by Susan Arden
There wasn’t an ounce of logical thought that went into the hurling of his body through the opening in the trees; there was only one urge. Diana.
No time to wait and assess the situation as he landed on the back of the largest bear. He bit down, sure and hard, into the neck of the bear, and with his four-inch claws Shawn shredded the bear’s face. From behind, bear claws swiped at him and he turned, and turned again, making the bear swing around in a bizarre and deadly dance. Repeatedly he ripped fur and flesh, and he refused to release the bear until the beast went down.
The bear sank to the ground at the paws of his companions. Diana crouched in front of the other bear, snarling and clawing at their movements.
Teeth bared, Shawn bounded in front of Diana, forming a dividing line. Bear blood splattered on his coat and smeared along the ground. He reared up on hind legs just as a scarred black bear rose as well. This time, both sets of his claws dug into a bear’s body. He curled his claws, digging deep and deeper until his claws pierced through the bear’s pelt.
The bear growled a snort of amusement, for Shawn was attached to him. The bear stepped back and Shawn had to follow. This was nothing short of extreme insanity — or genius. Shawn was lashed to the bear’s torso, his claws embedded as sticky liquid oozed between the pads on his paws. The bear couldn’t stop this mad backward saunter; he stepped back again, only this time Shawn held his ground. With the bear’s skin taut under his claws, Shawn’s leopard body coiled inward; his muscles contracted, bunched into a powerful mass before he inhaled, and a sound of tearing filled the air. Carefully uncurling his claws a titch more, and then with all the force he could muster physically, he brought his body down, tearing his claws through the bear’s chest and belly. The bear’s entrails spilled steaming onto the ground. The bear grunted, staring at the contents of his body dumping downward to fall in a bloody pile at his hind paws.
Diana’s loud growl alerted him to the other bear’s threat. He turned to see the bear lunge for Diana and take hold of her by the shoulder. She reacted by biting and snapping at the bear’s face. Sharp canines reflected white in the moonlight, and fear woven with anger flared in her eyes. The bear pinned her to the ground, covering her body with his, and Shawn understood the bear’s intent.
A bellow of rage built and released from his throat. Diana froze, their gazes locked, and the terror in her eyes was enough force to send him leaping onto the bear, knocking them both sideways onto the ground. He snapped his jaws, grabbing hold of a roll of bear blubber. Diana cried out in pain. The bear had intended on raping her but now their bodies were disengaged. Unheard of in the shifter world except by the most depraved beings. Shawn’s claws sunk into the bear’s face, taking hold, digging deeper until the bear released Diana from his bite.
Shawn snarled for her to move away from this beast, but instead she lunged for the bear, snagging her claws in the bear’s hide. The bear swung around, his paw raised above her head. Shawn roared loudly, signaling for her to get out of the damned way.
The last thing he remembered was taking hold of the bear by the point above the jugular, and his teeth diving into the bear’s fur and skin, the taste putrid from an unwashed body, and then blood filling his mouth.
He clamped down so hard that when he pulled his face away, a chunk of flesh was removed from the bear’s throat. The hissing air of the bear’s breathing through a pierced trachea came and went in a pattern of uneven breaths. Shawn clasped the bear again in his fangs, didn’t stop until the animal ceased to breathe. He didn’t recollect much of anything in his craving for revenge. Blinded by rage, he gave into the lust for carnage this beast provoked by attacking Diana. Shawn didn’t go after the one bear who had played possum and who now limped off. The trail of blood seeped into the ground. He’d soon be dead from blood loss or predators. A just end.
Diana circled around him; he watched as though someone else was inside him. Never had he lost his control. His sense of self had vanished for a spell. The irony in teaching Diana to maintain awareness and a sense of logical, organized constructs while he’d become emotionally splayed open was vivid and ludicrous. He’d become so demented that he let loose a wave of violence, and in the aftermath was incapable of recalling his actions. Before him lay the dead bears, savagely killed by his own actions.
He felt his humanity return, felt the slackening of his body as though torn between leopard and man, not knowing which form to take — which form would help him find his way back.
Diana rubbed her cheek against him. Flicking his tail, he snarled a harsh reprimand. She licked his face, sniffing at his coat, and then returned in front of him to squint into his eyes. The leopard in her assuaged the beast in him. He head-butted her softly, incapable of relaying the depth of his anger had taken. That razor feeling had dissipated, leaving him numb.
She moved, her tail swishing from side to side. Her scent pervaded his haze, pricked him to get up, and follow. His leopard body tightened, preparing to continue his chase of Diana. Endorphins swam in his bloodstream and now a cocktail of testosterone and adrenaline followed, blasting away any remorse he may have felt. Diana was his full concern.
A rush of hormones bolstered him. Regardless of what line of thought he might wish to contemplate, his primal state was back to full alert with Diana his sole priority. She purred, walking into the clearing, glancing with green-golden, feral eyes back at him. After she rubbed up against a willow sapling, his coat tightened and his belly coiled.
He ambled over the ground, the dank smell of earth and pine needles replaced with her heat-cycle scent that cleared away the fog obscuring his thoughts, shaping them into a line of need, a primal urge to take possession of her. Now, more than ever.
Diana started off along a trail that would take her into the forest on the west side of the house. This time he followed close behind her, drafting her scent, and with every foot they traveled, his need for her grew. She ran onward, and he followed so close he could have pounced, landing on her back, and rightfully taking what he’d earned.
The lights from the house came into view and a scent of wolves filled the air. Tristen and Fin were on the prowl. Their bodies were black shadows racing in between the trees. Coming from behind, they were invisible both in sight and scent. They silently ran, flanking him.
With a show of teeth, he snarled, warning them to get off his ass. Shawn swerved, coming around right in front of Tristen. The wolf stopped and panted, shrugging his broad shoulders. Jesus, he didn’t need a pair of babysitters at this moment. The thought blew a hole in his reserve causing him to slow, and brow-beat Tristen to back-the-fuck-off.
Diana certainly could do without a pair of red-eyed chaperone fly-boys. He’d question them tomorrow. Now, he had a woman that needed to be fucked, balls deep, over and over until she yelled his name.
Chapter 13
Upstairs, sitting in the bathtub by herself, Diana stopped counting the times Shawn paced in front of the bath doorway, making the luxurious whirling water hardly enjoyable. “Are you sure you don’t want to join me?”
“You enjoy your bath,” he muttered. Shirtless and dressed in unbleached linen pants, he cocked an eyebrow, belying his words. Anger crept and carried every nuance of his posture, his gaze, and the line of his lips.
He’d met her at the outbuilding where he’d taken her earlier today. Shifting in the shadows, they’d stood naked. “We’d better get inside,” he said, his eyes dipping down her body. “My posse is close behind.”
“Tristen and Fin?”
“My ever-present task force. Next time — if there is a next time — we’re going to have a Come-To-Jesus talk. And I do mean you three will understand my intent. I’m not beyond having you all write the rules on sheets of papers until each one is memorized. Then, we’ll see who forgets what.” He spoke off-handedly, as though he was addressing the coming weather or what they might do on Sunday afternoon.
Together they’d changed into clothing, without further discussion beyond h
is growl to get her ass upstairs. Pronto. The gleam in his eyes was loud and forceful, getting her to move without argument. “Pissed” wouldn’t adequately convey the bunching of his shoulders or the set to his jaw. Shawn wasn’t someone she’d disobey if she could help it. Upstairs they’d disrobed and he ran her bath, helped her ease down into the water, and had gone off to shower alone.
After dipping below the surface of the bath, she held her breath, enjoying the tranquil feel of muted sounds, and being still in the water. The burning of her lungs forced her to come up with a loud rush, inhaling deeply.
“What in blue blazes are you doing?” he asked, kneeling at the side of the tub.
She wiped the droplets from her eyes, blinking up at him. Concern filled his face. “Just relaxing. It’s serene under the water. Haven’t you ever tried it?”
“Not in that manner. Are you coming out soon? I’ll go down and get something for us to eat.”
She sat forward, moving up and onto her heels still inside the bath. “I’m not hungry … for food.” No sooner than she had uttered the words, Shawn hauled her body upward, against him. Her wet skin was slippery over his bare chest.
He held her, letting her toes only skim the floor, and he spoke in a growl. “If you ever disobey me again, I swear, Diana, I’ll fucking lose it. I don’t intend on laying down the law but maybe that’s what you need. You’ve gone on too long just doing whatever the hell comes to mind. I understand you’ve had to fend for yourself. But you’re mine now. I call the shots. And when I say to get out of the fucking way, that’s precisely what I mean. Am I crystal fucking clear on this one point?” He tightened his clasp around her waist, unwilling to let her go without a response.
“You’re upset about what? The bear thing?”
“God, you’re either trying my patience or you really live in a dream world. What do you think that bear wanted to do? Have you over for tea? Make no mistake, in this world, shifters aren’t following man-made laws. Some shifters live in the wild. They spend more time in their primal form than human. They exist as they see fit, without any mind to what’s fair or just. The law of survival is the only rule they hold to and they take what they please. An animal that is bigger than you or more powerful than you, deserves your respect. In the world south of this house, in the depths of the Rockies, might doesn’t give a flying fuck about right. And don’t you ever forget that. Do. You. Understand?”
Her chest heaved, easier than before without her ability to lose control. She understood. Of course, who wouldn’t; but she wasn’t about to let anyone push her around. Christ, where had that sentiment come from? Logically she realized retaliation on the bear was lunacy in the making. But a primal force had not seen fit to step away. Not when Shawn had been in peril trying to save her. “I couldn’t just step aside. Not when you were threatened. I acted out of instinct.”
“Christ, Diana. There’s just one thing that is instinctive. The rest must be born from logic. It’s the reason we ran tonight. The things that went through my mind,” he whispered.
Shawn pressed his forehead against hers. She took hold of his face between her hands. His mouth came down on hers. Hunger laced with need seared her mouth and she relaxed against him. He lowered her so that her feet touched the floor, his fiery skin molded to her from mouth to hip. A frisson of desire shot up her nerve endings, spiking her blood with the instinct he spoke about. His erection, snug and trapped between their bodies, assured her their instincts were synchronized.
This was no mystery as to how a night run would end; but for her, this was the first time she’d returned and a man hungered for her body. With Cole, they went to sleep. Both were too tired to do much more and she never remembered anything from her time in leopard form anyway. Adrenaline saturated her blood even now, a type of high, where everything came to her senses with stunning potency.
A raging river of sexual tension filled her and, whether she would admit to it or not, the danger kicked her excitement into overdrive. They had survived with only a few gashes that would heal. All shifter wounds on the dermal layers healed rapidly, leaving no scars.
“I’ve never lost control like this before. I’m not at all pleased with myself. The only thing that comes close was long ago, and I thought I’d managed to overcome those gut reactions. I thought you were going to be maimed by that beast.” His warm breath caressed her face. “When I saw that bear cover your body, I swear … I honestly lost control. I can’t ever go back to being like that again.”
She pressed her body against him. Her fingers pulled the drawstring to his pants. The air cooled her heated skin and droplets from her wet hair pelted down, landing on him and leaving swirling traces down his hard-muscled stomach.
“I’m in charge tonight,” he snapped, capturing her hand. His mouth crashed down on top of hers, and his tongue burst into her mouth, tangling with her tongue. Shawn’s fingers threaded through her hair, angling her head, and he deepened his kiss. His other hand slid down her back until he cupped her bottom, bringing her secure up against him, leaving no doubt he would hold her there for as long as he pleased. His fingers delved along the crack, wedging between her cheeks, and she wiggled her hips.
A low growl emanated from his throat. He pulled her head back, staring down at her with his beguiling golden eyes, intense and all knowing. “Don’t move a muscle.”
“Do you understand my rationale?” she had to ask him.
“I understand why you reacted. But I don’t want a repeat performance. Ever. Consider tonight a furtherance of your training. I promised I’d paint your bottom and I will.” He released his hold on her scalp. “Get into bed. Now, Diana.”
She bit back her response. A shiver escaped from her core and a thrill raced up her body. Anticipation made her skin tighten and tingle. She had to be insane. From the furious sound of his voice and what he’d already said … anticipation? Really? Heat-cycle lunacy was more like it. She should be fighting back, but the pooling heat between her legs wanted him to take charge. To dominate her. To make her believe she wasn’t alone.
Had he been looking for a reason and she had unwittingly given him cause? She’d never been hit, forget spanked except by his hand. Ideas about violence didn’t appeal to her and yet the thought of him spanking her again aroused something in her, especially with the erection he sported. This was a hard-core erotic fantasy, and no wonder the underground clubs were popular. This whole night had blown the doors off her imagination.
When Shawn came to the bed, she sat on the edge, not knowing if she should say something, ask questions about what he would use — his hand or a … She didn’t even know the proper terms for erotic toys. She twisted her fingers, raking her mind over the limits of her pain tolerance. Being mauled was one thing, but calmly presenting her ass to a man who promised to deliver a lesson was altogether different.
She wasn’t at all sure she was going to like this. Glancing up, she nearly fell off the side of the bed from his steely expression. Their gazes connected, blazing past her fear, lambasting the locked doorways, snaking around corners and pulling her to trust that whatever he wanted to deliver, she’d welcome.
“I want you over here. I intend of satisfying a side we both possess.” Her heart didn’t leap into her throat, it nearly burst out of her mouth as he hoisted her upward, his presence powerful and consuming. “Do you have anything to share?”
“I desire what you desire.”
“Don’t ever scare me again,” he ordered calmly. All traces of anger had evaporated, leaving a steely quality to his voice. She stood, leaning against him, giving into his appeal, aroused and intrigued by the promise in his threat. He took her toward the nightstand, and eased her downward onto the bed. All sure movements as he arranged himself up against pillows, not once releasing his hold on her.
Shawn’s hands turned her over and pulled her across his lap. She gazed at the comforter, his legs under her stomach, and he rubbed his hand over her ass. “How many times do you need to feel the
heat of my hand?” he whispered. “Jesus, I want to bury myself inside you and make you scream my name as I’m coming.”
His hand caressed her bottom, from one side to the other, dipping and teasing her.
“Please,” she said, clenching under his teasing fingers.
“Then tonight will be explosive and new. I intend to teach you who you belong to. No one need question my authority. Especially the woman who will sit at my right hand. I intend on delivering twenty lashes with my hand. You will learn or we will revisit this lesson. Next time, there will be more. I want to hear you count each one. Once I have finished, I will fuck you as you need to be taken. After tonight, you and I will have reached an understanding. You asked for my help. You gave yourself to me. You are mine, Diana. You asked me to train you. Bestowed in me a power and an obligation. I don’t take either lightly. You agreed to accept my dictates. Didn’t you?”
He didn’t give her time to process whether she agreed, disagreed, or wanted to leave. The sound bore into her senses before the pain assaulted her awareness. And then, boy, she got his meaning.
“But … ” she stammered from the brand of his palm.
“But nothing. Count for me. Or that will be five more for disobedience.”
He rubbed her sweltering ass cheek, calmly demonstrating his patience. “Well?”
“One,” she mustered.
“I like when you follow my directions,” he purred. “Your ass is beautiful. And mine.” He smoothed his palm over her cheek and squeezed.
Releasing her, he delivered a smack, the pain spreading out from where his palm lay, and she closed her eyes, then hearing him cough, realized she’d forgotten her part.
“Two,” she choked shakily, as tears moistened her eyes. No sooner had she spoken than another smack landed. This time on the opposite cheek, in a red-hot game of connect the dots.
