Damn, I love her. Joel couldn't help the smile on his lips every time he looked, saw, or smelled his mate. Human or not, he wouldn't change a freakn' thing about Ruth. While his love for her might have started because of a chemical reaction exclusive to his kind, hers evolved out of a genuine like of him for him. To a boy, now a man, who fought for acceptance his whole life, the trust she placed in him, the love she sent his way, melted the ice he'd encased around his heart. His dad was still a dick. His mother still abandoned him. But someone loved him. Loved him and wanted him just the way he was. Screw fate. This was what love was all about. Acceptance, laughter, and trust. With a healthy dose of sex. "I'm not wearing underwear," she whispered in his ear. When the laughter erupted and Ruth realized her hushed comment greeted more ears than expected, she only turned three shades of red as she grumbled, "Darned wolves. I am so getting you all flea collars
"The gods have spoken to me." The gods, or a particular ground root that a certain somebody liked to smoke in his pipe? "And what are they saying this time?" Acat asked, not actually caring as he fixed his grandfather's roof, thatching some of the more barren spots. "They say your bride awaits." The news shook Acat, and despite his usual grace, he lost his balance. The embarrassment at reacting was worse than the fall off his ladder. He managed to twist his body at the last moment so his feet hit the ground first. The impact still proved jarring ? and not just to his knees. Straightening, he eyed his elderly relative who regarded him sagely while puffing away on his ever-present pipe. "The gods said that, did they? Or is this wishful thinking on your part? Are you getting that desperate for great-grandbabies you can corrupt?" "Does it truly matter?" Grandfather smiled, his crinkled face creasing even further. His eyes sparkled with mischief. Acat didn't le
Somewhere in the Lacandon jungle, a few days before Christmas ? Nothing screamed "Wake up, dumbass!" like regaining consciousness to the fluttery warmth of something breathing moist air into her face. A living, breathing entity, which smelled both earthy and spicy ? covered in tickly fur. In other words, something that didn't belong in the shelter with her. Panic took complete control of her body. Despite knowing it was the middle of the night and pitch black, Carlie's eyes flashed open to see the intruder. In retrospect, she perhaps should have feigned slumber, given she now stared into a pair of glowing eyes ? one golden, the other a clear blue. Had she forgotten to note they glared ? probably with murderous intent ? a few paltry inches from her face? Not a good distance when it came to wild animals, especially with no bars to separate them. Should she freak? There's a plan. Scream my face off, get eaten, and become a tiny blurb in the paper. On to option two ? call
"Are you sure we should be taking them?" Chaob asked as they jogged back in their human shape, Acat carrying their unconscious bride over his shoulder. "The gods have spoken," Acat replied. "Since when do you listen?" Acat stopped and whirled to face him, the limp legs of the enticing female dangling down his chest. "Since I can't deny the evidence. Are you going to try and tell me you don't feel it?" "Oh I feel it alright." Like a punch to the gut and a jolt to the system. One smell, one touch of the blonde beauty slung over Acat's shoulder, and Chaob just about drooled for a bite. "Even I can admit when I'm wrong. Just don't tell my father. Trust me, I'm just as shocked as you. But damn, from the moment I scented her ?" "You felt a need to find and claim her." Chaob nodded. "I know. Still, though, I don't think your grandfather expected us to bring back an outsider." Acat shrugged then grinned. "Grandfather said we'd encounter our brides. We
This is so not cool. And not because of the lack of air conditioning, even if Carlie could have used a really cold blast of something. Nope. Her problem went beyond the sweat pouring from her, not all of it a result of the jungle, but more because of the predicament in which she found herself. Hanging upside down over a broad shoulder, a very bare shoulder, arms dangling and her shirt barely holding on ? yeah, not exactly a promising situation. Waking up from a weird dream only to discover part of it wasn't a fabrication of her mind was enough to rattle anyone's composure, especially when the last thing she recalled was the eyes of the jaguar suddenly appearing in the face of a man. Had she dreamt the entire thing? Imagined the soft fur and feline face? There was certainly nothing furry about her captors now. Smooth, tanned skin covered her kidnapper all over except for his head where a thick mass of hair hung down past his shoulders, twitching in time to his movement. Intr
"You stole three Americans!" yelled his tribe's alpha. "We acquired them and left an appropriate bride price," Acat countered. "You were supposed to raid a village with those dowries, not a campsite," his leader, who doubled as his father, ranted as he paced the clearing set amidst the towering trees, which, according to legend, housed the spirits of his ancestors. "We have rules about not going near foreigners. Do you have any idea of the chaos this is causing? The attention you've brought on us?" Honestly, once he'd caught her scent, Acat didn't bother to think much of anything other than his need to have her. "I take it it's on the news?" His father whipped out his satellite phone from the pouch at his waist and thrust it in his face. "All over the place. There's even rumors about the Moon Ghosts being behind the abductions." Hmm, that explained the twist in his father's loincloth. "Well, we technically are." "You idiot. The last thing we need is
"I wish someone would tell us something!" More than once, Carlie muttered it aloud and in her head. The not knowing just about drove her crazy. Jungle capture 101. Be careful what you wish for. Frustrated after hours of nothing except speculation, which she shared with the other captives of their fate, Carlie could almost regret her words when the only door suddenly opened and a large group of mostly naked men ? imposing males with rippling muscles, swirling long hair, and intent expressions ? came to surround them. Her tension eased somewhat as she recognized two. Mr. Kitty and Golden Grin. Still wearing only their skimpy loincloths, and hotter than she remembered, their silence did more to ramp up her anxiety than ease it. For better or worse, it seemed she'd finally learn her fate, or so she assumed as they gestured to the door. "I am not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on. And don't tell me you don't understand. I'm not completely oblivious. I can te
She did not. Oh yes, she had. Acat couldn't believe she nipped him. On his buttocks! Worse, it didn't go unseen. "Ha, she has marked Acat first," jeered a warrior. "His woman thinks to claim him," snickered another. "Perhaps she will fight for him as well." "She didn't draw blood. Perhaps she is not his chosen." "She is mine," Acat roared in an attempt to quell the taunts as others sought to undermine his claim. Chaob laughed. "Ignore them. They are just jealous that we found her first." "I am beginning to wish I hadn't," Acat growled as he climbed the ladder leading up to the bridal hut. "Liar. You want her as much as I do." "She is more trouble than I anticipated. And possibly crazy." "No, she has spirit," Chaob corrected. "I, for one, like that." Listening to her rant as she continued to cause damage, Acat couldn't disagree about the spirited part and added violent too. Still speaking in Mayan, he asked his beta, "Are we do
Nothing ever felt more right than the first time Derrick sank balls deep into Janine. Unless he counted the second time and then the third. Over and over, he claimed her that night, the next day, all that week as she took some time off work for them to explore their new relationship. And yes, they were in a relationship. She's my mate now. And soon, she'd be his wife. He'd already asked for and received permission from Orson and Janine's mother. A conversation that went along the lines of? "I'm going to marry your daughter." "I get to plan the wedding." "I'll have you cremated if you hurt her." Derrick could already tell they'd fit in well with his family. Snap.*Epilogue An exaggerated groan left Derrick as he heaved Janine out of the car. The sound totally deserved a laser-hot glare. "Are you implying something?" No denying she was a little more rotund these days. He pulled her close, not caring that her big belly got in the way. A smile tugged
With Derrick buried in the bosom of his family, Janine slipped away before the tears blurring her gaze were noticed. Derrick had survived the surgery and seemed about to beat the odds. He would recover, which meant it was time for her to go. Even if I love him. And she did love him. Loved him so much that she couldn't be with him. She knew Derrick thought himself in love with her, that she was his mate. Much as she wanted to believe that, she couldn't. He'd fallen for her only because, at the time, he depended on her. Acting as his therapist meant their close involvement brought them together and imbued him with a false sense of intimacy. I think the intimacy came from you letting him touch you. Acts that shouldn't have happened, and yet, she didn't regret. It made leaving so much harder, but she did it now while she could. Now while he had his family and the promise of a bright future ahead of him. Let him get on with his life. Find a woman to settle dow
The hot satisfaction at having brought down the enemy paled before the panicked realization that Derrick couldn't move. Not a single damned muscle. The cold reality sent his wolf into hiding, pulling back from the dead weight of his body and leaving only human flesh. Flesh that felt nothing but the tips of her fingers on his cheeks as she cradled his head. "Derrick. Oh God, why did you do that?" She hugged his head, and if the moment weren't so dire, he might have enjoyed being buried against her plush tits. But all he could think was, This is the last time. The last time he'd smell her or feel her touch because he'd fucked up majorly in skipping the surgery and now paid the price. Since he didn't expect he'd get another chance, he whispered, "I love you," which only caused her to rock and hug tighter. In a voice thick with tears, she retorted, "This better not be one of those goodbye speeches. You're going to be fine. We'll get you in for that surgery, and ever
Doctor's Pet. She read the title in gleaming silver letters on the back of Derrick's chair as he whipped by with a whoop, well ahead of his brothers in their own colorful chariots. When she'd come across some orderlies watching something out the window, she'd not expected to see the Grayson clan gathered out front, clapping and hollering at the participants in the wheelchair races. It wasn't even just Derrick and his brothers playing. They'd gotten several other patients to join in too. Given the speed at which they raced, a fear for their safety made her want to march out that door and tell them to stop, but an old adage came to mind-boys will be boys. And men would do stupid things that resulted in stitches for, as Stu said upon meeting her, "Shits and giggles." The main surgeon for the rehab center came to stand beside her. "Looks like fun," he noted. "Yes. Dangerous, though," she added. "These men have been to hell and back. Do you really want to
The feel of her on his fingers proved exhilarating, but it couldn't compare to her intoxicating taste. A man parched, Derrick lapped at her, savoring her womanly cream and humming with pure male satisfaction at how she clenched and pushed against him, her body craving more of his touch. He couldn't have stopped if he wanted to. Too long he'd craved her. Too long he'd denied the unmistakable truth. Janine is mine. And for this moment at least, he couldn't find the strength to push her away. I'm tired of fighting what I want. Time for a little selfishness. He lapped at her sweet button, feeling it swell at his flicks. He pumped his fingers in and out of the moistness of her sex, loving how she gripped him tight. Her excitement built, reaching a crescendo, and he felt just as coiled as her, poised on the edge. He pistoned his fingers in her as his lips pinched her swollen button. A low cry began to keen from her lips. She smashed a pillow over her face as her body arched
Something woke Janine from a light slumber. She lay in bed, one half of her face squashed against her pillow, listening. Not even the creak of joists shifting broke the heavy silence. Holding her breath a moment longer, she tested the ambiance of the room. Is anyone here? Am I alone? Her senses craned, seeking that sense of vitality that only another person could emit. She sought another presence, a reason for waking, and felt nothing. She exhaled with relief. No bogeyman tonight. For those who might mock her, she had no problem admitting a fear of the dark, especially the particular shade it achieved in the middle of the night. Dark deeds often happened under night's shadow. And sometimes a little girl wakes and opens her eyes to see bloodshot ones staring right at her. The shriek she uttered proved piercing. The scarier thing? Daddy screamed at an even higher pitch. But that had happened a long time ago. Only the one time, but it left an impression. She'
The tingling awareness of her presence faded as Janine moved from the doorway of the game room. He'd known she watched him. Felt her eyes on him the moment she appeared and missed her gaze when she left. It took him gripping the wheels of his chair not to chase after her. Having her out of his line of sight didn't sit well, and not just because of all the people roaming around. Earlier, when they'd first arrived, he'd also hated sending her off into the kitchen with her mother. Then again, it was probably a good thing Red didn't stay because the first thing Derrick tried to do was get her out of his life. "I want a new shrink." On his way to a bar, fetching a drink of something with a fiery kick, Orson paused. "Is there a problem with my daughter?" "No." "Then why the request?" The council member uncorked a decanter and poured some amber liquid into glasses. He handed one to Derrick before taking a seat on the couch. "Do you want her removed because she's
Despite the mishap in locating Derrick-I really thought I'd have to hunt him down and force him-the road trip passed rather peacefully. Despite the sexual tension between them, there was also a genuine like for one another, and when he wasn't barbing her or trying to push Janine away, they could have the most interesting conversations. It passed the long trip. While Derrick started out driving, the highway part of the route being the longest, she took over once they hit an exit. She made sure to give him a pit stop so he could use a washroom, and she said not a word about the fact that he took a few minutes longer than other people to do his business and glared at those who dared to complain outside the locked door. As she took the familiar twists and turns to her parents' house, she couldn't help a touch of anxiousness. How would her stepdad react? With her, Orson was the most lovable teddy bear a girl could ask for, but with anyone he thought threatened her? Poor Jeremy w
Red stalked into his room, swinging the door open in a familiarity that apparently didn't see a need to knock. "Derrick, we need to-Uh. Oh." Her outburst ended on a gasp. Probably because she got more of a glimpse than she expected Splayed on top of covers still drawn tight, one hundred percent naked, and bound-the height of emasculation-he glared. "Were you raised in a barn?" Something his mother used to accuse him of when he lacked manners. His Aunt Joni took great offense at that expression and claimed it was those raised as ci-diots that were the problem with morality nowadays. A shame they feuded for years on end. Aunt Joni's pie was worth the occasional brawl between sisters. Janine's head ducked. He could only imagine the pinkness of her expressive cheeks. "Sorry. I didn't think. I'll come back later when you're not so, um, er, tied up," she stammered. The things she could do to me right now? For a moment, he almost imagined a spark, enough that he said t