Sweet Dreams

by Dana Marie Bell

  When she groaned in sensual pleasure he nearly came in his jeans. “Stop that, woman, we have things to do today.”

  The amusement on her face told him she knew exactly what she was doing. She’d propped her butt against the kitchen counter, no doubt remembering last night’s love tap.

  “C’mere,” he whispered, pulling her gently to him. He hugged her, rubbing his cheek along the top of her head. He smiled, pleasure tingling under his skin when he realized she was purring. He tilted that fey face of hers up for a gentle kiss that tasted of coffee and Becky. “Good morning, baby.”

  She sighed and actually put the coffee mug down to hug him back. “Good morning.”

  “Are you ready for today?”

  “What’s today?”

  “You’re changing, baby.”

  “Huh?” She picked up her mug and took another sip, her eyes nearly crossing in pleasure.

  “Your eyes are changing, and last night you marked me.”

  She eyed the mark she’d left on his neck. It was clearly visible under the edge of his black T-shirt. “Um. You mean the teeth thing?”

  “Yup. You had fangs, sweetheart.” He had to suppress a shiver at the memory of her teeth sliding into his flesh. His dick jumped, letting him know his body was more than up for another bite.

  “Oh, boy.”

  “So that means you’re not going in to work today.”

  “What?” She frowned, obviously ready to argue with him.

  “You can’t go into work today. Not that I’m all that upset about it.” He could feel his Puma growling in his chest. The memory of his mate drugged was going to be with him for quite a while. He was more than happy to have an excuse to keep her close for another day.

  “Haven’t we been over this? I’m fine, damn it! Why can’t I go to work?”

  “You’re changing.” Okay, if she’s not getting it maybe I should have made the coffee full strength.

  “So?”

  “So, how would you feel about having a Puma roaming Wallflowers?”

  Her expression was arrested. Just about everything in Wallflowers was delicate and fragile. Not exactly a place for a Puma to stretch out in.

  Simon laughed softly. “I’ll take you somewhere safe for your first transformation. I’ll be there to help you. After this one you should be able to control it all on your own. Okay?”

  Becky sighed. “Damn.”

  “I’ve got donuts.”

  She grinned. “Oh, well, then. Count me in.”

  He couldn’t help it. He leaned down and kissed the grin off her mouth, happier than he’d ever thought possible.

  He waited until he knew the change was definitely coming. It surprised him that it took most of the day. He’d have to talk to Jamie Howard to see if the drugs in her system could have slowed it down. There was still so much they didn’t know about their Pumas, but Jamie was dedicated to finding out.

  At dusk he drove her out to the Friedelinde’s, the starting point of the Pride lands. When she asked about the duffel bag he put in the car, he grinned and told her to wait and see.

  He’d called ahead to let Jonathon know what was going on and wasn’t surprised to see Marie standing in the doorway. He hopped out of the truck and pulled out the empty duffel bag, turning to see Becky had gotten out of the passenger side on her own. He waved a cheery hello to Marie, smiling when she bowed her head slightly in deference to his status. When she did the same to Becky he couldn’t hold back his proud grin.

  “What was that all about?”

  He led her around the back of the house towards the gardens. Behind the gardens were the woods and hills the Pumas loved to run in. “Once you change, Max will formally introduce you to the Pride.”

  “So?”

  “So, you’ll be Beta along with me.”

  “You’re kidding. Just because I mated you?”

  “No, because you’re strong enough.” He shrugged. “Some of them might try to test you like they did Emma, but I don’t think you’ll have a problem.”

  She stopped dead. “Tested Emma?”

  He chuckled at the growl in her voice. He took her arm and started her moving again. “At the masquerade she tried to get out into the garden. Some of the Pride members decided to just not get out of her way. She was forced to use her gifts to get through them.”

  She whistled softly. “She must have been pissed.”

  “She was magnificent. Everything a Curana should be.”

  She was staring at him suspiciously. “Really turned you on, huh?”

  It was his turn to stop as he stared at her in horror. “That’s like popping wood for your sister.” He shuddered.

  She snickered as he led her out of the garden and into the woods.

  He removed her jacket, revealing the pale green T-shirt molded lovingly to her body. He’d convinced her she didn’t need a bra, and now her nipples perked up cheerfully in the cold November air. “Okay, baby, get naked.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He grinned, something he found himself doing a lot around her. She had both hands on her hips, one hip cocked in that classic “you gotta be kidding me” woman pose men everywhere recognized. It just drew Simon’s attention to those incredibly tight black jeans she was wearing. “You heard me. Get naked.”

  “Sure, Garfield. Do I get a brass pole to swing from?” She edged back, grinning at him with bared teeth.

  “Baby, as much as I’d love to play chase right now, your eyes have turned gold and your arms are getting furry.” He nearly laughed when she looked down at her arms and squealed. He even held back when she turned on him with a bright gold glare, her normally short nails turning into claws as the change began to overtake her.

  “Get naked now or I’m coming over there to help you.”

  Max had allowed Emma to dictate how her change would go, and she’d wound up in one of Max’s examination chairs, fully dressed. Simon had no intention of following the Pride Alpha’s lead in that regard. Pulling jeans off a pissed off Puma was not how he wanted to spend his evening.

  She growled at him but pulled off her shirt, revealing her B-cup breasts to his hot gaze. “Careful there, Garfield, I’ve always wanted a fur coat.”

  “Don’t worry, you’ll be wearing me soon enough,” he purred, watching as she stripped off her jeans and panties.

  “Now what?”

  For an answer he began undressing, watching her every reaction. He nearly groaned when he pulled off his jeans and she licked her lips, her gaze glued to his erection. When he stood naked before her he grinned. “Ready to play pounce?”

  Startled, she looked at him a second before she began changing. He followed her, timing his change to hers. He let her see each stage as it happened to him, hoping to keep any fear and confusion on her part at bay. The playful flick of her tail and the affectionate head rub to his shoulder made the whole thing worthwhile.

  She made a gorgeous Puma, sleek and deadly looking. They ran for a few hours, listening to the rustling of the night creatures in the forest. They lazed by a stream, watching the moonlight on the water. He thought about mounting her in cat form, but decided that the she might not be ready yet for Puma sex. Besides, he was still worried about her health. He made sure they hunted down a nice, juicy rabbit early in their run, giving her the lion’s share of the meat. She’d wrinkled her nose when presented with the rabbit, but her Puma had quickly taken over and she’d done fine.

  The sheer joy in running and playing in the moonlight with his mate was almost overwhelming. He cat-grinned as he watched her roll around in a field of clover; laughed his ass off when she tried pouncing on a field mouse and missed, going tail over ears. The half-hearted swipe she aimed at him missed him by a mile.

  They were heading back to the car when he saw the deer. It was stumbling, obviously wounded. His Puma snarled as they smelled the blood; his human half smelled a trap. It took all of his willpower to keep from going after the animal.

  Becky, however, didn
’t have his experience. She went after the deer, gleefully taking it down before he could stop her. He bounded after her, snarled a warning to try and keep her from ripping into the deer’s entrails, but she ignored him. Red blood dripped from her claws as she gutted the deer in one swipe.

  He managed to get to her just before she sank her teeth into the deer’s soft belly. He pounced on her, biting into the back of her neck and holding her down, forcing her to submit to him. With a snarl she went limp beneath him.

  He didn’t dare change back to explain himself. If he did, Becky’s Puma would pounce on the dead meat now lying on the forest floor, feasting on it with abandon. But he couldn’t talk to her in this form. Unlike fantasy, shifters didn’t automatically get the ability to speak telepathically with one another. They communicated in gestures, or waited until they changed back to human. So he was stuck there, holding down a young, newly made Puma while blood scented the air. His own Puma fought and snarled and raged, eager to feast on the meat its mate had provided.

  “Hmm. Now isn’t that a pretty picture.”

  A growl rose in his throat at the sound of Livia’s voice.

  “Hello, Simon. Hello, Becky.”

  She looked like she’d been camping in the woods. Her hair was braided tightly, a plaid cap pulled low over her brow. She was in a hunter’s jacket, jeans and hiking boots, and she reeked faintly of wood smoke and sweat.

  He snarled at the sight of the rifle in her hand. The barrel was trained on Becky’s head.

  “I’ve been waiting all week for this night. Now get off of her or I’ll blow her head off.”

  Slowly he backed up, never looking away from the blonde who’d tried to take his mate from him.

  My mate! Mine! The snarl of his Puma filled the air. By approaching Becky again and threatening his mate’s life, again, her own life was now forfeit.

  All he had to do was play the game and wait for his chance.

  Livia shook her head. “Uh-uh-uh.” She smiled sweetly down at Becky. “Why don’t you have some dinner, dear?”

  Becky growled low in her throat. Simon couldn’t tell if it was over the meat or the blonde threatening them both.

  “Go ahead, kitty. Have some venison. Mm-mmm, wouldn’t some meat taste really good right about now? I bet you’re hungry.” Livia smirked. “Did you enjoy the chocolates I left you?”

  The growl died in Becky’s throat. Her attention zeroed in on the woman in front of her, her body moving into a classic pouncing pose as she froze in front of Livia.

  “Don’t even think about it.” Livia stared down the barrel of the gun, hatred suffusing her features and rendering her ugly. He knew if Becky so much as twitched wrong Livia would fire.

  Suddenly, Becky relaxed. She sat on her haunches, ignoring the blood on her claws as she tilted her head to the side. She stared at Livia with all the amused disdain a cat was capable of showing. He wanted to yowl. What the hell is she up to?

  “You little…”

  Simon’s heart nearly stopped as Livia’s finger tightened on the trigger.

  Livia’s cell phone rang, the tinny sounds of Mozart’s Alla Turca loud and startling. She glanced down briefly at her hip…

  …And Simon pounced, taking her down before she could get a shot off. Without giving Becky a chance to stop him he ripped the blonde’s throat out, sitting back to watch impassively as her life bled out onto the forest floor.

  As the last of her choking gasps faded away, Simon screamed his triumph to the sky.

  Chapter Eight

  Saturday morning dawned bright and clear. Simon sat up in bed, surprised to see Becky was up before him. The bathroom was empty, meaning she’d been up for at least half an hour.

  He got up, stretched and padded naked into the bathroom. He did his business, brushed his teeth and hair, and thought about a shower. He decided against it, knowing that putting in Adrian’s hardwood floors would be a tiring, sweaty job. He’d do better to wait until he got home. He got dressed quickly, anxious to see his mate before he started his day. She’d probably already had her first cup of coffee, so she’d be relatively human.

  “Morning, baby,” he called out cheerfully as he stepped out of the bedroom.

  She merely smiled at him over the edge of her mug. There were still shadows on her face from their night in the woods, but not once had she flinched away from him. He’d been terrified that he’d lose her after she’d seen him kill Livia. Instead she’d curled up around him, trying her best to soothe him.

  It baffled him, but hey, he’d been able to hold her close, and that was all that mattered.

  Jamie had taken both Livia and the dead deer back to the mansion. The deer had been poisoned. If either he or Becky had eaten any of the meat they’d be lying dead on the forest floor themselves. After a little searching they found three other deer in the forest, similarly poisoned, and Livia’s campsite.

  He had no idea what Jamie did with Livia’s body or the dead animals. He knew Max had been called and consulted. It was quickly decided that Livia’s death was to be a secret between the Pride’s Alphas, Betas and their doctor, Jamie. If a Marshal was ever appointed, he assumed he or she would be told, but no one else.

  Thursday had been spent quietly cleaning up the mess and talking with his mate. He was surprised to learn she wasn’t upset over his killing Livia. As far as she was concerned he’d done what he had to in order to protect them both. And last night Max had formally acknowledged Becky as part of the Pride and confirmed the fact that she was, indeed, Beta female.

  Simon gave Becky a casual kiss on the top of her head and sat in front of his cereal bowl. He needed to decompress after the stresses of the last week. A day of back-breaking, sweaty labor with his best buddies, followed by cold beer and pizza, should do the trick nicely.

  He picked up his spoon, eager to start his day. Luckily the odor hit his nose before the spoon hit his mouth. He looked down, staring at the Cat Chow in his bowl. He blinked and gently set the spoon down. “Am I allowed to know why I’m in trouble or should I just start apologizing generically?”

  “Adrian.”

  He looked up at her with raised brows. “Adrian pissed you off and I’m getting Cat Chow?”

  “You didn’t ask me to help.”

  He looked up at her, totally baffled. “What?”

  She huffed out a sigh. “I’m really good with home improvements.”

  “You’re opening and closing the store today.”

  “I know.”

  “You can’t, literally can not, help.”

  “I know.”

  “Then why the Cat Chow?”

  “It’s the principle of the thing,” she sniffed.

  His mouth opened, but nothing came out. He just couldn’t think of a single thing to say to that, other than, “What?”

  She huffed out a sigh. “If you’d asked me, I could have said no instead of feeling left out.”

  Simon lowered his head in his hands. “At least my life will never be boring.”

  “I heard that.”

  He glared at her from between his hands. He couldn’t decide whether or not he wanted to paddle her ass or laugh. “Can you and Emma afford an assistant?”

  Becky tilted her head to the side, her expression turning inward. He could practically see the numbers dancing in her head. “Part time, definitely. I’m not sure about full-time.”

  “Hire Sheri, she could use a job. Then when things like this come up you have coverage.”

  It was her turn for her mouth to open and close like a fish. “Uh. Good idea.”

  He got up, poured the Cat Chow into the garbage and poured her another cup of coffee. “Here. Apparently your brain isn’t on-line yet.”

  She blew him a raspberry.

  He blew her a kiss.

  They both grinned. He was delighted to see the shadows were gone from her eyes.

  He quickly ate a bowl of cereal; if he didn’t hurry he’d be late. Becky watched silently, nursing her coffee.
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  He snagged his jacket off the back of the sofa where he’d dumped it the night before. Tugging it on quickly, he leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Love you,” he muttered absently as he strode for the door.

  “Love you too. Have a good day.”

  He stopped, hand on the doorknob. She hadn’t said it to him yet, other than that one time in bed when she’d thought he was asleep. He could feel his heart pounding as her words washed over him. “Could…you repeat that?”

  She smirked at him over the back of the sofa. “Have a good day.”

  He growled at her, challenging her to repeat it.

  She smiled smugly and snuggled back on the chaise part of the sofa. “Bye.”

  “Oh, no you don’t,” he muttered. In two long strides he was in front of her. “Say it again.”

  She bit her lip, trying to look innocent. “Bye?”

  He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. “Becky.”

  “Simon?”

  He smiled, slow and sensuous. “I love you.”

  “Good.”

  He gently took the coffee mug out her hands and put it on the coffee table. “Say it.”

  “Nope.”

  “Becky.”

  “Can’t make me, neither.”

  Simon crawled on top of her, holding her in place by sitting on her legs. He pulled out his cell phone and called Adrian as Becky giggled. “Hey, I’m going to be a little bit late, okay? See you in about an hour.” He put his phone back in his pocket and pulled his jacket back off. “Say it again.”

  “Nope.” She was laughing up at him now, her hands resting on top of his thighs.

  He pulled off his shirt. “Again, Becky.”

  “Nuh-uh.”

  He pulled off her shirt while she grinned up at him. “Again.”

  “Or what, you’ll fuck me silly? Explain to me how I lose here.”

  He leaned in and licked his mark, dragging his tongue along it slowly while she shivered beneath him. When he blew raspberries against the mark she giggled again and tried to squirm away. “Tell me.” He was trying desperately not to laugh. His whole body felt so full of joy he felt like he could fly.