by Liza Street
She came back up to the shore to sit next to him. He flicked a glance over to her. She was sitting a little closer than she had been. What torture was this? Close enough to smell, close enough to reach out and touch.
“What do you miss the most?” he asked her.
“About…?”
“About home.”
“What I miss most is my sister, and she’s not there anymore.” She was quiet for a moment before continuing, “It only felt like a real pride because Sarah was there. She was my only family—our parents died when we were small. When Sarah died, I didn’t know what to do or where to go.”
“That makes sense.” He’d felt something similar when Garth died. Only his goal had been clear: avenge his brother’s death. He’d searched everywhere for the man who’d called him, who’d killed Garth. Failing that, he’d fought his way through the territories before coming back to his clan. And he’d kept on fighting.
Lena grabbed his flask and took another sip of the moonshine. She grimaced at the lake.
He wanted to cheer her up, but he wasn’t sure how. “Tell me more about your life before Sarah died.”
“It was…it was nice. Even after our parents died in a territory battle, we did okay. We had our own little place off of the shifter compound. It gave us some distance from Shaw’s brutality. We had enough of an inheritance to not work, but we got jobs waiting tables at a diner in town. Usually we got to work the same shift.” Her voice broke, but she smiled. “We were best friends.”
Carter couldn’t hold his hand back. He reached for her and tugged her against his side. Amazingly, she didn’t pull away and instead leaned her weight against him.
Lena took another sip from his flask, then resolutely capped it and set it on the ground at her side. “We didn’t have many friends inside the pride or out of it, but we had each other, and that was all we needed.”
“My brother was like that for me,” Carter said. “Our folks are still alive, but they left us to our own devices, for the most part. I’m glad you had your sister.”
“Me, too. But still, Shaw was always watching us, checking in.” She was quiet for a moment. “He was obsessed with our bloodline, and it turned out he’d made some agreement with our parents that he would marry Sarah. He started…courting her, for lack of a better word, when she turned twenty-one.”
So much for Carter trying to steer this conversation to happier times. But it seemed Lena needed to talk about it, so he’d listen to anything she wanted to say.
“He’s a violent person,” Lena said. “But I thought he really loved Sarah. She didn’t love him, I realize that now. Her submission was about fear. I was too absorbed in my own life and in adjusting to moving into Shaw’s mansion.”
“You lived with him?” Carter said in surprise.
“Yeah. He wanted us both there, he said, and I thought it was a sign of how much he loved Sarah, that he was willing to let me live with them. Now I realize it was another sign of his control.”
Carter pulled her tightly against him again. She wrapped an arm around his back. He’d known that they were sexually compatible—the night in his cabin had proven that—but he was surprised at how nice and comforting it felt to just hold her in this quiet way. This wasn’t a prelude to sex or anything like that, just pure companionship. He remembered what Jase had said about Lena being Carter’s mate. His chest felt full and tight at the same time.
Lena’s breath hitched.
“What is it, kitty cat?” he said in a gentle voice.
“I think—I think he’s followed me here.”
Carter stared at her. “Into the Junkyard?”
That would be some high-level obsession. Shaw would be stuck here along with her, and no longer alpha of his pride.
“Not Shaw personally, no. He was obsessed with our bloodline, but he sent me here when I refused him. Now he knows that I know he murdered Sarah. I think he wants to keep me quiet.”
She gave him a meaningful look, and Carter began to put the pieces together.
“So, Mathers, Barnum, and them coming after you two days ago. You think that was Shaw’s doing?”
“Yes.”
A slew of promises was on Carter’s tongue. I’ll protect you. I’ll kill them all. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. But Lena had shown, more than once, that she didn’t want that from him or anyone. Allies, yes, she’d appreciate those. But bodyguards, not so much.
Instead of talking, he let her lean against him and they watched the still surface of the lake, and his fishing line that looked like it would never catch a fish.
“How about you?” she murmured. “What was life like for you, before coming here?”
“Lots of fighting,” he said, letting her hear the growl in his voice.
“I bet.” She leaned back slightly. “Why do you do it, really? And don’t tell me it’s because you like it.”
“That’s part of it, truly,” he said.
“And the other part?”
Her blue eyes were so brilliant and trusting, he didn’t want to disappoint her. He also didn’t want to say anything about Kyle and risk spoiling this new truce between them.
He inhaled, pulling in her scents of mint and metal.
“You don’t have to tell me.” She sounded disappointed, but accepting.
“No, it’s all right. It’s just…I should’ve been there to back up my brother. Instead, I didn’t go to his fight. The asshole who fought him got away, and I guess a part of me has been fighting that guy every day since. But not the real guy, because I could never find him. Instead, every other opponent I meet is a stand-in.” He sighed. “I know it doesn’t make sense.”
“It does,” she said, touching his arm.
He looked down at her again. She looked so pretty, the sun sparkling off the lake and reflecting onto her face, making her full lips shine. So sweet, so kissable.
As if she could read his mind, she sat up on her knees and kissed the corner of his mouth. He groaned with need, but he decided to let her take control of this moment. Would she take it any further?
Gripping his shoulders, she pressed another kiss to his lips. The scent of her desire swirled in the air around him, a heady, potently sweet scent.
The kiss went on, and when he felt her soft tongue against his lips, he opened his mouth and kissed her in earnest. He moved his hands to her hips and lifted her until she straddled his lap.
“Carter,” she murmured, grinding against him.
Yeah, he was hard as anything, and the heat of her pussy only exacerbated the problem growing against his zipper. He’d take her right now, but he needed to keep her safe while he did it.
“My cabin?” he asked.
She leaned back and lifted off her shirt. Her breasts, tipped with those dusky pink nipples, were so tempting. He reached toward her, but she stood up, out of his reach.
He groaned again. “Fuck, kitty cat, you’re gonna kill me.”
Grinning, she said, “Okay, let’s go to your cabin. Race you there.”
She stripped out of her jeans. Her clothes went to the ground and she dropped on all fours. Visions of mounting her from behind took his mind and he rubbed his own dick, trying to relieve the ache. White light surrounded her, and then she was a mountain lion.
Finally he realized, in his lust-addled brain, what she meant by racing him there. He tore off his own clothes and shifted into his bear. They each picked up their garments with their teeth. Her blue eyes sparkled, and then she tore into the woods in the direction of Carter’s cabin.
He raced after her in his bear form, not half as light on his feet as his little kitty cat mate, but just as determined to get to the cabin quickly. She ran ahead, her golden fur catching light and shadows from the sun streaming through the forest branches above.
They reached his cabin, and Lena shifted into her human form at the same time he did. A smile played on her lips.
“Get your sexy ass inside my cabin,” Carter said. “Now.”
13
Lena shivered at the commanding note in Carter’s voice. When she didn’t move immediately, he walked over and spanked her ass, hard.
“Ow,” she said, before staring up at him in shock. Warmth spread from her ass cheek to her pussy, desire growing as a ball of pleasure in her lower stomach. “I kinda liked that.”
“I bet you did,” he said, gripping her arm. “If you don’t get inside on your own, I’ll have to drag you.”
Every word from his mouth turned her on more. Eager to see where this was going, she opened the door and stepped into the cabin.
It had been a few days since she was last in here. She looked around with interest, noting that everything was the same, from the worn table and the metal chair sitting next to it, to the twin mattress in the corner covered in a blue and green quilt. The floor was made of hard-packed dirt, but a couple of rugs rested on it, and they looked like they’d been swept clean.
“On the bed,” Carter said. “Lie back.”
She jumped to comply, but when he knelt in front of her, she sat up so she could kiss him. He allowed the kiss, his lips and tongue moving against hers in a way that blatantly signaled sex. Slippery, sensual movements. He held her to him with one hand and with the other, he cupped one of her breasts. Lena gasped at the hard pinch he gave her nipple, but his callused fingers were immediately rubbing over the aching bud.
Moisture gathered between her legs. She felt out of control, so full of desire she could burst.
“Please,” she said against Carter’s lips.
“Please what?”
“Dammit, Carter—fuck me.”
“Gladly.”
He reached to the side of the mattress hidden by the quilt. His hand came back with a brand new box of condoms.
She didn’t know whether to be indignant or impressed. “You got the condoms anyway.”
“Caitlyn gave them to me that night when I stitched your shoulder.” He dropped the box on the bed next to them and tilted Lena forward so he could peer at her back. “It’s looking good, actually. But it looks like there’ll be a scar when it’s completely healed.”
“I don’t mind scars,” she said, reaching for the condoms and ripping open the box. She had more important things on her mind than her shoulder. Mostly, Carter’s shoulders. And the rest of his body. Especially his dick, which she wanted inside of her right the fuck now.
Laughing at her eagerness, he pushed her onto her back and began kissing his way down her neck, between her breasts, and over her stomach.
“Wait—” she gasped.
He stopped immediately. “What is it?”
“I thought we were going to fuck.”
“Oh, we will, kitty cat,” he said, returning to her stomach, where he pressed an open-mouthed kiss over her belly button. “I just need to taste you first.”
He held her thighs open, baring her to his heated, icy-blue gaze. “Is this okay?” he asked, looking away from her pussy to focus on her face.
She nodded. “Yes.”
Lowering his head, he gave a single wet lick to her center. She nearly flew off the bed, it felt so good. She felt as if she were floating and shaking all at once, that the ball of pleasure in her lower stomach was filling too fast for her to contain.
He licked her again and she felt him smile against her when she started gasping out every swear word she could think of. He slid two fingers inside of her and continued licking and sucking, focusing more of his attention on her clit.
She tried to tighten her thighs over his head, but he held her open, his shoulders and hand straining against her. She reached down to hold his hand. He interlaced his fingers in hers and she focused on that contact, that care, while her body exploded in ecstasy and she shouted his name.
His fingers remained in her pussy while she trembled around him, her hips bucking with the aftershocks of her orgasm. When he finally pulled away, he licked his lips.
“Satisfied?” he asked, his blue gaze crashing into hers.
His cock was hard, jutting from his body like a firm temptation.
“Not yet,” she said, pointing at his dick. “I believe you promised me that.”
“My insatiable kitty cat.” Grinning, he took a foil packet from the box and tore it open.
She watched, entranced, as he rolled the condom over his length.
“Do you like it from behind?” he asked.
“Love it that way,” she said, flipping over without being told.
His palm cracked against her ass cheek and she yelped. Immediately, he placed a kiss against the sting.
“So beautiful,” he said, then adjusted his position so he was kneeling behind her.
He didn’t thrust inside immediately, and Lena held her breath, waiting. But he took his time, running his hands over her back and ass, then squeezing her hips. The man was torturing her, making her wonder when he’d finally get on with the good stuff.
“What are you doing?” she finally asked.
“Savoring you. I’ve been thinking of this moment since the last time you were in my cabin,” he said.
She felt his tip against her entrance, but he didn’t move to put it inside of her. She arched back, trying to take it herself, but he spanked her again. Not hard, just enough to make her try to be still for him.
“Carter,” she said, “please.”
“Music to my ears,” he whispered, leaning over her back.
His heat spread through her body. His cock rubbed against her folds. Even though she’d just come, she was pretty sure her second orgasm wasn’t far away.
Slowly, he pressed inside of her heat. He moved slowly, allowing her to get used to his girth. She gasped and gripped the quilt in her fists. Her entire body was taut with desire.
“Fuck,” Carter said. “Fuck, you feel so good, Lena.”
He began to glide in and out of her, slowly at first, and then more rapidly. He pressed kisses against her shoulders and reached around her with one arm to grip one of her breasts. She arched her back and pushed into him, inviting more friction, faster.
His kisses on her shoulders became rougher, his teeth grazing her skin. She moaned at the sensation and rocked back and forth to meet each of his thrusts. Lifting one of her hands, she brought it to her clit.
“Yes, that’s good, Lena,” he said. “I can feel you squeezing me with your pussy. Come for me, kitty cat.”
She did as he asked, her body obeying without thought. The orgasm tore through her, pleasure and desire exploding outward. Carter lifted her so that she was upright against him, both of them kneeling on the mattress, her back to his front as he stroked furiously within her. He tensed up, then, holding her so tightly that she couldn’t move.
“Lena, Lena,” he groaned against her neck, his teeth scraping as he kissed and bit along her shoulder.
They knelt like that on the bed for a long moment, breathing heavily. Carter let her go, easing out of her. She collapsed against the quilt, turning sideways to watch him dispose of the condom. He returned quickly and lay next to her, tugging her against his side.
“Mine,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head as she snuggled against his chest.
She wasn’t ready to make any promises, especially in the post-coital bliss making her limbs loose and lazy, but she certainly didn’t object to being called his in the moment.
Lena woke to the sound of her name, but it wasn’t coming from the sleeping man next to her. Her eyes popped open and she stared into the darkness of Carter’s cabin. His warm rosewood scent surrounded her, promising peace and safety, but the voice outside his cabin sounded tight with worry.
She eased herself out of Carter’s embrace and found his t-shirt where he’d dropped their clothes on one of the rugs. Pulling it on along with her panties, she opened the door to his cabin and looked outside.
“Lena?” the voice called again. It sounded farther away.
Squinting through the tree trunks, Lena made out a shadowy form. She smelle
d wolf and clean earth. “Marcus?”
The form turned around and hurried toward her. When he was close enough that she could see the worry in his gray eyes, he said, “Lena, thank goodness. You’re okay? You’re—”
He stopped suddenly, as if suddenly realizing something.
“Oh,” he said. “I thought you might be hurt or—or restrained or something, because you didn’t come back to the trailer after your swim.”
“No, I’m fine. But I’m sorry you were worried. I should have let you know.”
He looked like he wanted to say something else. He could probably smell Carter’s scent all over her, and guess what they’d been doing. Lena wasn’t ashamed, but she could sense his disappointment.
“What is it, Marcus?” she asked.
He took a deep breath. “Are you happy?”
“I—yes,” she said. “Yes, I’m happy.”
It was the strangest sensation. She hadn’t been happy, not truly, since before Sarah had been mated to Shaw. And she didn’t think she should be happy when she was trapped in the Junkyard. But Carter’s arms had brought her a measure of happiness despite everything else.
“Good,” Marcus said. “I guess I’ll see you around, then. Jase is trying to organize a Junkyard breakfast in the morning. Only rule is no fighting, so…”
He trailed off and looked past her. She realized why a second later, when Carter’s warmth hit her back.
“Marcus,” Carter said in greeting.
“Carter,” Marcus said.
Lena stifled the urge to roll her eyes. They were acting like such immature assholes about the whole thing.
“We’ll be at breakfast tomorrow,” Carter told Marcus.
Lena turned slightly to cast him a sidelong glance. He didn’t get to speak for her. They’d had sex, not promised eternal love, and they certainly weren’t ready to accept invitations as a couple.
Carter cleared his throat. “At least, I’ll be happy to go, if Lena is.”
That was better. She said, “I’d love to. See you tomorrow, Marcus.”
“See you,” Marcus said, then turned around and walked back through the trees.
