Unleashing the Beast

by Lacey Thorn

  “I’m warning you that, even if you and your mate get through this, Murphy may take longer to win over. And I’m giving you this warning because it’s important that you do win Murphy over. You don’t want to be the barrier that comes between them.”

  Laura nodded. “I won’t be. I promise.”

  Gabriel brushed her hair behind her ears. “Remember to take care of yourself. Don’t focus so much on your mate, on Murphy or on anyone else to the detriment of yourself. I know there was more that went on when I pulled you out of that last lab. I saw the wounds that were still healing. I know they did something, and if you’re ever going to move past it, you need to tell someone. Me, Daniel, Logan, your mate. Don’t hold it in.”

  She nodded again, tears pooling in her eyes as she swallowed the rage that rose to the surface. It would be her mate she told, if he forgave her. She couldn’t keep the truth from her other half.

  “Remember one more thing,” Gabriel said.

  “What’s that?”

  “I love you. Daniel loves you. Your brother loves you. You’re not in this alone.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re sure he won’t hurt you?”

  “He won’t,” Laura assured him. “Would you ever physically hurt Kenzie? Ever?”

  “No,” he barked out. He looked toward her house in the distance. “I’m going to leave you here then. I think you need to make the rest of this trip on your own.”

  She’d picked up the scent of her mate as they’d moved closer toward her house. Finn was there, waiting for her. Gabriel must have picked up on it, too. Thank God, he was giving her the chance to meet her mate on her own and not demanding he go with her to protect her. He dropped a kiss on top of her head then turned to head back toward the main house.

  “Gabriel,” she called out. He glanced back at her with a brow lifted in question. “I love you, too.”

  He smiled, nodded then continued walking, leaving her to venture the rest of the way alone. Her heartbeat increased with every step. If her mate still wanted to rip her throat out, she’d bare it for him. She took a deep breath and mounted the porch steps.

  * * * *

  Finn had planned to follow his brother, but he couldn’t force himself to leave. Not when he was cocooned in his mate’s scent. It was everywhere, practically permeating from the walls of the house. Despite his brother’s parting words, he knew Murph had brought him here for a reason. That reason was heading this way now. He felt the pull between them as his beast reached for hers. She was here. Laura. His mate. His.

  He turned and entered her front room as she opened the front door and stepped inside.

  “Finn.” His name was a whisper from her lips, but it hit his chest and almost sent him to his knees. There was pain in her, seeping from every pore. He charged toward her.

  “What is it? Who hurt you?” he demanded.

  She shook her head, reaching for him with shaky hands but stopping just short of touching him. Her eyes sparkled with tears that began to leak down her cheeks.

  “I left you… I didn’t… I couldn’t… I don’t deserve you now. You should hate me.”

  Finn stared at her. He felt a lot toward her at the moment, but hate wasn’t a part of it.

  “Why did you leave me there?” Finn asked. “Why didn’t you stay with me? Even if you thought it was only to be with me while I died. Why let me die alone?”

  Her voice caught on a sob. “I thought I’d lost you. I felt you slipping away from me. I swear I felt you take your last breath, felt your heart stop beating. Your eyes closed, and I felt as if the world crashed down around me. I tore out of there and swore I’d shed as much blood as I could to avenge you.”

  “You kissed me,” Finn murmured, and she nodded, her lower lip trembling. “You looked at me and told me you would have loved me. I’ve heard you whisper those words over and over again in my head. Did you mean them?”

  “Yes,” she promised. “You’re my mate. My other half. Our love is written in the stars.”

  Finn smiled at her choice of words. “Where did you go when you left me?”

  “I was searching for another party when I came across the one that had you. A group of hunters had taken a young female. I left as soon as the information came in. I knew there was nothing good planned for her.”

  “Did you find her?”

  “I did. I managed to save her and the two males being held with her.”

  Finn sensed there was more to her story than that, but they’d get back to it later.

  “Would you have left me if you’d known I was still alive?”

  “I tell myself that I would have. You were in no condition to go with me. I couldn’t sense your animal at all. I knew I had a limited window to get to the girl.” Her watery gaze met his. “That’s not the truth, though. If I’d known you were alive, nothing would have made me leave you. It was only the burning rage of vengeance that got me out of the room in the first place. I don’t blame you if you hate me. I hate myself.”

  “You’re my mate,” he whispered. “I don’t think there’s a part of me that would ever be able to hate you.”

  “You should,” she swore.

  “I thought I was dying, too. I thought you were a hallucination. Then I placed you as an angel.” He reached out and brushed her tears away with his fingers. “There were tears on your cheeks then, too.”

  “I’m sorry, Finn. I’m so sorry. If I could go back, I’d never walk away from you.”

  “And what would have happened to the woman you saved? Where would she be now? Dead?”

  “Yes.”

  He could tell from the look on her face that more than death had been in store for the woman. It made him wonder about Ariel. He knew she’d been attacked and left for dead, that was when Clara’s Uncle Thomas had found her. Had she suffered something similar? Whatever she’d gone through, no one had been there in time to save her. His mate had been there for the woman she’d helped.

  “Then it was what you needed to do. She needed you to save her.”

  “You needed me. My priority should have been you.”

  He brushed his hand through the air as if brushing it all away. “I’m here now. We can’t look to the past. We’re no longer those people. The important thing is we’re here now, and we’ve found each other again.” He took her hand and brought it to his bare chest, placing it in the center and holding it there with his. “Touch me. Show me the truth of your words. Make me your priority now.”

  He watched her catch her breath at the contact with his skin. Her palm trembled. He slid his hands lower until he gripped her hips. He jerked her forward until she had to feel the hard length of his cock against her stomach. Her eyes glazed with lust and need.

  “I want to taste you,” he whispered, leaning down and flicking his tongue over the curve of her shoulder then scraping his teeth across to her neck.

  “Yes,” she moaned.

  “I’m going to bite you,” he warned. “I’m going to grip your neck and sink my teeth deep until I mark you as mine.” He added another scrape of his teeth before continuing. “Then I’m going to rip your clothes off and taste every inch of you. I’m going to make you come over and over again. With my fingers. With my tongue. And when you don’t think you can take any more, I’m going to fuck you until the only thing you can feel is me. I’ll be all you see. The only sound you’ll hear is the harsh sound of us breathing and the slap of our skin as we fuck. All you’ll taste is me. No one will exist outside the two of us.”

  She mewled, clutching him now and burrowing closer, seeking his touch. The hard pebbles of her nipples rubbed wantonly against his chest as she lifted herself higher against him. He knew what she wanted and cradled her hips, lifting and turning to press her against the wall. His groin pressed between her thighs, and she wiggled, finally managing to dislodge his towel. She snaked one hand down his chest, brushing across his abdomen, then wrapped her fingers around his shaft and gave it a squeeze that had him groa
ning. She used her other hand to grip his hair and pull him toward her.

  “I want something else first,” she demanded.

  “Anything.”

  “Kiss me hello. Our last one was to say goodbye.”

  “Well, then, consider this hello.”

  He took her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked on it. Her mouth opened, her breath panting as she stroked his cock. Her thumb ran over the head, smearing the drop of pre-cum he felt there. He groaned and gave up teasing her. He took her mouth, sinking his tongue inside and finding hers. They flicked and swirled, tangling and rubbing against one another. She sucked softly at his tongue as her hand contracted and released just under the head of his cock, making him think of her sucking him there. He pumped his hips, thrusting his cock into her touch.

  Their kiss broke and resumed, separating only briefly to allow for them to inhale enough oxygen to go back for more. They ate at each other, her hand never losing rhythm as she continued to work him.

  “One more thing,” she panted out when they broke apart again. She nuzzled along his beard to his ear then lower along his neck. Her teeth scraped his skin as her finger rubbed over the crown of his cock once more.

  “Make it quick,” he ordered. “Or I’ll be coming all over you instead if inside you.”

  He heard her rumble and dropped his gaze to hers. Her eyes were aglow, her canines extended. That was all the warning he got.

  “Mine,” she hissed and struck, teeth sinking deep.

  It was his turn to hiss. His cock jerked in her hand and cum spewed from the tip, coating them both. She pulled back, licking over the wound she’d left behind. She lifted her fingers, and he watched as she sucked his cum from the digits. His spent cock immediately surged back to full length.

  He dropped her to her feet, freeing his hand to grip her shirt. He ripped it wide and jerked it down her arms.

  “My turn,” he stated and flipped her around so she faced the wall. He yanked her shirt the rest of the way down her arms, leaving it at her wrists and holding it together with one hand, effectively binding her. He fisted his other hand in her hair and tilted her head to the side.

  “Mine,” he rumbled and bent toward her exposed neck.

  Chapter Seven

  The taste of her washed over his tongue as he bit into her flesh. It was the sweetest ambrosia he’d ever suckled. She managed to free her arms but never pulled from him. Instead, he heard the snap as she popped her jeans open. The slow glide of her zipper followed. He dropped his hands, gripped the waistband and ripped the pants down her legs, taking her panties with them then falling to his knees behind her. He freed her from her shoes then stripped the denim and lace off her legs. He reached up and unclasped her bra before sitting back on his heels.

  “Turn around,” he ordered huskily.

  She did a slow turn, the straps of her bra falling off her shoulders as she did. She let it drop beside them, revealing her body completely to his hungry gaze. She was beautiful, the most exquisite woman he’d ever seen. Her breasts were high and firm, just big enough to fill his palms with a little overflow. Her waist dipped in before flaring out at her hips. There was no hair on her mound. Nothing to block the view of her slit, slick with desire.

  He braced one arm across her hips then leaned in, inhaling deeply.

  “Open your legs.”

  She shifted them apart and moaned as he ran his tongue over her.

  “Mmm,” he sighed. He kissed her plump lips, slipping his tongue between them and licking over her. She was musk and salt with just a hint of sweet, a combination that made him hungry for more. He sucked and flicked then used one hand to spread her lips wide, revealing the kernel of pleasure, swollen and begging for attention. He lavished attention on it, working the bud between his lips, flicking it with his tongue.

  She purred, rubbing her cunt against his face. He worked one finger inside her, rubbing her slick walls. She moaned, her hands latching into his hair, urging him closer. He thrust two fingers inside her, scissoring them and stretching her. She was a virgin. He could feel it, and it awed and scared him at the same time. Knowing no other man had ever tasted her, had ever found pleasure with her was a heady aphrodisiac.

  “Finn.” His name was a sharp cry. “I’m going to come. Oh, God. I’m going to come.”

  He gripped her clit with his teeth and tugged on it while he fucked her with his fingers. Her pussy gripped him, squeezing and releasing as she rode his digits. She came with a low moan, and he lapped every bit of juice from her. He slowly eased his fingers from her and replaced them with his tongue, sliding it in and out to ensure he captured all of her release.

  When she tugged at his head, he pulled back, leaving a kiss on her clit then nuzzling her stomach. She panted for air, coming down from her orgasm, and he gave her the time she needed. He worked his way up her body, placing soft kisses along the way. It was crazy the way he felt for her when he knew so little about her. He wanted to though. He wanted to know everything.

  “Where’s your bedroom?” he asked as he came to his feet in front of her.

  “Down the hall on the left,” she answered.

  Finn swept her up into his arms and followed the directions she gave. He was beyond ready to be inside her. Her door was open, showing a rather large room dominated by a sleigh bed. The room was dark, but he made out the emerald of her comforter and the dark wood that framed her mattress as he shut the door with his foot and moved closer.

  He eased her down, moving her to the center then coming over the top of her. Their mouths met and mated again. He braced his forearms just outside her shoulders, holding the bulk of his weight off of her. Her hands ran over him, from his shoulders, over his chest and down his abdomen until she found his cock and stroked it. It was only natural to raise her legs and wrap them around his waist, tugging him closer to her. Her sex brushed along his cock, coating him in her juices before leading him to her opening. She met his thrust, both of them crying out as her flesh stretched and finally submitted to his invasion.

  He took his time, easing in and out of her sheath, letting her adjust to his length and girth. Laura undulated, rising and falling with every thrust. She clutched at his shoulders, her nails scratching. Her head was flung back, exposing her throat to him, making his teeth ache to taste her again. He shifted his weight to his left arm and dropped his right hand to cup her ass, palming her cheek and holding her steady. He increased his pace, thrusting a little harder and faster, surging deeper with each stroke. He dropped his head to nuzzle her, drinking in the lusty whimpers and moans of pleasure she gave.

  “Oh, God,” Laura panted. “Don’t stop. So close. So good.”

  Finn licked over the mark he’d left on her and felt his cock grow thicker. He was close, as well.

  “Hold onto me,” he urged as he rode her hard. He scraped his teeth over the mark then bit down again. She jolted under him, her pussy contracting as she came with a wail of his name. He slammed deep and held there then pulled back and entered her again. His movements were jerky, losing all rhythm as he approached orgasm. Her sex milked him, squeezing and releasing, fighting to hold him deep as he plunged and retreated.

  He came with a bellow, surging into her and pressing his pelvis tightly against hers. He felt each spurt of semen as it left his cock and filled her, felt the heat of her as she accepted him. A sheen of sweat covered them both, making their bodies slide as he let himself rest fully on her for just a moment while he caught his breath. He worried he was crushing her and made to rise again when she stopped him by holding him tight.

  “Don’t move,” she whispered. “I like the way you feel against me.”

  “I’m too heavy,” he said with a grunt, but he didn’t move. She was right. It felt good to lie skin-to-skin with her. He stayed that way for a few minutes before wrapping his arms around her and rolling them until she lay on his chest. He brushed his fingers through her hair while her breath fanned over him.

  “I’m sorry,” she
whispered again, and he shushed her.

  “We’ve been over that. Things happened the way they were supposed to. Tell me about the girl you went after. You said you found her along with two other shifters.”

  “Yes.” Her voice was a whisper. “There’s a specific group among the hunters that do field tests. They find two or more males and a female. They… They strip the female and stake her to the ground then use different types of drugs on the males to incite a frenzy of lust. The men will kill each other in order to be the first to take her and…” She stopped, and he heard her swallow before continuing. “They rape her, repeatedly, until the drug wears off. Many of the women don’t survive.”

  Finn moved his hands from her hair to caress her back and shoulders, which had tightened as she spoke.

  “Have you rescued many women from this?”

  “A few,” she replied. “Some I didn’t reach in time.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “There’s more. I can sense it. I know you were a virgin, but this is more than someone else’s story. You were once in a similar situation, weren’t you?”

  “I was young and had just graduated from high school. I’d hoped Logan would come, but he didn’t show up. When I got home, my parents had left. Just packed up and left, saying it was best if they weren’t around me. So I took off on my own. I met this guy, Erik, who knew what I was. He was the first person I’d met who knew. My parents had refused to speak of it. Erik was willing to tell me things about myself. I agreed to go with him, eager to learn all I could.”

  “He was one of the ones who did field tests,” Finn guessed and felt her nod.

  “I went to sleep one night then woke up naked and staked to the ground, my arms and legs spread wide. I was eighteen. Erik was there, along with two other men. They must have been following us. I hadn’t even realized they were there. I had no idea how to control my senses back then. I’ve never been so terrified in my life. Then they brought out two male shifters. They were tied up and just as naked as I was. I saw the hunters give each of the men a shot of something. Erik explained to me exactly what would happen. He taunted the men with me and what they could do to me. Slapping my breasts and thighs, my…my sex.”