by Fel Fern
Tom could’ve come the moment his tip hit the back of her throat, but, thankfully, he didn’t. He wouldn’t live it down if his brothers knew Rain reduced him to a horny teenager. Rain pulled back out, taking a few seconds to dive back in. Tom tightened his grip on her hair, but she didn’t seem to mind relinquishing her control.
Using her hair as a handle, he thrust himself into her warm velvet heat. The pressure building inside him finally tipped over after several strokes. Growling, Tom pulled out, unloading his cum over her tits. His head reeled as waves of pleasure assaulted his body.
Rain rose, leaned her head against his chest, and closed her eyes. Tom automatically banded his arms around her, breathing in her scent.
“Beautiful girl, you’re going to be the death of me,” he murmured. She opened her eyes to slits and looked up at him, a lazy smile on her lips.
“Let’s save some time and water, why don’t we finish showering together?” She prompted, parting from him. Rain jumped when he smacked her left ass cheek.
“I appreciate you taking the time to clear things up.”
Her laughed spilled over his skin like smooth honey. “Anytime, handsome. Let’s finish up before Ed threatens to destroy the bathroom door.”
“Ed won’t give a warning. He’ll just break it down.” Tom stepped in the tiny enclosure, and made a mental note to let Ed and Jake know they needed a bigger one built. Why it felt so natural to start making plans, to assume Rain would become a permanent presence in their lives, he didn’t know.
He stared at Rain, suddenly hungry to touch every inch of her again. Finally claim her together with her brothers. Fuck, this was an extreme of his control. Tom didn’t think he was capable of wanting anyone this much, but Jake was right. There were protocols to observe. If they wanted a relationship with Rain, it had to an honest and open one. Not hiding from Sam, Lars, and the rest of the pard. Didn’t matter how their leopard king would react. Better to tell Lars straight in the face and face his wrath head on.
Rain turned on the hot water again, sighing as it hit her skin. Tom molded himself against her wet back and decided he began to grow addicted to the touch of her smooth flesh against his. He palmed the flat planes of her stomach, her ribs, and her erect and well-rounded breasts. She moaned and wiggled happily in his arms, not commenting on his growing erection pressed against her ass.
“Keep this up and we’ll be delayed again,” Tom commented, brushing his teeth against the side of her neck just to hear her shudder. He reluctantly took his own advice and parted from her. “Scoot over, you’re hogging all the water, princess.”
Rain politely inched away. “You started it, looking at me like that,” she accused, reaching for his shampoo on the rack.
What would be like, having a woman permanently live with them? Would her flower-scented toiletries mix in with theirs? Tom didn’t exactly see Rain changing their curtains to pink, or anything girly like that. Still, it was an interesting thought. Jesus. Ed and Jake would never let it go if they knew what kind of thoughts he was thinking after Rain just gave him a blow job.
Well. Well. They didn’t get blow jobs, so he was smug about that, plus Rain had confessed she fell in love with him first. Not that he’d ever tell that to Ed or Jake’s face. They would demand a retrial or reassessment of some sort.
“How exactly am I looking at you?”
“You’re doing it right now. Like a mix of cocky and smug? Or thinking about the dirty things you want to do with me.”
“Won’t you like to know?” Tom watched her eye his prick, already standing at half-mast.
“I have some wicked ideas of my own. Turn, I’ll do your back.”
How could this get any better? Tom wondered as he complied and felt Rain’s hands lathering his back with soap.
Chapter Eight
Rain knew something felt wrong when she spotted James, Sam’s mate, sitting by the curb of their apartment. The large wereleopard had his hands buried into his face and his entire body leaked misery and tension. She parted from Ed’s side and ran up to him.
Rain knelt in front of him and hesitantly squeezed his shoulder. James jerked up, lips bared to a snarl, his panicked leopard close to erupting to the surface. He relaxed, seeing it was her, but he looked no less pained. Rain nervously looked around and saw James was alone. As newly mated shifters, James and Sam had been practically inseparable. Her stomach knotted. “James, where’s my brother?”
“He’s gone. I looked all over but his scent disappeared. I told him to wait for you guys, but he wouldn’t listen. Fucking fool said he’d head over here first to pick up some of Lindsay’s stuff. He said he’ll be fine and there wasn’t anything to worry about.” James sounded distracted. Rain felt Ed coming up behind her. She took hold of James’ shoulders and forced him to look at her.
“It’s okay, James. It’s not your fault. Why don’t you begin from the start?”
“You don’t understand, Rain. Sam’s my mate. Mine to protect, but the moment I wasn’t looking, he’s gone. I fucking failed him. I can still taste the scent of his fear in the apartment. He fought hard, too, left his blood all over the place.”
“Did you find anything else? Maybe caught the same scent of wolf musk you guys found before?”
Finally, James looked at her, eyes narrowing. “What are you two siblings not telling me? Sam’s been a little strange since this morning, when we picked Lindsay up and investigated the apartment.” James grabbed her arm painfully, but Ed growled in warning behind her.
“Fuck off, Ed. This is between Rain, Sam, and me,” James told Ed. Rain felt the two other shadows of Jake and Tom coming on either side of Ed and their rising protective energy.
“You’re mistaken, James. From now on, Rain’s our business, so let go off her arm or I’ll break yours off,” Ed warned. Rain could scent his leopard’s anger beginning to rub off on his brothers, so she looked up at him.
“Don’t. Can’t you see how worried he is? Let me handle this, please.”
Ed grunted, clearly displeased, but let Tom drag him to one side. James frowned at their interaction, but before he could ask, Rain went on, “Was it the same scent?”
Jake cursed softly under his breath behind her.
“You know this bastard?” James asked, less angry now, but his pleading gaze wrecked her. The big wereleopard might not be Rain’s first choice for Sam, but James obviously cared for him.
Rain’s heart felt like it was in tatters. “Yeah, he’s our father. Although I have no idea why he came to Leopold City or what he wants. Let’s go the site, maybe I can find something.”
They went up to the apartment, and Rain winced at the sight of the broken furniture and shelves.
“It doesn’t seem like he was looking for something in particular,” Jake observed, poking through the remains of a dining table. “More like the classic rampage of pissed off shifter.”
“I don’t have anything of value he’d want. He probably came here, looking for me, saw the apartment was empty, and decided to trash it instead. I’m glad Lindsay managed to get away, because he won’t care who got in his way.”
“Sam hardly talks about your father, but he sounds like a fucking maniac,” James muttered, staring blankly at the bloody carpet in the living room. The spot where, Rain guessed, Sam tried fighting off Clay. Rain traded a look with Tom from the other side of the room. A silent understanding passed between them. Too worried about Sam, James couldn’t be able to think rationally and would be more hindrance than help.
“Clay isn’t our father. Lars is,” Rain told James frankly.
A ghost of a smile appeared on James’ lips. “Our king would be happy to hear that.”
“Better not tell that to his face, or he’ll gloat.” Rain hunkered over the stained carpet.
Her fingers twitched nervously as she fingered the bloodstains. She tried to think logically, despite how many awful scenarios she ran through her head. Memories of Sam shielding her from Clay’s fists rose i
nside her head. Even now, she could hear the sound of Clay’s fists colliding with her brother’s skinny frame. God. The monster had her brother.
“Hey.” Rain barely heard Ed’s voice at first, until she felt the brush of his jeans against her back. He knelt in front of her and tipped her chin so she looked up at him. Ed kissed her fiercely, and his familiar heat helped her returned to reality. “I promise we’ll get your brother back, baby. Okay?”
“Okay, sorry.” Ed helped her up. He banded his arms around her waist and let Rain lean against him for support. Rain felt better already, her back tasting the solid mass of him. Steady. She saw Jake lead a worried James outside the hall and Tom with a cell phone in his hand.
“I called Lars,” Tom informed them after ending the call. Rain bit her lip, uncertain whether bringing more people into her mess was the right thing to do. Tom seemed to know what she worried about, because he squeezed her hand in reassurance. “Sam and you are no longer alone, princess. We’re your family now— us, James, and the entire pard.”
“What did Lars say?” Ed asked, tightening his grip around her, as if he feared Rain would slip pass his guard and recklessly go after her brother.
The thought crossed Rain’s mind, because she knew how protective Ed, Tom, and Jake could be, but Tom’s words warmed her because he stated the truth. The Leopold pard was her family now, and she knew each one of them would do what they can for Sam and her, and she wouldn’t hesitate to the same for any one of them.
“He’s going to gather some information. Shake his sources. Once we have the bastard’s location, we hit him hard. This time we’ll finish the job,” Tom said, and the coldness in his voice made Rain shiver. Made her remember Ed, Tom, and Jake were hard men, killers for the sake of protecting their family, but she liked that side of them, too. Rain counted herself lucky only she was privy to the sweet side of the three men.
“Huh. Years ago, Lars wouldn’t bother using his brains. He’d just go in, all guns blazing,” Ed remarked. That made Rain smile.
Jake came back inside, sans James. “I told James to get some air and clear his head. Smelling Sam’s blood is going to drive him insane.” He raised one eyebrow at the three of them. “What did I miss?”
Tom updated him. Rain began to cuddle closer to Ed, but jumped when she heard the enraged howl outside the apartment.
“Shit.” Jake peered out the broken window and cursed again. “Shouldn’t have left him alone.”
“James?” Tom asked. “Fucking bastard should have stayed put. He’s going to get both him and Sam killed.”
Killed.
“Rain!” Ed hissed when she wormed his way out of his grip. “Come back here.”
Rain ignored him, ran past Tom’s surprised figure, out the doorway, and headed straight to the lift. She began undressing as the doors hissed close. Glimpsing Tom’s shouting figure a few feet away, she mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.”
She wiggled out of her shirt, jeans, underwear, and started to shift. Her heart raced. Rain couldn’t leave James alone, because Tom was right. James wasn’t in the best state of mind to handle matters rationally. Fur, claws, and teeth replaced human skin. Rain dropped to all fours and ran out. One poor jogger yelped when a gray wolf brushed past him. Hitting the sidewalk, Rain saw the spot where he shed his clothes. She caught his scent, saw his golden spotted fur in the distance, and blazed after him.
Panting, Rain tried to catch up to him, but a leopard had been built for long distance running, a wolf wasn’t. All she managed to do was try to keep up and keep him in her line of sight. James mentioned he lost Sam’s scent, but he must have caught it again, because he ran non-stop, leading them through a maze of side streets and alleyways before stopping in front of a dead end. Rain nearly crashed into him.
James whirled, nearly leaping on her, but halted in time. He nipped at her left ear in warning, and then bared his teeth at her. Rain didn’t need a translator to know the silent question he asked. Are you going to get in my way? Rain shook her head. She didn’t intend to, because she didn’t know how to explain to Sam how she let his mate come to harm.
A quick look at her surroundings told her James had led them to a bad part of town. Normally, a rough neighborhood was nothing a shifter would fear, but Rain recognized some of the symbols of the graffiti scrawled walls. They were in wolf pack territory, and the local wolves cum drug dealers, had no love for Sam, her, and, for that matter, wereleopards.
Somewhere far away, she heard the chorus of howls and a shudder passed through her spine. Rain looked behind her and only saw the empty garbage stewed and graffiti scrawled alley. Ed, Tom, and Jake, Rain knew, even though she hadn’t been mated to them, she had been certain it was them.
Relieved, Rain pawed at James’ flank, hoping to convince him to wait a few minutes for backup, but Rain touched empty air instead. James leaped gracefully over a pile of garbage bins and rotting crates, before disappearing inside the broken window of the nearby building.
Chapter Nine
Shit. Rain debated whether to wait for Ed, Tom and Jake when the sound of a gunshot inside the building startled her. James’ snarl of hurt and surprise, followed by a familiar lupine howl sent chills down her spine. Rain scrambled over the bins and crates and crammed herself into the window, wincing when broken glass sliced through fur.
Breathing hard, Rain managed to land on her paws on the ground only to find herself staring at the barrel of shotgun from one corner. A piteous cry drew her attention to a cage to her left, where a gray furred wolf whined low in his throat. Sam. A few feet from him, James’ spotted form lay still in a pool of blood.
“Don’t move,” a harsh voice warned. A voice Rain could still hear in her nightmares and a match to the same face that paid her a visit to Topless Lucy last night.
Rain growled in her throat, but didn’t move, because what help was she to Sam and James dead? It also pissed her off Clay would resort to using a damn gun, instead of using his claws and teeth. If Rain fought him in wolf form, she might have a small chance to tear out his throat, but when had Clay ever played far?
Heavy footsteps walked on the dusty concrete. Rain watched with narrowed eyes as Clay walked over to James’ still form and pointed the shotgun at his head.
“Know what happens if I kill this cat, sweetheart?” Clay asked, amber eyes gleaming in the dim light. “Bark if you understand, bitch.”
Wary, Rain did, and instantly hated herself for it. All the sass and strength she prided on herself all these years vanished, and Rain became the helpless little girl again, quaking in fear. If Clay delivered his death shot to James, James would drag Sam to death through their mate bonds.
“Good doggie. Now shift. I want to see what kind of woman you’ve become, Rain. A slut, dancing for all those bastards last night.” Clay sneered. He jabbed the end of the barrel to James head. “Don’t make me repeat myself, or say goodbye to your brother and his filthy cat.”
Rain reached for her human half. As soon as her lips became capable of forming words, she asked, “What the hell do you want?”
Clay made a ‘tsk’ ‘tsk sound in his throat. His gaze raked her from top to bottom and his look made Rain’s skin crawl with revulsion. Clay moved the gun from James’ head to his left forepaw. Without warning, the gun roared to life. Rain stifled a cry of protest. Sam went mad in his cage, snarling and howling in rage. More blood leaked out of James and Rain suspected the bullet Clay used was deadly silver, because the first bullet shot wasn’t healing.
“Is that the proper way to talk to your daddy, Rain?”
“Proper daddies don’t look at their daughters that way, or torture their son.” The words flew out of Rain’s mouth without thinking. The lines of Clay’s face tightened with rage. Rain’s heart skipped a beat when he pointed the gun back to James’ head.
“Don’t you think you owe me an apology, bitch? Remember who holds the power here.” Clay growled.
“I’m sorry.” Rain bit her lip. “Please.
Don’t shoot James again. He’ll die.”
“Please. I like that,” Clay drawled. “But it isn’t good enough.”
He swung the barrel again at supernatural speed. Sam rattled at his cage, his muzzle foaming, and eyes mad. Rain didn’t hear the gun shot, didn’t feel the pain until the bullet dug into her left calf and she tasted dust and concrete. She bit her lip, tried not to make a sound because she knew Clay would only get off on it.
“That’s much better.” Clay walked to her and delivered a kick to her ribs. Rain groaned, raising her hands in self-defense.
“Why did you come back?” She repeated. Rain breathed hard, stared up at him, and tried her best to ignore the fire spreading up her leg.
“A mix of personal and business. I wanted to see how my runts were doing, and someone paid me a handsome sum to rattle your cats,” Clay said enigmatically.
He means the pard, Rain thought. Who was this employer and what was his vested interest in the pard? She knew some unknown player had been after the pard for some time. Someone Lars and the others suspected pulled the strings, the same person or group who invited old ghosts, dangerous bikers, dealers, and killers to the city in the hopes of weakening or fracturing the pard.
In the end, the wereleopards came out the victors, but Rain knew one small misstep could also mean their doom. Did Clay’s employer hire him to mess with Sam and her, because they were the weak link?
Clay squatted down and broke Rain’s line of thought when he grabbed a fistful of her hair and dragged her up until her feet dangled in the air. She began to kick at him, but he mutely hit her shot leg with the gun. Hard.
Rain gasped in pain, twisted away from him when he dragged the cold metal barrel between her breasts and down her ribs. She desperately tried reaching for her wolf, but it wouldn’t come. Not when silver coursed through her bloodstream and hampered her from shifting. Calm the fuck down. Wait for an opening.
