by Sadie Jacks
Out of the top of my vision I saw when he jackknifed upright. His hands found my hair once again. But instead of pushing my head down, he was running his fingernails over my scalp. Scratching the slightest bit.
The sensation washed through my body before centering in my core. I’d never thought someone scratching my head would make my lower belly tight.
He tugged at my hair.
My sex got wet.
I moaned with one of his testicles in my mouth.
His moan joined mine.
“Fuck, Ki.”
Letting it fall from my lips, I sucked his cock back into my mouth. This time, he didn’t apply steady pressure against my head. Rather, he directed me up and down, bobbing my head over him.
I used my tongue, swirling it up every side, curving it around the shaft as I moved up and down. Feeling a little more confident, I pushed my head down until his cock bumped the back of my throat. Fighting the urge to gag, I dropped my jaw and pulled him in just a little bit more.
His body twitched and a hot jet of liquid slid down my throat.
My eyes began watering as my air supply was cut off.
As soon as the last pump slid down my throat, I pulled my head from his lap. Panting, I scooted back, almost toppling off the end of the bed.
He had a huge smile on his face as his eyelids slowly closed.
“Shit.” My body was one big ball of sensation. My sex felt achingly empty, my nipples were hard, my core felt heavy and needy.
I glared at the man in my bed. It was his fault I felt like this, and he went to fucking sleep? His big body took up a lot of space in the oversized king bed. He snuffled in his sleep, turning his face into the mountain of pillows under his head.
A smile pulled at my mouth. I could finally touch someone else. Explore his body as much as I wanted. I could be held and comforted. Offer the same in return.
A wave of goosebumps pebbled his flesh. Reaching down to the floor, I grabbed the abandoned duvet. Pulling it over both of us, I slid down next to his body, and fell asleep with a smile on my face.
Chapter 29 – Ransom
“Ransom. Wake the fuck up, man.”
Someone was going to die for interrupting the best sleep of my life. I rolled over, sliding my arm over the woman cuddled against my side.
“What, Atlas?” I growled through our mental connection.
“Are you back in your human body”
“Yes. Go away.” I pulled Kiema closer to me. The events of the night rolled through my mind like a movie. If I wasn’t so fucking happy that she was in my bed, in my arms, I’d be embarrassed about losing it that quickly.
I hadn’t felt that out of my head since the first time I’d had sex. Even then I felt I had a little more game than I’d had last night with Kiema. I laughed as I remembered her glare as she slapped me.
I’d been about to beg her to touch me again. Then, out of nowhere, I get to show her how to please me. The woman was a goddess. No question.
A snore interrupted my memories. I laughed mentally. Well, as goddess-like as a human can get, anyways.
“Ransom!” Atlas yelled in my head. I got the feeling it wasn’t the first time.
“What? For fuck’s sake, Atlas. Nothing could be this important.” Not right now. I had a body to explore.
“There’s never been a recorded incident of a person turning into an animal. The closest reference we can find is in ancient textbook on mythological creatures.
Fuck. I said it again out loud for Atlas.
“Exactly.”
“What the fuck does this mean?”
“Have you been able to shift back into an animal?”
“No.” I rubbed a hand down his face. “We’ve been a little busy.”
“Doing what?”
“What the fuck do you think, Atlas?”
“Last we knew, she couldn’t be touched without severe harm. Are you telling me that, too, has changed?”
Fuckshitdamnit. “Yes. She has no reaction, outside of typical human, to my touch. In my human or animal form.”
“How did you discover this? How did you change back to human? How long have you been back in your human form?”
“What’s her pussy taste like?” Asher asked.
I ignored him even as I felt the possessive snarl building in my chest. The asshole was going to get beat.
I really wished there was a way to have private conversations on this mental network of ours. I’d get Xander and the developers to work on it.
“We discovered it when she touched me while I was still an animal. She almost lost her freaking mind when she saw me like that, by the way. But once she settled down, we figured it out.”
“Still waiting on the pussy answer, man.”
I ignored him again.
“I changed back to human after I had the thought that I would love to be able to touch her as a human. Horrible pain, mixed with some outrageous pleasure, wham-bam, I’m human again.”
“Shoulda nailed her while you were rocking that horse dick, bro.” Abruptly Asher’s connection went dark.
“I put him down, Ransom,” Saint said quietly.
“Thanks.” I smiled. “As to how long I’ve been human again? What time is it?”
“Almost 0900.”
“Shit.” My body jerked. I’d been lying next to the hottest thing on two legs for over ten hours, and I still hadn’t gotten inside her. “Ten hours. I’ll check back in later.” I shut down the connection, made sure my blocks were in place.
I had more important things to do than chat with my friends.
I slid down under the covers. The dark cave smelled like sex and our combined scents. I wondered vaguely what it would smell like to my animal.
The naked skin in front of my face pulled my focus back to matters at hand. Even with the low light, I could see perfectly. Every dip, every swell, every dewy inch.
My lips tingled with the need to feel her, taste her. Imprint her on my memory. Lowering my head, I whispered my lips over the smooth skin of her belly. Her body twisted, making me smile.
The scent of her skin made my head hazy. I ran my nose down her hip bone, inhaling as I moved towards her pussy. I was surprised to realize she had a trimmed pubic area.
Neat and tidy just like the woman herself.
Running my hands up the inside of her legs, I spent time learning the shape and feel of her skin. Her inner thighs were like the smoothest silk. The lips of her sex the softest skin I’d ever touched.
Her legs twisted in my hands, her pussy dampened. The rush of berries and amber intensified in the cave of blankets. With my new eyesight, I could see the beginnings of the cream between her lips. Unable to help myself, I dipped my head and lapped it up like the giant cat I’d been so recently.
I groaned into her body. She tasted so fucking good. Her clit came from under its hood, begging for attention. I didn’t deny its request. Flattening my tongue against it, I licked and sucked at it.
She came awake with a moan that tugged my cock from its sleep. I fluttered my tongue over her clit, holding her thighs down against the bed. Open for my pleasure, I delved the tip of my tongue into her pussy. Licking from bottom to top, I made sure to seek out and capture every drop of cream her pussy produced.
Her fingers found my head. Nails bit into my scalp, raising goosebumps all over my body. My cock jerked as she lifted her hips into my face. Shifting one hand to hold her up tight against me, I plunged my tongue inside her.
“Ransom.”
I moaned my hello inside her body.
She arched higher into my hands. Removing my mouth, I flung the covers back to the floor, exposing the length of her body. Her tits were peaked with hard nipples that begged for my attention. Her body writhed and flowed across the bed; she was caught in the spell I’d put on her.
She raised her hands, beckoning me. I couldn’t resist. Climbing her torso with my lips and tongue, I sampled every part of her on my path to her mouth. I stroked and ro
lled her nipples, bit and nibbled her collarbone, scratched her neck with my teeth.
Kiema pulled me down into the shelter of her body, wrapped her legs against my ass. My cock, long denied, slid inside her tight wet cunt like it had been made for me. Tighter than a glove, she rippled and pulled at me. Hungry muscles clasped my hard cock.
Rocking my hips back brought a distressed moan from her throat. Which turned to a blissful sigh as I slid back home. Back and forth, the wet heat threatened to shatter my patience. To demolish my restraint.
The feel of her teeth sinking into my pec trashed my concentration. I slammed my cock inside her. In. Out. I swirled my hips in a small circle on the way in. Angled my dick on the way out.
“Ran-Ranso-Ransom.”
A dark smile pulled at my mouth. This time, when I pulled out, I grabbed her hip and flipped her over. Catching the tendon between neck and shoulder between my teeth, I pushed her torso down, tugged her ass up, and punched my cock straight into heaven.
She screamed. She also pushed back, demanding I do it again. I couldn’t not give it to her. I slammed into her pussy again. With one hand, I reached down and around, thumbed her clit.
Her tight body bucked as she screamed again. “Gaia.” She pushed her ass up so high I had to let go of her neck. A reddening spot on her neck sent tendrils of pride through my chest.
Her arms braced, ass in the air, she wiggled back and forth for me. Taunting me.
I spanked her. The blooming pink shape of my hand on her ass cheek had dark delight flooding me. I swatted the other cheek.
Impossibly, she got wetter. Her pussy was drenched with her cream. She tightened around me like a vise. Her clit hardened under my thumb.
“Give it to me, Ki. It’s mine. Give it to me,” I growled as I grabbed her hips.
She whimpered.
I grabbed her messy topknot, pulled her upright. Filling my hands with her breasts, I shoved my cock in to the hilt. With a pinch of her nipple, she fell apart in my arms.
Aroused shrieks filled the room, bouncing off the walls. Her pussy clenched on my length so hard, it started my own orgasm. I reached up with one hand, clasped it around her throat loosely, and shoved my cock into her shuddering body. Once. Twice. Again.
I emptied myself into her hot wet cunt.
Her fingers were grasping the hand I had around her throat. She was squeezing my hand closed. I obliged as I felt her pussy ripple into hard waves once again.
“Fuck, Ki.” I thrust inside her, pumped twice, three times. Reaching down with my free hand I flicked her clit.
She erupted in my arms again. Shuddering, quivering, scratching. If I hadn’t been spent, I would have taken her for another round.
But my body slowly slid from the wet hot haven of hers. She calmed, going boneless in my arms. We both fell to the bed. Bodies twisted and twined together.
A soft snore left her mouth right before sleep claimed me.
Chapter 30 – Ransom
The team was talking in my head again. Yelling if I wasn’t mistaken. I just didn’t have the energy to tell them to shut the fuck up. I was drained. Pretty sure my brain was somewhere on the floor.
“Ransom, we have some news. I know you’re awake. Your brain signals have picked up again.” Dr. Fucking Atlas.
“What?” I didn’t care if I sounded like an asshole.
“Have you shifted again?”
“No. Gaia, what is with you guys?”
“According to legend, you have forty-eight hours to shift again, or you lose the ability forever.”
Huh. That was something to think about.
“If you chose to not shift…” Atlas’ voice trailed off.
My chest tightened. “If I chose not to shift?”
“Your illness could come back.”
“What the fuck?!” I shot up in bed. A sleepy Kiema pushed me away from her.
“Stop it, Ransom. It’s sleepy time.”
She’s so fucking cute. But we have a situation.
“Ki. You really need to wake up.”
I told my team that I was going to share the information with her. Various replies came through, none of which I planned to listen to.
“What, Ransom? I’m sore. You have to wait.” She curled on her side away from me.
I smirked. Fuck yeah, you’re sore. And hell yeah, there was going to be a next time. I almost pumped my fist in the air.
“Baby, the guys found out something.” I gave her the rundown.
With a snotty groan, she pushed the hair from her eyes and sat up. She was gloriously naked and didn’t seem bothered by that fact.
“What are you going to do?” Her pale gray eyes were worried.
“Well, it sounds like if I change again, I won’t need you to heal me anymore. But if I don’t change, I could need you forever. What are your thoughts?” Would she want to stay with me if I was part animal?
She nodded, a sad smile on her face. “It’s your life, Ransom. I won’t be in it much longer.” She turned away, getting off the bed.
I felt cold as her words registered in my brain.
“What the fuck does that mean?” I followed her across the bed. Grabbing her arm, I pulled her to a stop. “What about our plan?”
She turned her face away, hiding her eyes from me. “I told you: I already have plans set up with my contact. I don’t have a way to reach him to tell him they’re off. Besides, I can’t imagine you want to be stuck with me. You didn’t sign up for that. If I go with my contact, I’ll be able to heal people the way I want. Help those who have no one. I would just be a burden to you.” She walked into her bathroom, shutting the door between us.
What the fuck?
“You done yet?” Saint asked me quietly.
I looked at the door that stood between us. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am.” I wasn’t going to beg her to stay. I didn’t beg for anyone’s affections. I’d just thought…it didn’t matter now. I’d move forward with my team’s original plans. Kiema could obviously take care of herself and she didn’t need me to help her.
“Yeah, Saint. Hit me.” I walked out of her rooms and back across the trashed living room to my own.
Chapter 31 – Kiema
I leaned against the bathroom door, heart in my throat. Guess that answered that question, huh?
As the tears started to gather in my eyes, I slumped to the bathroom vanity. My hair was a rat’s nest. There was a huge love bruise on my shoulder. But overall, I didn’t look any different. Too bad I felt completely different.
I could still feel him inside me. Feel his skin as it pressed into mine. His hands as he molded my flesh. The way my sex melted and creamed for his.
I’d never felt so close to anyone as I did to Ransom. Felt understood, like I belonged in the world. As if someone might miss me when I was gone.
Right now, it felt like he’d taken a knife and ripped through me with one blow. “If I don’t change, I could need you forever.”
I gasped at the pain all over again. Need me, not want me. My parents needed me. Well, my power at least. But outside of that fact, they certainly didn’t want me. I’d thought Ransom wanted me. Wanted me for more than just my power. But apparently, I’d been wrong again.
Turning on the shower, I covered my mouth to keep my sobs from leaving the room. It would kill me if he pitied me now. Rip me to shreds and set them all on fire.
I stepped into the steamy water and raised my face to the stream. I gave myself precisely three minutes to feel the loss, the heartbreak.
Letting the water wash away my tears, I stiffened my spine. I’d been fine before Ransom. I’d be fine after him. Who knows, I might even be able to touch others now. I didn’t know.
Kiema Rosalinda Feuer didn’t need anyone in her life. I’d wanted Ransom, but he didn’t feel the same way. I was almost thirty years old. I understood that not everyone would want to be my friend. It just hurt that Ransom didn’t want me in his life, even if only as a friend.
I finished
my shower. Got ready.
Plastering a neutral expression on my face, I opened my doors.
The living room was trashed. The couch in a heap by the stone fireplace. The end tables and other armchairs had been smashed to smithereens. The only available seating was at the kitchen island. With a sigh, I moved to the big cooking space.
Ransom came from his rooms. He was wrapped in another bed sheet. This time he held it up with a couple of belts.
I almost smiled at the picture he made. It died a quick death when I saw his closed off face. The Ransom I’d spent the last week with was gone. In his place the polite, if slightly less angry, professional from the first meeting waited. At least he’s not pissed at me this time.
“Have you shifted yet?” I asked as I rooted around in the fridge. I couldn’t look at him and ask. Not without the tears falling.
“No.” His voice sounded cold.
My heart lifted just a little. Maybe he was going to keep me.
My pride smashed that idea. I wouldn’t be kept. I’d be wanted or I’d be free.
“Waiting until after dinner?”
“No.”
My shoulders inched towards my ears. His coldness felt like a thousand ice picks aimed straight at my heart.
“Okay then.” What else could I say? He wasn’t exactly inviting conversation.
“That’s it?”
I stiffened. Whirled around.
His face was tight, his eyes frosted over. His hands were clenched into fists. “You fixed me so now you’re just going to go away with some random stranger? You don’t think I can take care of you. Is that it? I’m still some Seeker who needed your help and now you don’t want me anymore?”
I slammed the fridge door shut. The bottles in the door rattled ominously. “You’re the one who said if you didn’t change, you would need me forever, Ransom. It didn’t sound like a good thing.”
He stalked me around the island. I would have smiled at the role reversal, but I was too pissed. “And neither does my illness coming back. I’m either sick and beholden to you for the rest of my life. Or I take this chance to be completely healed and live a normal life.”
