. Her body racked with silent sobs.
Hunter pulled her hands away. “Honey, you're killing me here. Tell me what's going on.”
Racheal sucked in uneven breaths. “I'm a mess. My emotions are all over the map. I should be working out the formula for Kevin and Aiden in my head but all I want to think about is you and sex with you. I'm turning into some kind of a horndog,” she wailed.
Hunter pulled her close to his body. “Baby. That's just hormones. That's completely normal during the transition. The first shift is essentially your first heat. I'm glad you want your mate. I know it's difficult when the cougar and the woman are not yet in sync. The transition is bringing those two perfect beings and merging them together as one. This seems to be the only normal part of your transition.”
Racheal stopped crying. “I never thought of it like that.”
Hunter kissed her forehead. “Now tell me more about this horndog business. I like that idea...a lot.”
Racheal laughed. “You would.”
Hunter tipped her head back. “Do you need me? I’m always ready to make love to my woman?”
Racheal smiled. “I think I'm better now. My cat backed off when I started crying. Yours did too, didn't it?”
Hunter nodded. “Yes. He was going to bite you. I'm not sure I could have stopped it under these circumstances but when your emotional level peaked like that your cat realized she’d pushed you too far. When she backed down, so did he.”
“Are they always in sync like that?” she asked.
“Usually. There are times when one of us will be in cougar form without the other but they are rare,” he said.
“Why would one of us shift and not the other?” she asked.
“If there was a security issue at home. I would track in cougar form. You would remain with the other women with one of my brothers while I determined the threat.”
Racheal bristled. “So, women are expected to stay home and let the men fight. I know for a fact that Sarah wouldn't stay back while Devon was off fighting alone.”
Hunter put his hand on the nape of her neck. The heat seared her skin. “You are the most important person in my world. You will stay back if there is a threat. You will never put yourself in danger again. Do you have any idea how hard it was to let you near Cortez's Labs? My cougar was furious. Sarah is a hunter. You're not. Besides, while Sarah is proficient with a weapon, she is new to her cougar. Still learning to control her urges.”
Racheal could feel his need to protect her. “Alright. I should be focusing on how to create two life-saving serums in two weeks anyway.”
Hunter growled. “You should focus on Aiden's. Kevin can go fuck himself.”
Racheal sighed. “I know Aiden is short on time but if I don't give Kevin what I promised he will attack us and I will have failed everyone.”
Hunter’s eyes narrowed. “You won't have failed me.”
Racheal looked down at her hands. “You don't know that yet.”
Hunter tipped her head back. “You say this because you believe you may die. You won't.”
Racheal grabbed his wrists. “I want you to be right. I’ve never wanted to live more than I do now. I want you to know that my time with you has been the happiest of my whole life.”
Hunter kissed her roughly. He was demanding she fight. For herself. For him. After assuring his cat their mate wouldn’t give up, he let her settle beside him.
Hunter felt Racheal snuggle against him. Her breathing slowed, signifying she was asleep. He traced her cheek with the pads of his fingers, marveling at the perfection of her skin. His body stirred.
He wanted to wake her. To sate himself in the miracle of her body but he felt her exhaustion, figuring her mental strain exceeded the physical. He should wake her. He knew she would be uncomfortable arriving at his home naked and disoriented. He wanted to revel in her warmth and trust. He let her sleep until they were twenty minutes from home.
Hunter whispered in Racheal's ear. “Wake up baby.”
Racheal stretched. “Sorry, I fell asleep. How long till we get to Mt Adams?”
Hunter smiled. “Technically we are here.”
She grabbed her dress, jerking it over her head. “WHAT! You should have woken me an hour ago.”
He shrugged. “We own hundreds of acres in this area. We are still twenty minutes from the house.”
Racheal looked out the window. “I'm sure your place is beautiful. Everything here is.”
Hunter pulled her back to him, “You mean our place.”
Racheal's heart beat faster. His cougar grumbled at her inability to understand her place was at his side and always would be. “Our place,” she said.
He kissed her because he needed to reassure himself she was real. Her coming to his home wasn't some dream. He lost track of time as his hands roamed her body.
The car came to a stop. Racheal pushed against him. “Get your clothes on
.”
Hunter laughed at her desperation. “Relax. It's just the boys meeting us.” He pulled on his jeans and grabbed his T-shirt.
Hunter knocked on the privacy window. When the driver rolled it down, he tipped him then escorted Racheal out.
Racheal was smiling at him when the car pulled away.
He grabbed her hand. “Come on. I will give you a quick tour before we get you settled.”
They walked toward a beautiful log cabin. “This is yours?”
“No. This one belongs to Devon and Sarah.”
Racheal stopped.
Hunter slipped his arm around her back. “I thought you would be excited to see Sarah.”
Racheal swallowed loudly. “I am. I'm just a little nervous. She risked her life for me. She...”
“Hey. Sarah was pushing the entire lair to find you. She has my brother Brock in charge of Marksmen Enterprises in hopes that her father had something on Kevin Kallan. She wants you here. Safe.”
“I don't deserve a friend like Sarah. I don't deserve you,” she whispered.
Hunter was about to deny her claims as Buck and Ryan walked around the corner. Both men sniffed the air before zeroing in on Racheal.
Buck growled before shifting. His coyote stalked closer to the couple.
Ryan grabbed his friend around the neck, pulling him back. When Buck bit his arm he shifted and attacked his best friend.
The coyotes were engaged in a fierce battle when Hunter pulled Racheal with him, heading to the trees.
Racheal cried loudly as she blindly stumbled after Hunter. She wasn't sure how long they walked. Another log cabin came into view. It had a different design yet the similarities to Devon's showed through.
Hunter pulled her up the steps, ushering her inside as another wave of sobs racked her. He pulled her to him. “Racheal. Baby, you have to stop. Buck and Ryan are not violent. They...”
She pushed away from him. “They aren't to blame. I am.”
“Honey, Jordan did this to you. It isn't your fault.”
“I helped with it. What happened out there will happen with any male you are not related too. I'm surprised mother nature gave me that concession,” she said in disgust.
“We will avoid the coyotes until we get this sorted out. I will move them to my father's house.”
“You can't restrict the movements of other shifters everywhere I go.”
His cougar rose in anger. “Where exactly were you planning to go?” he snarled.
Racheal's eyes narrowed. “What if I wanted to go into town for a coffee? Or go shopping with Sarah”
Hunter's cat backed down. “Honey, we’ll get this figured out. I want you to be happy. Sarah mentioned you used to walk your dog down to the cafe close to your apartment. The two of you would sit outside and drink latte's and talk about the things going on in your lives.”
The emotions associated with the truth about her dog assailed her. She grabbed her face in both hands. “I can never have a normal life. I have inadvertently destroyed everything in my life I loved.”
Hunter pulled her hands from her face. “Honey. We will get this sorted out.”
She shook her head. “You can't restrict the coyote's movements because of me. It's not fair.”
“This is our home, our lair. We make the rules. They will adhere to this requirement or they won't stay here.”
Racheal clutched his shirt. “No. I helped destroy their lair. Don't take away their only sanctuary.”
He smoothed her hair back. “They're good men. They won't have an issue with keeping their distance. Aiden will need to stay close, though.” He prayed Aiden's current condition made him immune to Racheal.
“They aren't the problem. I am.”
“Racheal...”
“I’m an infectious disease and I have effectively exchanged one cage for another.”
Hunter’s heart clenched. “Baby this isn't a cage. You will be free to visit Sarah. I'll take you shopping. I will do anything to make you happy.”
Racheal turned and walked to the window. “His name was Rocket.”
“Who?”
“My dog.”
Hunter was confused by the pain in her voice. “You never asked what happened to him.”
“I know what happened to him,” she said.
“How?”
“Gerald told me. After all, he was the one that killed Rocket.”
Racheal felt the pressure in her chest. It felt like a vice. How do I make him understand that I am to blame for Rocket, Aiden, and the possible destruction of his species?
Hunter shook his head. I don't know what Gerald told you but it was a lie. Rocket was with Sarah for over a year after your disappearance. She took good care of him but he was depressed and old. He passed away in his sleep.”
Racheal wiped away an errant tear. “That's what she believes.”
Hunter rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. “What did Gerald tell you?”
“He told me Rocket was depressed. That's understandable. Rocket was my baby. I found him rummaging in an alley one day and we had an instant connection. What Sarah said about us walking to the cafe and drinking lattes on the sidewalk chairs so Rocket could be with us, is true. But after I was taken, Sarah was beside herself with grief. She focused on Rocket’s welfare, inadvertently shutting Gerald out.”
Hunter’s face hardened. “She lost her best friend. Her wanting to care for Rocket was perfectly natural. She felt she had let you down. That she failed you.”
Rachael pursed her lips. “Yeah, and that only makes it worse.”
“Tell me the rest,” Hunter encouraged.
“After a couple of months, Gerald was sick of her doting on the dog and not turning to him as he'd hoped. He came to me, asking for a slow acting poison. One that would make an animal lethargic but not necessarily kill him.”
“He asked you how to poison your own dog?” Hunter asked incredulously.
Racheal laughed without humor. “Ironic isn't it? I was working on bear DNA at the time. I stupidly thought it was to bring a large shifter under control. I picked a poison that would have no effect on any shifter.”
“What did you suggest?”
“Belladonna. It has a variety of medical applications but if taken orally it has serious side effects with continued use.”
“Sarah said Rocket would occasionally stumble and walk into the furniture.”
Racheal nodded. “Blurred vision is one of its many side-effects. Gerald got exactly what he wanted from poisoning Rocket. Sarah turned to him for help. He helped her take Rocket to specialists. He was on so many medications that even if they thought to test for Belladonna it would be attributed to at least one of the medications he was already prescribed.”
Hunter rubbed his face with both hands. “Jesus Racheal.”
“He would taunt me with Rocket's condition, occasionally showing me pictures of Sarah holding him in his weak condition. He enjoyed my pain.”
He growled. “The Kallans' are sick sons of bitches.”
“He said all Sarah had to do to save Rocket was give him up.”
Hunter grabbed the kettle off the stove. “Sarah would never have given up on Rocket any more than she would have given up on you.”
Racheal sat at the wooden table, watching Hunter fill the kettle with water. “No, she wouldn't have. I think he wanted me to blame her instead of him. I'm not sure, he was... is so twisted.”
Hunter turned on the stove, and placed the kettle on the burner. “The man you and Sarah affectionately knew as Gerry, never existed. It was all an act to control Sarah.”
Racheal fiddled with the corner of the cloth placemat in the table. “He never liked me. He put up with me once Brian took an interest in me.”
“Sarah's father?”
She nodded. “Even though Sarah warned me repeatedly that Brian was a liar and a cheat. I believed he cared about me. Sarah hated being around him. I fell for his crap. I thought he was impressed with my accomplishments but
he was only interested in what I could do for his and Kevin's projects.”
Hunter placed the cup of tea in front of her. “I'm sorry, honey.”
“Sarah never lied to me. I didn't listen to her when she warned me about her own father. She told me what happened to her mother. How Brian treated them. I didn't want to see the truth.”
“Brian was the closest thing to a father figure you had. You were young. You didn't have anyone to look up too.”
“That's the thing. I did. I had Sarah. Did she tell you she broke a boy’s nose because he shoved me?”
Hunter smiled. “I believe she may have left that detail out of her story but you can remind me to thank her later.”
Racheal closed her hands around the warm cup, needing the heat. “I didn't want her fighting for me. I don't want you fighting for me.”
Hunter sat beside her. “Racheal, listen to me. Sarah loves you, and Gerald is a sick fuck who used you against her. That part of your life is over. You have to let it go and move on. I love you and I want to build a life with you here. Can you do that?”
Racheal let the truth of his words melt into her skin. His love and commitment were a healing balm her soul reached for. “You love me?” she stuttered.
“More than you can possibly understand. I know you need time to understand what a shifter mate truly is but I need you to know there is nothing more important to me than you.”
“Thank you for telling me. Will you do something for me?”
Hunter put his hand on her knee. “Anything.”
“I need you to make me a promise.”
Chapter 12
Racheal put her empty cup on the table. “Don't tell Sarah about Rocket. She's suffered enough.”
Hunter took her cup, placing it in the sink. “She knows Gerry Kallan didn't really exist. That he was a persona made in order to lull Sarah into believing he was something he wasn't.”
“That thing we saw back at the facility. That wasn't Gerald either. Not really.”
“He seemed scarier somehow didn't he?”
“That thing that calls himself Gerald Kallan is barely a man. His only goal will be survival,” Racheal said ominously.