Chaob caught Carlie before she hit the floor. "You know this won't hold her still for long. Already she is growing stronger and stronger. Soon, like us, she will resist the effects." "I know, but it will last long enough for me to be on my way and at least ensure her sister is safe." "Will you prevent any from claiming her as bride?" A heavy sigh left his friend. "I wish I could, but if the gods have chosen her, you and I both know the mating fever will have its way." Unfortunately, Chaob didn't think his new bride would care for that argument. How he envied Acat when he left to meet up with the hunting party tasked with meeting the outsiders. Chaob didn't relish his role when his mate woke. With his luck, he'd get to deal with a spitting hellcat, because he didn't doubt for a moment she'd wake angry. Her spirit was one of the things he most admired about her, that and her courage. At the same time, though, her spirit made her most vexing to deal with. She didn'
Despite the lingering pain of her transformation, Carlie couldn't resist planting a kiss on his lips in her excitement. She'd done it. Changed into a jaguar! It blew her away and made her giddy, so when Chaob clasped her to him, his naked skin rubbing so deliciously against hers? Who could resist? She devoured his lips hungrily, slipping her tongue into his mouth to wrestle wetly. Moaned as he cupped her ass cheeks, drawing her closer, his hardness pressing against her lower belly. Forget the fact she'd gotten more than her quota of pleasure in the last twenty-four hours, she wanted him again. Wanted to wrap her legs around his waist and ride him like a cowgirl until she saw stars. On second thought, why not? Gripping his shoulders tight, she smiled against his lips when he didn't even grunt as she hoisted herself onto him. How she enjoyed finally meeting a man who could handle her extra size. He caught on to what she wanted quickly. His loincloth proved no barrier to a coc
Acat sensed his bride before he saw her. With lithe feline grace, she dropped from a tree in the path of the sister he'd located. His admiration at how quickly she adapted to her new self was tempered by annoyance. What is she doing here? With a growl, he rounded on Chaob who came up silently behind him. "I thought I told you to bring her to the village or stay in the ruins?" he snapped. Anywhere but here with the sibling he'd come to fetch. He could already predict trouble. Sheepish, and at the same time defiant, Chaob met his glare. "She distracted me with a rock to the head and took off. By the time I caught up, we were closer to your group than home." "She bested you?" Acat couldn't help his snort of derision, which in turn, tightened Chaob's lips. "Our bride is not some meek female willing to obey our every command." "So I've noticed." A trait he both admired and disliked, even as he often provoked her. "I see you found the sister. Any problems
Smelling, and worse, recognizing someone by their scent before she saw them seemed both natural and alien at the same time. Carlie reveled in the ability, while at the same time cringing. Just another indicator, as if the cat weren't enough, showing how far from herself she'd already gone. Shifting back to her human self, she quickly donned her jungle bikini ? in a balancing act she would have never tried just a week ago ? before dropping from the tree to land with crouched knees in front of her sister. With a flick of her neck, Carlie flipped her golden hair behind her and took in her sister's shocked face. Ruth, her hair tousled, clothing stained and worn, her features leaner than she recalled, gaped. "Carlie?" "Ruth!" A fierce joy and relief imbued her as she flung her arms around her younger yet taller sister. She held on tight as Ruth sobbed. Flustered by the sound and emotion, she could practically touch the cat, which paced in her mind with a growl. Anger heated her
Prepared, Chaob caught his mate as she slumped, his heart tight with the last glance she bestowed him. She felt betrayed. By him. But didn't she defy him first? Carlie sought to divulge their secrets, secrets that in the hands of the wrong people could destroy them. He had to stop her from speaking. She knew that and yet, she still intentionally went against their wishes and best interest. But isn't it my fault too? He'd taken Carlie as his bride, knowing she didn't believe in his gods and didn't hold the same values. Sure, he'd made no verbal promises, but it didn't mean he didn't owe her certain basic expectations, such as the right to request safety for her family and a need to reassure said family. However, some secrets shouldn't leave the jungle. So, when duty to his tribe and duty to his bride converged, which path would the gods have him choose? He feared he might have chosen the wrong one. Cradling Carlie in his arms, he waited while Acat swept the sister up a
Leaving behind two men who'd gotten their big 'O's cut short ? and feeling a little guilty about it ? Carlie found her way back to the main group, Acat and Chaob not far behind her. As she strolled alongside the warrior toting her sister, her wanna-be husbands thought to lecture her. "You will not tell her we are shape-shifters or speak of it unless she undergoes the ritual." "She is not undergoing the ritual." On this, Carlie just wouldn't budge. "It's too late for that. The males already accepted the challenge. Fear not, the outsiders are strong. They might prevail." Judging by the bruises marring the returning party, and Acat's previous colorful black eye, Carlie judged they'd do better than that. Hopefully, they didn't believe in a forced forever-after like her pair and would bring Ruth home safe and sound, if a little more worldly than before. "Why does she have to stay drugged?" She cast worried glances at her sister, who snored softly in the arms of
Carlie really tried to hold on to her anger at her abductors-slash-husbands. After all, they forced her to travel with her drugged sister, claiming it was better for her as she wouldn't panic and they'd make better time. As for the two guys they kept tied and blindfolded, Acat had this to say: "The sleeping powder doesn't affect them. They're shifters and their metabolism is strong enough to nullify its effect almost immediately." "It worked on me," she grumbled. "It used to. I doubt it will anymore." For some reason, that perked her right up. It was also just one of many shape-shifter facts they taught her as they traveled. "So, when I'm a jaguar," she asked during a question and answer period she initiated. "I hunt things, and eat them. Are those things still like in my stomach when I change back? If I yak, would it come out?" Acat didn't deign to reply, his disdain clear for questions he thought of as frivolous. Chaob, a shadow of a smirk in his l
Acat's bride challenged him at every turn. Made a mockery of his traditions. Did as she pleased. Told his secrets. Seduced him with her smiles. Lied. Laughed. Despite her flaws, she drew him, intrigued and enflamed him. Acat wanted her with a ferocity he almost feared. A passion he embraced. Defiant and unrepentant, she stood against him, arguing for her rights, defending her sister. He admired her tenacity and loyalty. Now, if only he could get her to shift that absolute trust and stubborn nature to him and Chaob. Carting her off to his hut, in primitive style ? which judging by her scent, she enjoyed as much as him ? he smiled even as he listened to her tirade, something to the effect of men living in the dark ages, to which he paid little mind. Acat had the greatest respect for women, but Carlie was more than just a woman. She was his. As her husband, he owed certain things to her; a home, the basic comforts and protections, which went without saying. But a husband neede
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