B*E*A*S*T* of Burden

by Rebecca Goings

  His finger made a trail between her breasts as he spoke. Marlie shuddered, and he could clearly smell her desire once again. But before she let his hand wander down to her slick skin, she grabbed it, stopping its descent.

  "I need to check your stitches,” she said in a voice that didn't sound too convincing. “You're distracting me."

  "Is it working?” he asked, winking at her.

  "God, yes!"

  Rogan chuckled. “Then hurry up, woman. I'm hungry, and I've got a sweet tooth."

  Marlie gasped and blushed a deep crimson, but she couldn't hide the smile when she bit her lips. Drawing back the blanket, she gasped again, seeing for herself what Rogan's own thoughts had done to him. Even though they'd made love not too long before, he was already hard and ready to go again.

  She was trying to divert her eyes from his length, but time and again her gaze rested on him, making him groan.

  "How do the stitches look, Doc?” he asked in a tense voice. He laced his fingers together and put his hands behind his head to keep them from reaching out and touching her.

  "I don't believe it!” she exclaimed.

  "What?” he asked, glancing at his leg.

  "You're almost completely healed. I mean, your wounds will be sore for a bit, but new scar tissue has already grown over them. I need to remove your stitches."

  "I told you we healed fast."

  "I didn't know you meant this fast,” she retorted.

  "By the time we meet up with Sean again, he'll be just as healed as I am. Except, unlike me, he'll be setting off metal detectors all over town."

  Rogan regretted his attempt at humor almost immediately. In an instant, Marlie's languid demeanor changed, and he sensed her entire body tense.

  "Do you think he'll find us?” she asked in a small voice, her eyes wide. “Jesus, Rogan. What do you think he did to Wade?"

  Rogan cursed himself when he saw tears in her eyes. “I don't know, honey,” he said gently. “But he didn't kill him, that's for sure. If he wanted him dead, he would have shot him with a bullet, not a dart."

  "But why? Didn't you say you liberated the B*E*A*S*T* compound?"

  "We did, but that doesn't mean the benefactors of B*E*A*S*T* don't want us dead. Or worse, returned to be reprogrammed."

  "Do you think that's what will happen to Wade?"

  "I hope not, Marlie,” he said with a sigh. “If that's what Wade's got to look forward to, then it would have been better if he'd been shot with a bullet."

  Marlie shivered and turned away. Pulling the blanket off her shoulders, she stood and wandered into the kitchen.

  "Where are you going?” he asked, craning his neck to catch a glimpse of her backside.

  "To see if these people left any scissors behind,” she said over her shoulder. “I need to cut those stitches."

  Rogan rubbed his eyes. He should have kept his mouth shut. Now the mood between them was ruined. Damn it.

  Seventeen

  Sean sniffed the air. Even in his shifted state, he couldn't figure out where the hell Rogan and the woman had gone. Inhaling deeply, he leapt into the waters of the fast-moving creek and waded downstream. After long minutes with no sign of Rogan's scent, he turned around.

  He didn't come this way, Sean thought with a growl. The wolf's stink was nowhere to be found. He doubted Rogan had stayed in the creek for too long—not when he was towing his wife behind him.

  The icy water raced past Sean's paws, hardly fazing him. Looking down at himself, his abilities never ceased to amaze him. Bears had been hunting salmon in frigid waters since the dawn of time, and he was no exception. Sean loved being a shifter, and he was glad they'd made him a grizzly. He loved the power, the strength, and the heightened senses it gave him, even when he was human. And he especially loved being able to think as a human while in his shifted state.

  His gunshot wounds gave him a few twinges here and there, but they were healing fast. Rogan was still going to pay. Now Sean had to live with who knows how many shotgun pellets in his hide, not to mention the scar he already bore on his face—all thanks to that damned traitor.

  A scent drifted to him on the wind. A wolf! Sean's heart sprang to life as he bounded through the water, but suddenly he stopped cold, continuing to chuff at the air. That wasn't Rogan's scent. Shit!

  A pack of wolves must be nearby. With another growl, Sean climbed the bank on the far side of the creek and tried to pick up Rogan's trail once more. The bastard was sneaky, he'd give him that. But Sean wasn't about to lose him.

  No chance in hell.

  * * * *

  Wade opened his eyes and groaned, seeing nothing but darkness surrounding him. His wrists were tied behind his back, and when he pulled on them, he could feel that they were somehow attached to his ankles. Shit. The sonofabitch had hogtied him!

  His mind was cloudy, but he still couldn't shift no matter how hard he tried. Wade knew from experience that the serum only lasted four hours at most. That meant he hadn't been out for too long.

  Closing his eyes, Wade tried to clear his mind. Once he opened them again, he squinted into the darkness, finally able to see shapes. He was in the back of a Hummer that stunk to high Heaven of Sean.

  Wade was really beginning to hate these damned trucks. Just like the one he'd shared with Rogan, this one didn't have a back seat. He couldn't see much more with his human eyes. If he'd been able to shift, he could have seen a lot more with his keen cougar's vision. But it was a dark night, and he could barely see the back of the driver's seat.

  Fortunately, Sean was nowhere to be seen. And the fact that neither Rogan nor Marlie were hogtied in the truck with him meant that Sean hadn't succeeded in finding them yet. Unless he'd already killed them.

  But Wade doubted that. If Sean had been successful in his mission, there was no doubt in his mind that the damned grizzly would be behind the wheel, crowing like a rooster over his victory and driving Wade back to the Hell he'd come from.

  "Christ!” he exclaimed through gritted teeth.

  Twisting this way and that, Wade grunted when the ropes cut into his skin. His hands were probably blue from lack of circulation. In this position, it was hard for him to use any of his strength as a shifter to break free, probably exactly why Sean had tied him that way. But Wade was determined not to make things too easy for him.

  Glancing around on the floor of the truck, he smiled when he found what he sought—a bolt sticking up through the carpet where the non-existent backseat of the Hummer would have been attached to the frame. Rolling himself into position, Wade grunted as he began rubbing his bonds against it at a frantic pace. It would take forever to break free, but he had no other choice.

  Wade whispered a prayer to all that was holy that he'd be able to escape and get away. He shuddered to think of what lay in store for him if he failed.

  * * * *

  Sometime later, the rope holding Wade's hands finally snapped. A surge of joy ripped through his heart, and he brought his hands around in front of him. He grunted as his muscles screamed from being in one position for too long, but he didn't think too long on it before he began untying his ankles.

  Crawling on all fours, Wade grimaced as he made his way to the front of the Hummer. He needed to get out of there, and fast. He may have been tranquilized, but he'd understood Sean when he'd been on his phone in the forest, and he'd heard Sean mention Brett. Biting his lip, Wade tried to remember exactly what had been said.

  But just the thought of Brett made him shudder. He was a cheetah, clocked by B*E*A*S*T* at 75 miles per hour at a dead run. Not only that, Brett craved the taste of blood and made sure everyone knew it. He was almost as ruthless as Tam himself.

  Sean had been upset, that much Wade could remember. Hadn't he said something about an old man? And Brett finding him out here in the wilderness? Wade wasn't an idiot; he knew why Sean hadn't killed him. The men behind B*E*A*S*T* didn't want him dead. But why?

  Wade reached up to the driver's visor near the windshield
and pulled it down. Damn, nothing. He'd hoped Sean would have left the keys in the truck. Heaving a deep sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and climbed into the driver's seat. When he heard a soft jingling, his heart leapt into his throat.

  With a shaking hand, he reached down to the ignition—and found the keys! Apparently, Sean hadn't stopped long enough to pull them out. A wide smile split Wade's face.

  "Excellent,” he whispered.

  He opened the driver's side door and fell out into the snow. If he was going to get out of there, the first thing he needed to do was ditch the GPS locator beacon on Sean's truck. He lay on the snow, scooting underneath the Hummer near the left rear wheel. Hidden in the wheel-well was the device he sought, flashing every few seconds with a red light.

  With a strong heave, it loosened. Again and again, Wade tried to dislodge it until it finally fell into his hand. He couldn't help the low chuckle that escaped him. With tremendous satisfaction, he pulled back his arm and threw the beacon for all he was worth into the tree line.

  "Catch me now, you wily bastard,” he growled under his breath right before he jumped into the truck. The engine roared to life and, without looking back, Wade pulled out onto the highway and sped toward Anchorage.

  Eighteen

  Marlie returned a few minutes later, a look of consternation on her face.

  "What's the matter?"

  With a sigh, she plopped down onto the couch next to Rogan. “This was all I could find.” She held up a pair of toenail clippers.

  "Better than nothing, right?” he asked with a wink.

  "I guess so. Give me that leg."

  Rogan swung it up onto her lap and grinned. Marlie tried desperately to concentrate on the task at hand. But her eyes were pulled like magnets to the scar on the inside of his thigh.

  "Do you remember how you got that?” she asked as she began the tedious task of cutting the sutures.

  "I told you, honey,” Rogan said, his eyes flashing in the warm glow of the lamp, “all I can remember from my life before is making love to you."

  Marlie swallowed hard then took a deep breath. “You were climbing a fence,” she said in a soft voice. “There was barbed wire on the top of it, but you were trying to impress a girl. So you climbed over it anyway."

  Rogan threw back his head and laughed at that. “By the looks of this scar, I don't think I impressed her much."

  With a smile, Marlie said, “Oh, I don't know. She was scared shitless. Ran all the way home to tell her parents. Left you out in the middle of nowhere bleeding all over creation."

  "Well, did her parents come to my rescue?"

  She nodded. “Yup. Took you to the hospital even."

  "Is that so?” he asked with an arched brow. “How is it that you know so much about it?"

  "It was me."

  "It was you?” He sounded shocked.

  "Yes, I was the girl you were trying to impress. We've known each other for a long time."

  Rogan stared at her as if trying to process her words. “How long?"

  Marlie pulled out the last of his stitches as she said, “I met you in middle school. I was fourteen and you were fifteen, a grade above me. But I worshipped you."

  Rogan gave her a knowing grin. “You did?"

  "Oh, yeah,” she said, staring off into space. “You're the only man I've ever loved. My one and only.” Silence greeted her words, and she brought her gaze back to him, shuddering at the look in his eyes.

  "You've never been with anyone else?” he whispered.

  Marlie shook her head. “I lost my virginity to you, along with my heart ... and my soul."

  Rogan pulled his leg off of her lap and advanced on her, pushing her down into the couch cushions. Simply gazing into his beautiful eyes made crazy things happen in her belly. Instantly she was wet for him even though he hadn't touched her, and she opened her legs to allow him access.

  "Everything I am belongs to you,” she whispered up to him, stroking his cheek.

  Rogan groaned, laying his forehead on her shoulder. “Marlie..."

  "What?” She felt his fingers press into her wet folds, slipping inside of her.

  "I want to taste you here,” he said.

  His words alone made her muscles clench inside of her. She gasped, fisting her hand in his hair.

  "Will you let me?"

  Marlie sucked in her breath when she witnessed Rogan pull his fingers away from her, only to swirl them around one of her nipples, slicking it with her own wetness. And when he laved that same breast, suckling it deep into his mouth, flicking the tip of her with his tongue, it nearly drove her mad. She craved his body within hers once more but nearly came apart at his next words.

  "Dear God, woman. You taste so sweet.” His flashing eyes held hers while his tongue flicked her nipple, and she couldn't help but arch into him. “You like my tongue on you?"

  Marlie nodded furiously. Rogan chuckled.

  "Do you want my tongue here?” he asked, once again delving into her with his fingers.

  She nodded once more.

  "Say it, babe. Ask me."

  Holy ... Rogan wanted her to beg him? Marlie couldn't swallow her thundering heart no matter how hard she tried.

  "Please...” she whispered.

  "Please what?” he answered, flicking her again and biting the peak of her breast gently.

  "Rogan,” she whined. “Please."

  "Please what, darlin'? I'll give you what you want. You just gotta ask."

  Panting, Marlie bit her lip. Her entire body cried out for his touch. She wasn't above begging—was she?

  "Please put your mouth on me. Taste me, Rogan. Oh, God ... I want your mouth between my legs."

  That was all he needed to begin his descent. Lower and lower he went, licking and biting her quivering belly while caressing her thighs. Marlie groaned as she watched him, her entire body shivering with eager anticipation.

  "Sit up,” he commanded, pulling her hips to the side of the couch.

  "What?” she asked, her brain in a fog.

  "Sit up, honey,” he said again, running his hands up her inner thighs and pulling her legs apart.

  Marlie did as he said, throwing back her head onto the cushions.

  "Can you smell that?” he whispered.

  "Smell what?"

  "Your sweet musk. It's making my mouth water."

  That comment brought her eyes back to his. They flashed a bright gold color, only for a second, but it was there. Her heart slammed against her ribcage, and she was reminded again that Rogan was a shifter—a wolf. Marlie sucked in her breath.

  "Don't be afraid,” he said, holding her gaze while his fingers gently played against her.

  "But you're a—"

  "I know what I am,” he said. “I am your mate—the man you've given your soul to. You just said as much. Do you deny it now?"

  His fingers slowly pushed inside of her, and she involuntarily scooted closer to press against him.

  "No!” she gasped.

  "Then let me make love to you, Marlie. Watch as I fill you with my tongue."

  Dipping his head, Rogan crouched between her legs, slowly delving his tongue into her wetness, replacing his fingers with his mouth. Marlie moaned in ecstasy at the contact, once again throwing back her head.

  "Don't look away.” Rogan's deep voice vibrated through her. “Watch me, sweetheart."

  Marlie blushed but complied, looking down as he began again, swirling around her swollen flesh, lapping hungrily. Gazing at him while he pleasured her was so erotic that every nerve ending in her body prickled with excitement. Up and down, his head bobbed, and her hips followed him in his rhythm. Rogan pushed her legs farther apart as he pressed closer, attacking her mercilessly. Just as she was about to climax, he pulled away and looked up at her, grinning devilishly.

  "I remember,” he said, his mouth glistening. “I remember, Marlie. Dear God in Heaven."

  "Rogan...” she panted, sure she was going to come at his words alone. But h
e didn't return his mouth to her. Instead, he began sensually kissing her inner thighs. “What are you doing?” she demanded.

  "Bringing out the wild woman in you,” he said right before he leapt up and pounced on her with lightning speed, kissing her into oblivion.

  Marlie didn't even have time to squeal before his mouth was on hers, his tongue demanding entry. She could taste herself on his lips and whimpered, trying in vain to press herself against him.

  "Roll over,” he whispered into her ear once he released her mouth.

  Marlie was beyond caring what he was going to do. She was teetering on the edge of sanity. She turned over, her body throbbing with the need to release as Rogan helped her to lie over the arm of the couch, then he pulled her backside against him, entering her from behind.

  "Oh, God!” Marlie inadvertently clenched her muscles.

  Rogan groaned loudly and thrust again, reaching his hand around her hips to massage her slick skin with his fingers. Again and again Marlie pressed backwards into him, wanting desperately to feel the fullness of him inside of her.

  Rogan's other arm curled around her only to tease and pull on one of her nipples. But it wasn't until he bit her neck that she finally came, exploding around him, straining for more. Clutching onto his arm, she held on tight as her shudders continued, prolonged by the sound of him growling his release in her ear.

  When the glory of their lovemaking receded, Marlie could have sworn she saw stars swirling about her head. She chuckled at the thought.

  "What's so funny?” Rogan asked as he sat back, pulling her along with him onto his lap, still firmly rooted within her depths.

  "I'm lightheaded,” she whispered, leaning her head back onto his shoulder. “I don't ever remember making love to you quite like that before."

  "Is that good or bad?"

  "Oh, honey,” she said, lacing her fingers with his. “It's definitely all good."

  Rogan moved her hair and kissed her neck up and down, making her shiver. “That's what I like to hear,” he said, his grin of satisfaction clearly evident in his voice.

  Turning her head, Marlie gave him a kiss she hoped he could read—a kiss full of love.