Cougar

by Cougar (lit)

  Facing his Wolf was the least of my worries.

  My aching heart tried to convince me to believe his vow of honor.

  Was I a fool to listen to such an unruly organ that only brought pain? Love, the lie of life.

  And did he respect me enough not to kill me during the marking? Werewolves had lost control. Everybody heard those tales. And he could rip me apart. With his teeth. Or his body. Even his hips could crush me while his Wolf buried his seed inside my womb.

  His hands snatched up my waist, lifting me, planting me across his lap, over his rock-hard erection, my breasts fully exposed to the cool air.

  Hopefully, he could read my mind or just scent my fear. I shot him a sideways glance hoping he wasn't staring at my beaded nipples. Anything to get his attention. Nipples ought to send the message.

  He studied my profile.

  Just kiss me. Dammit.

  Was he so worried about my fears that he couldn't bring himself to just end my misery? Waiting was far worse than being finished with the possession of a Wolf bite. I slid my hand around his corded neck and pulled his mouth down over mine. To make him do it.

  Gods-be-damned. Lips of the warmest softest velvet.

  He sighed, long, sucked in deeply as if trying to inhale mine, sliding a palm up my side, touching me like I was fragile. Then his mouth softened even more against my lips.

  He was so gentle. Almost loving.

  My heart melted.

  Those tender lips of his parted, and wet heat sucked my senses down into a demanding ache between my legs.

  Why did I suddenly feel like I couldn't breathe?

  But we were practically strangers. I think. Could a stranger's kiss make me feel drugged? Lulled more deeply into his spell beyond acceptance? Because I sure was feeling pretty damned agreeable. Now, how was mating going to be between us? He could show me.

  He thrust his strong tongue into my mouth and explored every inch of me with his tongue's rough surface. Like he truly wanted me. As if I was some sacred vessel.

  He barely raked his fingers into my hair beneath one ear and turned my head to gain his tongue better access in exploring my mouth.

  More desire jolted from my heart to my groin.

  How could I suddenly yearn for him? The need made no sense. Yet, I couldn't deny my sudden hunger. The promise in the way he paid homage to my body. I could do this. Bind with this amazing Shifter. Learn to appreciate his touch. Wallow in his embrace. I rose up to match the way he devoured my mouth and clung to him.

  He jerked away, staring across the cavern.

  Like his heightened senses blared a warning.

  He roared.

  Suddenly, he tossed my tail onto hard stone beside him, into the thrashing water, and leapt to his feet only to burst out of the pool the moment my gaze landed on a male standing in the bath's entrance.

  Chapter Five

  Sierra watched as the intruder ran. Disappeared. Escaped. Not a bad idea with a pissed Jackal on his tail. Just in the nick of time. I had almost given myself to Jackal. Just like that. What happened? Time to get dressed. With speed, I managed to yank on pants and a top before the groans and moans coming from down the mountain's natural corridor ceased.

  Jackal's seething form burst back into the bath cavern.

  I tried not to focus on anything below his mouth. Hell, like he was wound up enough already.

  He scanned the space, locking a golden Shifter gaze upon me. "Good idea." He sighed. "Nobody else gets to see my woman undressed." He sucked in a deep breath and thrust a leg into a clean pair of camouflage pants.

  His woman? So he'd lost control when a male stumbled upon us. But the realization that Jackal would protect me to the extent of punishing someone for a simple misstep resonated I was safe. With him. And my Jackal could be trusted.

  We headed back to his lodge, him in his pants and boots, passing the groaning male in the dark passageway and many curious folk among the houses outside in the warm sunlight.

  Mostly young women wearing more than curiosity on their faces. More like shock or betrayal. Apparently, Jackal was quite the prize. Just how many of the lovely young things had he sampled before deciding upon me? After all, these women had wealth. Their families could buy them whatever they wanted.

  He grabbed my hand, lacing his thick fingers through mine, never looking my direction.

  Was he signaling our audience? Clarifying he'd taken a mate? With me in my tank top, they could see my shoulder or neck held no marking. But the way he held my hand stated otherwise. I was his. I followed him, the good accommodating woman.

  Before I knew it, he shoved his door inward and waited for me to cross the threshold beneath the muscles of his extended arm. This time sunlight welcomed me through the small window's bars next to the door.

  "Are you alright, Sierra?" he asked.

  Why wouldn't I be? "Yes." I shot his golden stare a glance and entered my new home.

  It was strange how everything had changed in a blink. At least Jackal seemed at ease even though his golden eyes still warned he was about to shift. "I should ask if you're okay."

  He released my hand and gently nudged me with a palm at my lower back. "There are many fools in the world, Sierra. I'm not about to let them disrespect you."

  The determination in his gaze, the type of look that insisted I believe him, made my knees wobble. Or maybe it was the kiss. After the way he exploded in anger with the intruder at the pool, only a fool would doubt his message. I stepped into the room.

  He smiled. "I'll be right back. Lock the door behind me. Only open the door if I speak to you."

  Was life in the village that dangerous?

  His form sauntered directly away from the wooden doorframe, across the hard-packed ground trodden by who knows how many villagers, toward other buildings. But he glanced over his shoulder at me.

  Probably checking to ensure I did as instructed.

  Okay. I shut the door's slab of wood and blocked out the brightest sunlight.

  All but the light shining through the windows. A beam of wood had been propped up against the wall behind the door. Two "locks" were placed on each side of the doorframe about four feet off the ground. I slid the rough two-by-four through both sides, hooking the beam in place to bar anyone's entry.

  If anyone was that stupid after the bath incident.

  The room wasn't really so bad. Small. But void of furniture. The two windows had been covered with metal bars to reinforce the hole in case the glass got broken. Probably because of Bounders. Just in case the alien beasts got past the wall. But plenty of light still invaded the lodge. Otherwise, the central stone-encircled hearth would provide light in the dark hours of the night. Half of the circular wall had been riddled with hooks. All sorts of firearms were meticulously hung from those hooks as if Jackal had some sort of organization with his weapons. I tossed aside my soiled clothing and turned to my firearm duffle.

  I'd give Jackal the guns to do whatever he wanted with. One by one, I hung rifles, hoping he wouldn't be too irritated if I screwed up his system.

  A knock tapped on the door.

  Maybe he'd returned.

  Sunlight danced at the crack beneath the door. I stopped at the lock. "Who's there?"

  "It's me, Sierra."

  So, Jackal tested me. I opened the door.

  He held two metal dishes.

  Food.

  "Hungry?" His cheeks split into a gorgeous grin.

  Absolutely kissable. I nodded and stepped toward the table.

  The beam of sunlight fluttered at my feet as his shadow followed in my footsteps. "Feel like talking?" He placed the dishes on the table.

  With food and a table, not a bad idea. But that damned kiss was going to haunt me until he decided to revisit it. "Sure."

  He crossed the space with ease to close the door.

  Not lock it. Just close it. Apparently, I was endangered.

  "Sit with me." He waved a large palm at one of the two chairs.

&nbs
p; Probably the hand he held my lower back with while he kissed me.

  Oh, what's wrong with me? I loved John. How could I begin to find happiness with another man so soon? Damn the aliens. They left no room for grief. Only survival. I really was just an animal. Maybe I should shift into cougar form and slip into the wilderness for good.

  Jackal settled into the seat across our small table and slid a pan to me. "When was the last time you ate chicken?"

  Oh. Dear. Gods. Chicken. I scanned the pale meaty lumps covered in thick golden gravy. Orange one-inch pieces of carrots and green peas colored the dish around one large biscuit that appeared to serve as an island offset to one side. "Eight years ago." It had been that long since I had something as perfect as Mother's chicken and dumplings or chicken pot pie.

  My mouth watered.

  My gut growled.

  "You better feed that beast before you shift," he chuckled and slid a fork across the table toward my hand. "What did you eat out in the wilderness?"

  Like Death Summit was anything but the wilderness full of human beasts. The village was so damned remote. Almost as remote as my tree house had been. "Whatever we could shoot or forage for with the seasons. John traded. Hence, the canned food and dry goods." I stuffed a piece of savory moist chicken into my mouth and tried to chew away my memories of life in a tree house with a man wielding the funniest sense of humor.

  Talk about salted perfection. Chicken tasted better than I remembered.

  Jackal smiled at me, chewing. "Bring back memories?"

  If only he knew. We ate chicken on Mother's holy days. "Can I stay?" I joked.

  He shrugged, studied his food, and stabbed a carrot. "Guess so."

  "Gee, thanks. You could act like you care." I tried not to cough up a nervous laugh.

  His golden gaze locked on mine, and he studied me. "Don't think you'll be getting away. I've pissed off a lot of women today. For you." He winked. "Tornado's just going to have to deal with any of the repercussions caused by his brilliance. Especially since I don't feel like changing my mind." He tucked the carrot between his tanned lips and smiled.

  Gods, what a possessive stare.

  A shiver zipped down my arms.

  What if I told him I wanted to stay with him? However insane it sounds. Now that I'd seen Death Summit, there was little to fear. Albeit, a village was no city. The same overlord mentality reigned anywhere a person went, even in the wild. In the cities, the only difference was Normals ruled. I had no intention of journeying into that insane realm where everyone lived the life of The Conquered. No. I'd pass on a future among the conquered. Hide my Cougar here. "Jackal?"

  He arched a dark eyebrow. The golden light in his eyes flashed back to the docile green.

  "I'll be okay here." Would he believe me?

  "Sue made the chicken." He flicked his gaze to the food and back to mine as if he didn't want to respond. "She wants to meet you. She's older. The woman who looked after my lodge before you came. She has a kindness about her. I think you'll like her."

  If Jackal said Sue was kind, it had to be true. So, Sue was history. I'll have to beat our sheets and clothes on a stone in the river to wash them myself now. Replace his help. "Okay."

  "Why did you kiss me?" His gaze slid to his food, and he cut his biscuit with his fork.

  "To make it easier for you."

  His dark eyebrow hitched as he rolled his eyes back at me. "You're the one I'm worried about. Forget about me."

  How had I ended up with a sensitive killing machine?

  We finished eating with casual conversation about the weather, the standard curfew information about sunset, and his general family history of his father having been Marine Corps, abducted by aliens, and returned to sire many Shifters with his new special modifications. Thanks to the aliens.

  His father sired him late in life but died when Jackal was three. Jackal's mother then mated with horny Tornado and had John. Both brothers were the only two of their mother's children to reach adulthood. But that was normal AEI.

  Jackal stacked the two empty pans together and shoved them aside.

  "Why lock the door? Do you think there will be trouble?" I asked.

  "I've seen men do some really stupid things."

  As in I'm female and there was a general shortage of females in small North American villages. And now the village women were upset. Joy.

  "Sierra?"

  He locked an unyielding gaze upon me. "It's time."

  Fine. Better to get the marking over with. Afterward, I could sleep on a wonderful bed. It'd been so long since I had. Besides, Jackal hadn't hurt me. He'd always protected me. I'd just pretend he was John. I rose, walked toward the bed's brown blanket, yanked my tank top over my head, and reached for my bra snap between my breasts.

  His hands gently caught my wrists from behind my back, encircling my upper body, with his warm strong arms as he pressed the heat of his iron body into my back. "Don't," he whispered. "Let me." His lips fluttered against my ear.

  Every hair on my body stiffened with a prickly chill.

  His soft lips planted a demanding kiss on my neck.

  Was it caused by the brush of his whiskers? Or I was losing my mind and giving into Earth's AEI insanity? However, he really was trying to make this easy for me. Screwing this up by having him fear he frightened me would be a huge mistake. If I cooperated enough, I'd have a mate who nobody would cross. Combine his strength with his compassion and I'd be a fool not to wallow in his bed. I turned against his massaging mouth and tickling beard to rub my palms across the warm pliant muscle of his chest.

  To face my future.

  He softly groaned, pressing his fiery breath against the bend of my neck, stirring up a rash of gooseflesh all over me while sliding his wide calloused palms to my lower back, pushing me into his beating heart and drawing my breasts slightly upward as he leaned down to plant hot kisses across my clavicle.

  Something raw and needy stirred low in my belly.

  How could he make me so needy when John was barely in the ground?

  Gods, that mouth was as magic as his soap. Maybe more. Letting him have his way would be wisest with a marking around the corner. I slid my arms around his neck to allow him better access to my shoulders, hiking my pearled nipples up against his warm supple pectorals.

  What could it hurt to take a little respite from the madness of my life? To let go in Jackal's amazing arms? To feel safe?

  A telltale hardness nudging my belly noted his readiness.

  His willingness. Would we both benefit from the bonding? He had to. But what had Tornado meant that Jackal hadn't ever stayed to be chosen by a female? Why was I special? Maybe Jackal really wanted me as his mate. At least he desired me. But would he guess I fondled him merely for survival? Or was I lying to myself about my motives while his touch loosed wave after wave of heat through my core?

  He backed his head inches away, facing me in our clench.

  Oh no. Did he wonder what I wanted? If he questioned my motives, he'd be pissed. Maybe not so loving. I inhaled deeply and stared at his lips trying to indicate I fancied his lips against mine.

  Silently, he bent down, scooping me up under my knees and back, setting me down on the softness of his bed, and claimed a seat beside me.

  The homemade frame was fashioned from wood, the headboard being bent out of shoots from young trees woven together into a lattice.

  Something to grasp. How long would I be gripping that wood? By the hungry look in his eyes, the answer could be long into the night.

  A chill shimmied down my body.

  I didn't even want to begin wondering how many of the village's daughters had clutched that portion of the bed frame. Why would it matter anyway? Here I sprawled out with John but days in the ground. Was anything sacred?

  Jackal focused on me.

  Instead of a village daughter.

  I am the woman he chose. By Tornado's words.

  And that kiss in the pool.

  Shit. I could
do this. Mate with him. He wasn't an animal. More like the most compassionate male I'd ever met. And the way he touched me…

  He bent over, caging me in his arms by placing his hands beside my elbows, slowly pressing his knees between my legs until the intoxicating weight of his warm steely chest pinned my rattling heart to the bedding.

  He sucked in a deep breath, his chest pressing into my breasts from the expansion of air. His smoldering gaze could have set the brown cotton blanket beneath me aflame.

  "I swear I won't hurt you," he rumbled.

  Aside from the fact he still wore his pants, the reassuring tone of his voice told me he spoke the truth. "That's why I chose you, Jackal."

  His golden shifter gaze widened, then zeroed in on my neck.

  Yes. The neck. A most sensitive place to loiter and dwell upon reinforcing my compliance. And if he ripped out my jugular, this insanity would end. All the more to tempt fate. I leaned my head away from him to encourage the maneuver.

  His face vanished, tucking into the nook where my collarbone met my pulse. Into the heartbeat his prickly brush of beard helped massage into my skin with the aid of his velvet lips.

  My thoughts numbed into nothing but the caressing flutter of his mouth and the flick of his hot tongue. Gods, my legs snaked around his amazing hips. All I could think about was his delicious weight. The kneading mouth latched onto my jugular. The searing heat of his tongue lathing my flesh.

  Nothing had felt that amazing in weeks. I slid my palms around the tense muscles of his back and clutched his shoulders down against my breasts.

  Security never felt so good.

  The rough texture of his hands roamed my body, down my sides, across my belly, over my thighs, and between my legs.

  Yes, there. Beyond the shivers he set off with his touch, I wanted him exploring me where he made me ache. I tried to spread my legs wider.

  Take off my damned pants. Moisten those calloused fingers inside my bare damp folds.

  His silky lips kneaded another tingling rash from my skin with each strategic place he pressed his sucking mouth, moving beneath my chin and farther upward, over my jaw. "Sierra," he whispered at the corner of my gasping mouth.