by Lia Davis
She didn’t respond. The lack of personal effects around his room told her he didn’t actually live here. She was betting he only had enough food for one person to survive on for a couple of days. Damn it. Why had she wandered so far?
You are much stronger that this. She turned to study his profile and the play of emotions. Placing a hand on his bicep, she breathed in his scent and let it penetrate every fiber of her being. His eyes closed, but he didn’t pull away from her.
Mine.
The word startled her. At that moment, Travis turned his head to lock gazes with her. The raw need still flashed in those gold-brown eyes.
“I’ve trained to fight, navigate the forest by scent, and outsmart my brothers, but I’m not strong enough to see this through alone.” Relief flooded her when he didn’t break eye contact.
“I can’t make any promises.”
She smoothed her hand along his arm and slid it up to his shoulder then his jaw to cup his cheek. “I’m not asking for any.”
Without warning, her body convulsed as another wave of heat rolled through her, tightening her muscles and bringing forth a need unlike anything she’d ever felt.
Chapter 3
Travis’s heart clenched as another muffled scream tore from Shayna. He’d been intrigued by the female’s scent before he reached her in the woods, but it was dulled by his need to destroy the creatures who hurt her. Now, the over powering sweet scent of her made it harder than hell to walk away.
And she was in heat.
Usually it wouldn’t be an issue, but this was her first cycle. It was hitting her hard, causing an unbearable pain that would only be relieved by a male deep inside her, spilling his seed. Or so he’d heard. By the way Shayna lay curled up, he was betting the stories weren’t far from the truth.
I can’t make any promises.
He winced at his own words. They were true, but he still felt an odd need to take them back. He had a daughter to care for and keep safe from the Onyx Pack; he couldn’t offer a future for anyone else.
Fuck.
The rogues were most likely searching for Shayna and her heat scent would lead them right to the cabin. Hell, her scent was driving him and his wolf crazy.
Peering down at her, he placed a hand on her arm and her head snapped up in his direction. Her Caribbean-blue eyes darkened as her pupils narrowed into cat-like slits. Damn. It was hitting her faster than he expected. He slowly moved to get off the bed, very much aware she watched his every movement.
Finally standing, he had no time to react when she pounced on him, sending him flat on his back on the floor, her recent injury clearly not on her mind. Shayna’s deep breaths and the desire in her gaze told him there was no out. The tiger had caught her prey, and God help him, he was going to enjoy pleasing her appetite.
When she pressed her lips to his bare chest, pricks of hot desire shot through his veins, and his already hard cock pressed painfully against the zipper of his jeans. Her fangs grazed his skin, causing him to suck in a breath.
Her chilled fingers brushed his waist as she started to unbutton his pants. He grabbed her wrists, only to have her jerk them away and slap at his hands. She released a low growl and he breathed her peaches and cream scent in deep. Yes, he was stronger than she was, and he could overtake her in an instant.
However, he knew that among cats, it was the female that sought out her male, and it was the female who had the last say. Denying her would only make the heat cycle more intolerable.
But, he could try to reason with her. He hoped. “Shayna.” He ran his fingers through her hair, still damp from her shower, and she purred. “I won’t deny you. Let me help you.”
Her gaze met his. She tilted her head to the side, and a smile lifted her full lips. With a quick jerk, she popped the button from his jeans then proceeded to lower the zipper. She wasn’t hearing him, not fully. The need had taken over.
Was this what prey felt like on the hunt? Somehow, he doubted it. Personally, he’d never seduced his food. However would enjoy being her love slave for however long this would last.
He felt his jeans being tugged down, and when her cool hand wrapped around his erection, his hips jerked and he groaned, all the reasons of why this might end badly for the both of them lost.
She crawled up his body, and before she could position herself over him, he flipped her over, pinning her to the floor. She snapped her teeth at him.
“Stop,” he commanded.
She stilled, most likely recognizing the power of the Alpha in his tone. She whimpered and moved against him. He breathed in deep, gathering what was left of his control. Leaning into her and brushing his lips against her ear, he whispered, “Are you wet?”
Her answer was a soft moan as she rubbed her face against his.
“Should I check?”
“Please…” Her words were husky and barely audible. “It hurts. Make it stop.”
His heart thumped heavily behind his ribcage. “Shh.”
He traced his fingers over the curve of her breast, stopping at her hard nipple through the T-shirt he’d lent her. She gasped and arched her back, pressing into his touch.
“Travis. Please…”
With a growl, he stood, removed his pants the rest of the way, and picked her up. He laid her on the bed and ripped the sweats and tee from her. She slid her hand down her body to her pussy.
Dear God, help him.
She was beautiful, sensual, and his.
Taking hold of her hand, he pinned it against the mattress above her head and captured her lips in hard kiss. She released a purr that vibrated on his chest then wrapped her legs around his waist and drew him into her, too fast for him to pull away. His cock slid past her damp curls and deep inside. She broke the kiss with a cry. At first, he thought it was out of pain, but she moved against him in a sensual rhythm that almost made him come. Relief dissolved his cautiousness, replacing it with desire and a need to give her what her body demanded.
He released her hand, and he cradled her head in both his hands so he could look into her blue eyes as he slid his cock in and out of her hot pussy. He knew the moment she teetered on the edge of an orgasm. She sank her nails into his shoulder. The pain shooting through him intensified his pleasure. She screamed her release at the same time his world exploded.
***
Shay lay boneless, certain that she wouldn’t be able to move, ever. When strong male arms snaked around her, she allowed Travis to roll her on her side and press his front to her back. His sandalwood scent invaded her senses and warmed her from the inside out.
At least she no longer had the urge to attack him like a horny, wild beast.
She frowned. That’s exactly what she’d done.
Guilt started to creep into her mind. What had she done? “Travis?”
He squeezed her closer and nuzzled her nape. “Shh. Go to sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.”
She smiled at the undercurrent of a demand in his words while he held her so gently. A yawn shook her and made her eyes water. She managed to get an, “I’m sorry,” out before sleep consumed her.
She woke to the morning sun peeking through the blinds, casting streams of light across the bed. Rolling over, she found that she was alone. She frowned and flipped the covers back, swung her legs over the side of the bed as she sat, and shivered as cool air kissed her bare skin. She scanned the room. Her gaze landed on a pile of neatly folded clothes on the dresser.
She slid off the bed and padded over. The clothes were the jeans and sweater she’d worn last night, and they’d been cleaned. Her heart swelled at the gesture, but at the same time guilt burned in her belly and grew.
She dressed, relieved to have undergarments and clothes that fit her, although being in Travis’s sweats and tee had made her feel a little naughty and claimed. Last night had held a lot of firsts for her, and God, it felt good to be taken by that wolf.
He’d said he couldn’t make promises.
She winced at the mental rem
inder and shook herself out of the girly fantasy that the sex had meant anything. He’d been doing only what she demanded of him, to relieve the painful need.
Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and walked out of the room and down the short hallway. In the living room, Travis sat bare-chested on a low footstool in front of the fire, fiddling with a disassembled laptop.
She sat down on the edge of the sofa, and he lifted his head. Their gazes locked for a brief moment before she peered down at the computer mess in his lap.
“What are you doing?”
His lips twitched slightly. “Morning.”
“Oh. Morning.” Her cheeks warmed, and she looked around the room, trying to focus on something else besides the awkwardness between them and the rising desire thumping in her veins at being so close to him. Somehow she knew, even if she went to sit across the room, the sexual heat would still exist.
He went back to work on the laptop. “I’m installing a new modem.”
She stared at him, not knowing a thing about computers other than how to turn them on and surf the net. “Do you have service out here?”
He shook his head. “Nope. This is a satellite modem. I’m hoping to gain access to my email account.” When she didn’t respond, he looked at her and chuckled. “This modem receives signals from the satellites instead of the radio waves like regular wireless.”
Excitement fluttered in her chest. “You’ll get a signal?”
“I hope so. I need to get a message to my mother.”
She stifled a giggle. He was definitely an alpha male, but to hear him say “mother” with as much emotion as he did tugged at heart. She’d never known a mother’s touch other than Luna, but the Alpha wolf mothered everyone in the den. “Your mother?”
“Yes. She and Josie are…somewhere safe.”
His hesitation was like a stab in the gut. He didn’t want her to know where they were, as though she might be a threat to them. Then again, she was a stranger and had no right to be in his life. So why was she still here? Her hip was healed, and she was perfectly able to shift.
She stood, moved to stand in front of him, and held out her hand. “Thanks so much for fixing my hip and helping me.”
He lifted a brow as he glanced from her hand to her face. “Sit down. You’re not going anywhere.”
Shock, followed by anger, bubbled inside her. “Excuse me?”
He nodded to the sofa. “I’m almost finished with this.”
She didn’t move, just stood there glowering at him. “Am I your prisoner?”
His head snapped up, and his eyes darkened. “You are no one’s prisoner, but you are mine to protect.”
Oh great. Another male that thought she needed protecting. “I’m capable of protecting myself.” She pivoted and marched toward the door. When she grasped the doorknob, his words stopped her cold.
“You’re my mate, and there’s a possibility you could be pregnant.”
Chapter 4
Travis cursed low as he watched Shayna turn from the door to face him. Her expression held disbelief and shock but was quickly replaced with realization. She knew it was true. He saw it in her blue eyes and had scented it in her when they made love last night and again this morning. The connection was forming, strengthening.
The bonding had begun.
He watched her hands fall to her flat stomach. She started to sway, but he was there to catch her before her knees gave out. Walking her over to the sofa and helping her sit, he squatted in front of her. He touched her cheek to force her to look in his eyes. “We are mates. You do feel it, right?”
“I’m not sure…”
Fuck. Okay, asshole. Breathe.
“What do you feel when I touch you?”
Her cheeks turned pick, and she averted her gaze. “Hot. The fever and need returns, but it could be my heat cycle…”
He shook his head to silence her. “The worst of it is over. Sure your sex drive will be more intense for the next couple of days, but not like last night, unless we are mates.”
Confusion clouded her beautiful features as she held his gaze much too long before speaking. “Last night was the first time I’d…been with a man.”
He let his shoulders fall, and his knees touched the floor as he took her hands in his. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry? I attacked you, begged you…”
He shook his head without breaking eye contact. “I did nothing I didn’t want to do.”
She didn’t look very convinced, so he stood and went back to his stool. Picking up the computer, he reassembled it, hyper aware she was watching him. Her scent no longer held fear, leaving her natural peach fragrance he’d smelled while she slept.
After he got the computer back together, he pressed the power button and smiled when it fired to life. He wasn’t a techie person, but he knew enough to get by. He so hoped the modem worked because he wanted one more day with Shay before leaving for the safe house. Plus, he figured she’d like to get a message to her family as well.
“Is it working?”
Shay’s scent filled his senses as she hovered behind him. He knew the instant she moved closer, but the hint of her warmth and incredible peaches-and-cream scent nearly knocked him off the stool. It was all he could do to keep from carrying her back into the bedroom and ripping her clothes from her body.
He double clicked on the internet browser. “Shit.” The white screen with the message “This page cannot be displayed” mocked his attempt at communication.
“Maybe it’ll work better outside.”
He smiled. She’d spoken what he thought. Standing with the laptop in hand, he motioned her to follow him out the back door.
Outside, he placed the small computer on a weathered picnic table and sat down. Shay sat next to him, not saying anything, but he felt the anticipation drifting from her. After a few moments, a message popped up in the right hand bottom corner of the screen, indicating the strength of the signal.
Pointing at the message, he said, “There’s a signal but it’s not very strong, and I’m not sure how long it will last.”
He peered over at her. She had her lower lip trapped between her teeth. She lifted her lashes and met his gaze. “You go first,” she said.
“Are you sure? I could always try a different spot if we lose connection.”
She nodded. “Then I’ll try later.”
He clamped his molars together. She was frightened again, nervous about something, but he didn’t call her on it. Instead, he opened his online email account and waited for the incredibly slow connection, praying it wouldn’t kick him out before the page loaded.
Relieved the signal held, he logged in and sent a short message to his mother and daughter.
Something’s come up. I’ll be there soon. Love you two.
When he looked back at Shay, she was frowning. “I don’t want to be the reason to keep you from your family.”
He growled low. “You’re not.” He pushed the computer closer to her. “Now send an email to your family.”
She shook her head, drawing another growl from him. She snapped her head in his direction and narrowed her eyes. “They will trace the IP. I can’t…” She turned her gaze from his and stared at the screen. “I can’t see them now. Not until I figure out what’s going on.”
Between us was left unsaid, but he caught her meaning. “Where are you from?”
“Ashwood Falls.”
Fuck. “Keegan Andrews is your father?”
She turned back to him, shock written on her face. “How did you know?”
“There is only one white tiger that lives in Ashwood Falls, and she’s the adopted daughter of the leopard Alpha. Most of the larger Packs know that. I don’t know why I didn’t put two and two together.”
“You see why I can’t go home right now. They will kill you, or force you into a mating.” She squared her shoulders and pushed the computer back. “I’m not doing it.”
&nb
sp; He inhaled deeply to calm his mounting irritation with this stubborn female. “That’s a chance we’ll have to take. Besides, we are mates. They wouldn’t be forcing anything.” He pulled the computer closer to them. “Now send the damn message or I’ll send one through the Pack network.”
The Pack network was a secure online database set up about ten years before to help Packs stay in touch and informed. If everyone used it, the Packs could provide more support for each other. Travis did know that Ashwood, the leopard pack, and MoonRiver, the wolf pack, were connected to the network, and the two had merged into one living community now called Ashwood Falls.
He would out her to all the Packs if he had to. It was his duty to do so as the Alpha of what was left of the Hunter Ridge Pack. “Shayna,” he warned.
She cut her eyes at him and let out a soft growl. “Just because you believe I’m your mate doesn’t give you the right to boss me around.” She pounded on the keyboard of the laptop. After her email account was up, she sent her message.
I’m safe. Just need to clear my head.
“That’s it? Do you want them to come looking for you?”
She folded her arms over her chest. “They’re probably already looking for me.”
Her irritation amused him for some reason. Maybe it was because it had been too long since he’d dealt with a strong-willed female. Well, except for his mother, but there was no arguing with her. His Mara had been strong but not quite as hardheaded as Shay.
He noticed the email address where she’d sent the message was not her father’s, or her brother’s. “So who’s Kittycam?”
She glared at him with pursed lips. “My BFF.”
“I told you to email your family.”
“Cam is my family. She’ll be my sister-in-law one day.” She drew her eyebrows together as if trying to figure something out. “Anyway, she’ll read between the lines and hold off my brothers as long as she can. Which won’t be too long.”
