King's Property: Paranormal Shape Shifter Alpha Male Cage Fighter Werelion Romance (Shifter Fight League Book 2)

by Mina Carter

  ***

  “Stone really came out fighting tonight, no wonder he won.”

  “Yeah, but what do you expect? He’s from the king’s stable…can’t buy training like that. Reese is an animal in the ring.”

  He was an animal in the bedroom as well… at least she assumed he was given they’d not actually made it to a room with a bed yet. Zara half listened to the buzz of conversation around them, her attention on the man next to her. For most of the fights he’d been on his feet, shouting encouragement or advice to the fighters in the cage in a deep voice no one could fail to hear before sitting back beside her. He was a tsunami of personality and energy that, combined with what she’d seen in the training ring earlier, she could easily understand why he held onto his position as King of the Ring. With him, it wasn’t just an honorary title. He was still an active fighter who could step into the ring any time he chose. The thought of all that power and strength right next to her made her shiver.

  They’d left the ringside after the fights were all over in favor of the VIP after-party in the club above. As always, the celebrations were on two levels; the riff-raff were in the club main while the movers and shakers partied in the raised section she’d first met Logan in. Guarded by heavy-set bouncers, no one got in without an invite or the king’s say-so. It was an area she’d never been in before—the team from the Scarlet Moon could not be described as movers or shakers in any way, shape or form. Hell, they were so low down the pecking order she was surprised they were even allowed in through the doors.

  Mind you, her father had never allowed either her or Ky to attend the after-parties, citing a need to “network without distractions.” Translation from assholian: He wanted to get drunk and laid.

  Logan hadn’t left her side all evening, all indolent grace with his arm looped around her waist. As he spoke he alternated pulling her closer with tucking her in against his side or holding the back of her neck in a grip that could only be described as possessive. When his fingertips started tracing little circles against her skin, she shivered, unable to hide the tiny reaction. The soft purr told her he’d noticed it too. A flush hit her cheeks. Couldn't she hide anything from him?

  “Zara, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Alex Kingwood.”

  And just like that, she was presented with what had to be the epitome of male perfection. She knew Alex, of course. What red-blooded woman didn’t? The city’s top bachelor until last year, he was not only loaded but the darling of the glossy magazines who delighted in snapping him at every social event in the city. The fact that he was newly off the dating scene had been met with widespread lamentation from the social climbers and It girls. For the rest of the normal female population, the gorgeous woman on his arm gave them all hope. Eva Kingwood was unapologetically curvy with no hesitation of taking any reporter to task if they tried to make her weight an issue. After a growl from her very possessive and protective mate, most didn't risk a second question along those lines.

  Alex Kingwood in the flesh, though, was a very different thing to seeing him in a glossy mag or on a billboard. His virility and sex appeal hit her like a wave determined to wipe her out. There was just one problem. Everything within her rejected the polished male perfection in front of her. Gritting her teeth, she inched closer to Logan and forced herself to weather the storm. What the fuck was wrong with her? She’d never had such a visceral reaction to a man before. Especially not to a man like this…

  For his part, Alex obviously clocked her reaction. His nostrils flared and amber flooded his eyes. Wolf. She froze, recognizing she was in the presence of a predator. His lips quirked.

  “Seems your little cat doesn't like me, Logan. Not surprising, most primas are highly territorial.”

  Zara stiffened as he used the term for the female alpha of a pride.

  “I'm not a shifter,” she argued, only for both men to chuckle.

  “Sweetheart, if you're not a shifter, I'm a fucking lizard.” Alex smiled. “Packing a scent that strong I'm surprised you haven't popped claws and tried for my throat. Don't worry, I'm not after your man. His ugly ass is all yours.”

  “He's not my man.” The words were out before she could stop them. Logan’s grip tightened on her neck… a warning perhaps? Did he not want his friend to know their arrangement? Did she?

  Alex’s gaze flicked between the two of them and finally he shrugged.

  “Whatever you say…” He transferred his attention to Logan. “I need to split early tonight, big guy. Just let me introduce you to Ethan, he's interested in fighting…”

  Quietly, Zara excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. As she walked she felt the looks from the other guests. Women eyed her with bitchy expressions, jealousy in their eyes that she was on Logan’s arm, and men eyed her with lust…if they looked at her directly at all. Most didn’t. As soon as they recognized her, they looked away quickly. Shit, she might as well wear a sign saying “king’s property.”

  Walking back, though, things got a hundred times worse. As she worked her way back through the crowd to get to Logan’s side, her path was blocked. Her steps slowed as she paused, assuming it was the normal ebb and flow of crowd movement and unavoidable in a packed venue. When whoever it was didn’t move, she looked up. Right into a lecherous leer.

  A big man stood in front of her, his bulky frame blocking her view of Logan and his little group. Cold eyes raked over her body, lingering on her breasts for a long moment before he looked up at her face.

  “Hey there, sweet stuff. What’s a pretty lady like you doing on her own?” he asked, his voice grating on her nerves.

  “Trying to get back to my date. If you’ll excuse me.”

  In no mood to mess about, she slid to the side and tried to squeeze past him, but it didn’t work. He moved again, blocking the sliver of a gap she’d been heading for. Starting to get annoyed, she stopped dead and looked up at him.

  “Do you mind? You’re in my way.”

  “I don’t mind at all. You’re a pretty girl and I’ve been waiting for a chance to talk to you. The least you can do is be polite. Good girls are polite, aren’t they?”

  Zara gritted her teeth, years of conditioning that yes, good girls were polite, urging her to comply with his misogynistic assumption that he had a right to any of her time.

  “I’m afraid you’ve had a wasted evening then,” she bit out, an edge of ice in her voice. “Mr. Reese is waiting for me… and he doesn’t like me to be gone for long.”

  Yeah, so she’d stooped to name-dropping, but she didn’t care. The faster she got away from this jerk, the better. Just standing in front of him gave her the creeps.

  Anger flooded his features and before she could step back, he grabbed her arm in a cruel grip and yanked her up against him. Fetid breath laden with old coffee, cigars and whisky washed over her face.

  “You might want to be a little nicer, sweet stuff. The king won’t want you forever. He’ll use you and toss you aside like so much trash,” he snarled. “You’ll need a new protector then and you’ll find not many men want sloppy seconds. Fortunately for you, I’m not that picky. For you, I’d even fuck the king’s cast-offs.”

  Rage exploded through her with the force of a nuclear blast.

  “Get your fucking hand off me before I rip it off.” Her voice shook with anger, a deeper note in it that almost sounded like a snarl. Like Ky’s did when he was pissed and about to change. But that couldn’t be the case because she wasn’t a shifter. At all. Ky had gotten the shift ability, not her.

  Something must have rattled Mr. Tall, Sleazy and Arrogant because he let go and took a quick step back, waving her through condescendingly. “Whatever you say, Your Highness… just remember, the king never stays with one woman long. You’ll need me before I need you.”

  “Yeah, yeah…” Whatever you say, asshole. I don’t need any man.

  She slipped past him quickly and hurried back to Logan. Her gaze fell on his broad-shouldered figure, his dark hair and tanned
features easy to pick out in the crowd of wolves he was talking to.

  Anger swelled the closer she got. This was Logan’s fault, bringing her here and parading her in front of all these people like he owned her. He turned as she approached, automatically sliding an arm around her to pull her against him. When she stiffened in anger, he peered down, a look of query in his eyes.

  “I agreed to fuck you,” she hissed, keeping her voice low. “Not be paraded as your fucking whore.”

  Golden anger exploded through the blue in his eyes.

  “My whore? That’s what you think? Oh, no, sweetheart…I haven’t treated you like my whore, but I can.”

  Before she could get an answer out, he turned and yanked her fully up against him. Conversation around them ceased as he crushed her lips beneath his, parting them with a hard tongue to drive inside. She gasped, inadvertently giving him more access, and tried to free herself from his arms. But he was having none of it.

  His grip tightened almost cruelly, fingers biting into her upper arms to hold her still. His tongue filled her mouth, not to entice, but to dominate and let her know who was in charge. He took what he wanted from the kiss, overruling her silent objections and she could do nothing about it. Not against him.

  Finally, he lifted his head, breathing ragged as he looked down at her. “Whores trade sex for money. Or, in your case, to pay off the money you owe. Which I think you need to start working on, don’t you?”

  Shit. She’d totally pissed him off. Fear curled in her gut as he dragged her through the club, a hard hand on her arm forestalling any possibility of escape. People looked away as they passed. No one was willing to risk making eye contact… to admit what they were seeing. Because no one argued with the king. Ever.

  They reached the front doors and then they were out into the cold night air. Clad in just her thin top and skirt, she shivered but clamped her lips shut, not willing to admit to any weaknesses in front of him.

  4

  “Get in.”

  A limo had pulled up at the curbside, and Logan yanked open the door. Almost before the gap was big enough to squeeze through, he pushed her forward. Off balance, she all but tumbled into the back of the vehicle, closely followed by Logan’s big, hard body.

  Before she could hit the floor, though, he had her. Lifting her, he dropped into the back seat with her in his lap. Then his hand was in her hair and his lips covered hers.

  The kiss was long, hard and utterly ruthless. Wrapped in his arms, he held her easily, his fingers cradling the back of her head as he tilted her neck and deepened the embrace with a sweep of his tongue. Anger vibrated from him still and she clung to him, trying to work out why that turned her on so much.

  She didn’t fight. She simply parted her lips and let him thrust deep inside. She gave what he demanded and wrapped herself around him to ease the tension surging between them. She tried to soften the hard edges of his anger with her softer body. He pulled back, lip curling as he growled against hers.

  “You wanted me to treat you like a whore, then I will. And you’re going to like it, aren’t you, kitten?”

  She shivered at his words, holding still as he slid the hand in her hair down her neck, gripping the front for a moment before sliding down to the front of her shirt. His fingers were more dexterous than she’d expected, working each button loose until her shirt was open to the waist.

  With a soft growl, he slid his hand beneath the fabric to fondle her breasts. A moan whispered free before she could stop herself, and her back arched as if to present the full mounds to him.

  Sliding the hand on her back up to tangle in her hair, he pulled her head back to kiss along her neck. Strong fingers slid into the cups of her bra, pulling them down and out of the way under the full curve of her breasts, exposing her nipples to the cooler air and his fingers. She stiffened, casting a glance to the windows, only to realize they were blacked out.

  “Whores earn their keep,” he whispered in her ear, rubbing her nipples with callused fingertips. “On your knees.”

  Her breathing caught as he lifted her off his lap and sat back, arms spread across the top of the seat. She sank to the carpeted floor between his spread thighs and looked up at him.

  “Touch me,” he ordered, his expression unreadable.

  Heat simmered through her veins as she lifted her hands to cover herself.

  “No.” He gave a warning growl. “Leave it. I want to see you. See what I own.”

  Oh, lady moon.

  Swallowing, she ignored the flush on her cheeks to slide her hands up his thighs. The heavy muscles twitched at her touch, but her focus wasn’t on them. It was on the fabric tented at his groin. Unlike his sweatpants, the fine fabric didn’t stretch, and gave her a perfect view of his cock outlined beneath. His very hard…very large…cock.

  Need hummed through her, settling between her thighs as her clit ached. Her pussy clenched and heat dampened her panties. She wanted him, in the worst possible way. Every way and any way he wanted.

  Fingers shaking she reached up to undo the buttons on his shirt, spreading the fabric to reveal the solid muscles of his chest and rippled abs to her heated gaze. Her fingertips grazed his skin on the way down toward his belt, making his abs clench. Realization hit her and she caught the smile before it could spread over her lips. He might be all growly and demanding, but she had the real power here.

  With swift movements, she made short work of his belt, the slide of leather through the loops a sensual sound in the silence of the car. Flicking a glance up through her bangs, she found him watching her, his gaze intent and golden. Another shiver hit her. It was the look of a predator watching for the right moment to pounce.

  Okay… she dragged in a shuddering breath. Maybe she wasn’t in charge as much as she’d though, just for now. She’d take that. Hooking a finger under the button of his fly, she popped it and grasped the tab just below. Almost before she’d pulled the zipper down, his cock sprang free, slapping against his toned stomach in a rigid arc that proclaimed his masculinity and virility.

  “Suck it,” he ordered, his tone harsh.

  Rising onto her knees, she spread her hands over his thighs, tensing her fingers so her nails gave just a little bite through the fabric, and leaned forward. Exhaling, she let her breath whisper over his cock. It jerked upward, brushing against her lips for a second. She didn’t waste the opportunity and flicked her tongue out in a feather-light caress. The taste of him—all musk and spice—exploded on her tongue and she moaned.

  Angling her head, she parted her lips and wrapped them around the wide tip. Her jaw was going to ache but she didn’t care. She needed to taste him, explore him, and not because he’d told her to. She wanted to. Wanted everything about this man—bargain or no bargain.

  He was hers.

  “That’s it, take it all.”

  Logan’s voice was rough with his lion, tight with control as she slid him deeper. He was thick and long, so she couldn’t take him all but she tried her best. He groaned, his clenched knuckles white on the back of the seat as though to hold him in place. Cock swelling in her mouth, his hips rocked up toward her when she pulled back, sucking all the way. Reaching the tip, she swirled her tongue around the ridge at the top before sinking back down on the turgid length.

  “Fucking witch,” he growled, reaching out to bury his hand in her short hair again. He didn’t direct her movements as she expected, just held on as she slid her lips down his dick again. This time at the top, she flickered her tongue against the sensitive head, making him swear and buck against her. After that, it was game on as she used every trick up her sleeve to make him lose control and come.

  His cock jerked and pulsed but he kept control. He watched her with blue-gold eyes, lips parted to reveal gritted teeth as his breath came in a combination of a purr and a growl…as though he couldn’t decide whether to stay where he was or pounce on her. She didn’t make any sudden movements, just in case, but she couldn’t resist tipping her head back to
catch his gaze as she licked from root to tip.

  “Fuck it!” The snarl burst from him and he moved like lightning.

  She squeaked, the sound startled from her as he lifted her bodily from the floor of the limo and pulled her into his lap. Legs either side of his hips and his mouth hovering millimeters from her erect nipple, she held her breath in anticipation.

  His tongue flicked out, and he rasped against her sensitive flesh. Once. Twice. Then he pulled the beaded nub into the hot, wet cavern of his mouth. He sucked and she keened, a bolt of need and heat connecting her nipple and clit.

  “You’re going to ride my cock,” he said against her breast, nipping the soft flesh lightly. The pleasure-pain made her gasp, the sound followed by another as he shoved her tight skirt up around her waist. No sooner had she registered the cooler wash of air over her ass than he’d wrapped strong fingers in both sides of her panties, and with a savage jerk, ripped them clean away.

  “Panties,” he growled. “Bad girl. Now you get punished.”

  “Oh! Ohhh!” Her moan softened as he rocked his hips, his thick cock sliding against the groove of her pussy lips. She was already wet, her slickness easing his path.

  “You like being told what to do, don’t you, kitten?” he purred, hands on her hips to lift her up slightly. The next second the broad head of his cock fit against the entrance to her body. She nodded mutely, unable to think of the right words. Not with him right there. Not when her entire body ached for him to take her. Hard and fast. Now.

  “Good.” His lips sought hers, firm and commanding. The grip of his hands changed from lifting to pushing her down as, inch by inch, he impaled her on his thick cock.

  Her breath caught at his penetration. Each and every time his size took her by surprise and she worried she wouldn’t be able to take it all. Then her body took over, reveling in the feeling of him pressing into her, forcing her pussy to stretch around him. He rocked his hips against hers, working his way into her bit by bit until he was buried so deeply inside her that she wasn’t sure they could ever be parted.