by Piper Stone
“No. No!” she whimpered. “I can’t want you. I don’t. I...”
When she tried once again to scuttle away from me, I wrapped my hand around her ankle, dragging her backwards.
“You will not do that again. Do you hear me? If you do, I will have to punish you.”
“Punish. Why?”
“So you can learn.” I yanked her another two inches then hovered over her. “You need to tell me everything about the science ward.”
“Okay. Fine.” She nodded and as raked her hands through her disheveled hair. “The place is stark but from what I was shown, the Breeds are being kept in decent quarters.”
I knew she was lying, at least about believing the bullshit she was spouting off. She was angry with what she’d seen, furious that they were being kept. The sad truth was that I needed her to return to the facility to glean more information. My inability to have any communication with the members of the Pride who’d been abducted meant they’d been drugged, dulling their senses.
And their abilities to shift.
“What experiments are being performed?” I demanded, giving her some additional space.
“We didn’t quite get to that yet. When they mentioned you, suddenly they were ripped away from the visitor’s section,” she retorted.
“What did they tell you?”
“Just that I am some savior. I don’t get it.”
“Savior. Interesting word.”
I took a glance toward the sky, squinting from the bright sun. I used to love basking in the warm glow, sharing an open field with others from my kind. But that had been when we were free. Free to roam. Free to hunt. Free to mate.
“I think they need you,” she added.
“Why?” I was beginning to see the picture, one that I didn’t like.
“I don’t know. I need to get to Dr. Porter’s notes, and they’re hidden somewhere in that damn lab. He always took handwritten notes, detailing everything about his experiments. Maybe I can find out what’s really going on behind those cinderblock walls. About this crazy myth. If humans are dying. Nothing makes any sense.”
“Handwritten?” I snarled, loathing the fact there was much about the human race that our kind hadn’t been privy to learn.
Frowning, she placed her thumb and index finger together, moving both across the palm of her other hand. “An implement allowing you to make words on paper or some other form of media.”
I thought about her request. Now that she was being watched, I couldn’t risk having her taken from me. “It’s too dangerous. You will be safe with the Pride.”
“Like hell I will. I am going to work tonight, and I am determined to find out what the fuck is going on.”
“No, you are not. You will listen and obey me at all times.”
When she kicked me in the chest, managing to scramble to her feet, I yanked her down once again. This time, I refused to give her another opportunity to fight me. Jerking her over my lap, I wrapped my leg around hers, holding her in place.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she moaned.
“Giving you exactly what you deserve. One hard spanking.”
“You’re crazy. No. No!”
“Oh, hell, yes. You don’t want to learn and that could get you killed,” I snarled and brought my hand down, enjoying the way it connected with her buttocks.
“You’re hurting me!”
“I’m just getting started. Trust me, little girl, you’re going to have one blistered bottom when I’ve finished.”
As I continued the harsh spanking, moving from one side of her rounded buttocks to the other, I realized that she wasn’t going to succumb. While there was nothing more that I enjoyed than her feisty spirit, she would need to be broken.
There was far too much danger lurking in the bowels of the city.
She pitched and rolled, managing to crawl off my lap, punching me twice in the face. “You will let me go, you beast.”
Growling, I rose to my feet, yanking her into my arms and tossing her over my shoulder.
“I’m going to kill you!” she huffed.
“You might try, but only once.”
“You can’t treat me this way.”
I took long strides until I found what I was looking for. When I planted her onto her feet, I grabbed her wrists with one hand as I fought to unfasten her pants, finally managing to drag them down her hips. I heard the sound of the material ripping, the noise and her actions pushing me to the edge.
Everything about her was far too arousing, my balls ready to explode. “You will learn to obey me, my little mate. There is no other choice.”
“Over my dead body,” she huffed, refusing to give up. When I pitched her over the fallen log, she yelped, the wind knocked out of her.
“Now your punishment is going to be much worse. I’m going to use my belt.” I wasted no time unfastening the thick leather strap, yanking it from my belt loops.
“No! Not your belt. Please.”
“Your begging isn’t going to help you now. You crossed more than one line with me.”
“Oh! Just wait, Luca. I’ll be good.”
“Promises. Promises.”
I folded the strap, bringing it down over and over again, enjoying the way her skin had already become the perfect shade of blush. Her bottom jiggled from the force, her cries penetrating the forest, the sound of birds and other wildlife scattering into the wind.
“You can’t do this. You can’t...” she growled, the sound sexy as hell.
“I can and I will. You belong to me.” I continued the spanking, issuing one brutal smack after another until she finally slumped over the log, her back heaving as she took heavy breaths. I rolled my hand across her bottom, savoring the way her skin heated my palm. My sense of smell was intensified, allowing me to catch every dazzling scent that erupted from her luscious body.
“Please. I won’t run.”
“No, you won’t. Not now. Not ever.”
I refused to let up, one coming after another, my growls permeating the forest. The heat from her skin shot into every cell and muscle, my cock aching to the point I knew I wasn’t going to stop. I could no longer focus, had no way of stopping the beast inside.
All I could think about was fucking her, taking her in every hole, feasting on her sweet pussy.
Mine.
Mine.
Mine.
Everything became a massive blur within my mind, my thoughts shifting from man to monster, no longer able to control my needs. I ripped at her clothes, yanking them away with ease, exposing her glorious naked skin.
She moaned, the sound floating into the air, fueling the raging fire.
I tugged at my clothes, my entire body shaking as the lion reared its head, longing to be set free. Freeing my cock, I kicked her legs apart and rolled my hand over my balls, squeezing until the slice of pain reminded me that at this moment in time, I was very human.
“Now, I fuck you,” I stated, the husky tone in my voice more beast than man.
“You’re a monster.”
“So you’ve said and you’re right, Clar... ise. You belong to me. You’re going to be disciplined as necessary, including being fucked when and how I desire.” I allowed the sound of her name to linger as I dropped to my knees, sliding the tip of my cock up and down the crack of her ass.
While she pushed against me, she undulated her hips.
I fisted her hair, yanking her head as I drove my cock past her swollen folds, entering her hot and tight channel. Immediately, I began to shudder, the beast clawing at my skin, my mind reeling from the way my shaft felt inside of her. I tossed my head back and forth, issuing several roars as I pumped my cock deep inside.
“Oh. Oh!” she exclaimed, arching her back and meeting every brutal thrust with one of her own. As if she hungered just as much.
As if there was no stopping her raging desire.
The way her pussy muscles clamped down over the thick invasion sent a rush of stars shooting a
cross my field of vision. She was so hot, so wet, and all I could think about was continuing to ravage her, taking her over and over again.
Clarise clawed the bark on the fallen tree, her moans floating toward the heavens, her eyes closed as I took her. The shimmer on her cheeks was breathtaking, pulling me into a moment of sheer rapture. I wanted her to come on my cock, to feel the explosion as I filled her. I thrust harder and faster, the sound of skin slapping against skin only adding gasoline to the fire.
“Uh. Uh. Uh. Uh.”
I felt her body tensing, could tell she was close to coming. As I powered into her, the force slamming her against the log, I smacked her bottom several times, one coming after the other. The mixture of agony and ecstasy crossing her face was a powerful aphrodisiac, pulling me further into the turbulent world of darkness.
Where my beast roamed.
Where the lion hunted.
Where the man claimed his mate.
“Oh, God. I’m going to... Come. I can’t. No, I can’t,” she whimpered.
“Come for me, my mate. Come when I say.”
She whimpered, her entire body shaking as she smacked her hand on the tree, her mouth twisting as she fought my command.
But there was no stopping the shooting electricity, the roaring need we both shared. “Oh, God. Oh. Oh. Oh.”
“Come. Come!” I roared.
When her body convulsed, I rode her like a crazed beast, driving savagely. I could no longer see clearly, merely going by feel as I continued pummeling into her. But as she erupted, her muscles clamping and releasing over and over again, I had to fight to keep from coming deep within her.
“Oh...” Laughing nervously, one orgasm shifted into a second. She dragged her tongue across her lips, still shaking, meeting every hard thrust.
“Now, I punish your ass.” I slipped my slickened cock to her dark hole, taking my time to slide it just inside.
Tensing, she issued a series of ragged moans, once again struggling as if I would ever let her get away. When I released her hair, she dropped her head, taking gulping breaths, every sound strangled.
After gripping her hips, I took a deep breath then drove the entire length inside, pushing past the tight ring of muscle. The heat was even more explosive, every cell and nerve in my body pulsing as the electricity roared through me. Every time I pulled out, drilling into her again, my heart hammered against my chest, releasing a little more of my beast. I was almost crippled by the strong desire to shift, trying desperately to hold on as I took her.
“So big,” she mewed, her voice skipping along my eardrums.
“And you’re so tight.” Unable to stop, I smacked her several times as I thrust brutally until I could no longer feel my legs. There was no holding back, no chance that I could savor this any longer.
I needed release.
As my balls swelled, filling with seed, the feisty woman did everything she could to take back control, squeezing her muscles.
The earth beneath us rumbled as I exploded deep within her tight channel, filling her with my seed.
Soon I would finish mating with her.
Soon I would claim what was rightfully mine.
Soon she would become my bride.
Chapter Nine
Clarise
Another murder.
Another dreaded shift with Robert.
I had to be very cautious, watching every word I said, pretending that I was completely on board with the work I was doing.
Wretched visions continued to shift through my mind, the vivid images tainted with blood and gore. They were a horrible reminder that no matter my beliefs or what I’d heard from Luca, humans had been murdered in cold blood.
“I hate this shit,” Robert muttered.
“Part of the job.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t sign on to clean up after fucking animals.”
My partner and I stood on the shores of the river, the water now tainted with blood. The stench was ungodly, my stomach churning from the odor. Even as I knelt down, using my gloved finger to slide the female victim’s hair from her face, I could barely keep from retching. Her vacant eyes would forever haunt me. Whoever had murdered the two victims had ripped out their throats. What was worse was that it appeared that claws had actually cut through the sternums all the way to their groins. No man could have the strength to do something so powerful.
But a lion could.
As if he commanded nature.
Then again, so could various manmade implements. The pompous asshole hadn’t believed me the night before. Given what had occurred with the... Breed, I doubted he would now.
I thought briefly about Luca. He couldn’t have done this atrocity himself, not since he’d spent several hours with me.
Unless he’d come from the murders prior to... fucking.
I shivered from the wretched thought as visions rushed in front of my mind. I’d been lucky to convince him to take me home, helping him understand that the only way to get answers was to follow through with my job.
“Fucking bastards. This had better teach you once and for all that we have true monsters on our hands. At least we know what we’re looking for. Fucking Breeds,” Robert huffed.
What pissed me off was that he laughed after issuing the words, as if the lives of the two victims didn’t matter.
I snapped my head in his direction, hissing, “No, we do not know what we’re looking for other than heinous creatures who decided to take two lives. Nothing says they are members of the Breeds. I’ve worked enough cases to know that humans are capable of something just as disgusting. I think it’s time we broaden our search.”
I could feel him bristling as he glared down at me, although I couldn’t see his eyes from the bright sun illuminating the once pristine rolling bank of perfectly coiffed green grass.
“And I think you need to accept that the Breeds are a mistake, a creation that should never have occurred.”
“If humans hadn’t poisoned the atmosphere, maybe we wouldn’t be dealing with them. And maybe they would be much happier.”
“Are you mocking me, Officer? I could put you on report.”
“Go right ahead, Lieutenant. I’m only stating the obvious.”
“You’re not ready for this assignment.”
After jerking to a standing position, I closed the distance, shaking my head. “I don’t know what your issue is with the Breeds, Robert, but I don’t give a shit. We have a job to do and it seems as if you’re doing everything in your power to try and pin these murders on creatures that I doubt had anything to do with it. The question is why? Why are you going to all this trouble to make certain our report implicates the Breeds? Then again, is there one Breed in particular that you think is behind this?” I couldn’t help but dare him to answer. When he didn’t, I laughed, yanking an evidence bag from my back pocket.
“You should watch what you’re saying, Officer Bastille.”
“Or what, Robert? What the hell are you going to do, run to the commander with complaints? From what he told me, Commander Martin wants to ensure that the Breeds are understood, something you couldn’t manage under any circumstances.” I didn’t mind pushing him. In fact, I wanted him to tell the commander we weren’t getting along. I needed to get into the testing facilities within the science ward in order to learn what the hell was really going on.
I couldn’t help but think whatever Dr. Porter had been working on was vital to the lives of all humans in order to know how far reaching the situation really was. I couldn’t help but wonder whether the president and his staff knew about the horrors the Breeds faced or had been snowed by pretty rooms and fast talkers.
The entire morning had been disturbing, lunch with Emily almost as fascinating as the time spent with Luca. He was larger than life, a true beast in every way. My body ached from the painful punishment and the round of rough sex.
Then there’d been the night before, the experience even more savage.
Although the details remaine
d fuzzy in my mind, as if I’d been half asleep while Luca had... taken me, I was able to remember enough.
Or maybe I’d been dreaming.
Or fantasizing.
But today had been very real, his concern and his actions a clear reminder something underhanded was going on. Why had I been followed? Who had the two men been working for? DSIC or something far more sinister? So far, Robert hadn’t mentioned a thing. I knew him well enough, I realized that he would gloat on it, lording it over me in order to keep me in line. Whatever the case, the risk was one I had to take.
My orders after work? Go home immediately and anticipate a visit. For what? Another round of... mating? I had difficulty swallowing as I thought about the ramifications.
Even attempting to drink caffeine had proven to be disastrous, and food? There was no way I could eat.
Maybe my high anxiety was pushing me, even attempting to make Robert angry. The truth. I continued to think about Luca’s words, even though I wasn’t certain what they meant.
While Robert’s jaw clenched, he simply remained where he was, his body tensing. “Collect the freaking evidence, Officer. Then you and I are going to have a long talk about protocol.”
“Why, certainly, Detective.” Ignoring him, I moved to the second victim, swallowing the bile before it got the better of me. I couldn’t imagine the kind of sick fuck who’d done something like this.
But I also refused to believe that it had anything to do with the Breeds.
As I studied the area surrounding the bodies, scanning for any evidence, I had difficulty getting Luca’s face out of my mind. He was a ferocious man. Or beast. Or... lion. I bit back a nervous laugh before noticing some kind of metal, the glint highlighted by the sun. As I pulled it into my hands, I snarled. I’d done enough of the farming work at my parents’ place to know what the tine of a steel-headed cultivator looked like. Only this one had been sharpened. Now I had the evidence needed.
This was nothing more than a setup, an attempt to frame the Breeds. Or the lions. The second I eased the tip into the bag, I felt Robert’s presence behind me.
“I warned them that you’d be a pain in the ass, but they refused to believe me,” he said in a husky voice.
