His vibe was pure and seemed free of malignance…but it didn’t change the fact that there were way too many questions than answers…and Mr. ‘Kota the Gorgeous’ was one of those unanswered questions.
The signal halted and so did they. Derria unholstered her weapon, clicked off the safety and sprinted off, following the silent beep of the little blue dot as it moved across the GPS display.
Nothing but a swift yank on her arm kept her from tumbling head first off of the sheer cliff that hadn’t been there only moments ago.
Note to self—be sure to make it up to Lakota that he didn’t let you pitch yourself off a cliff and leave your brains splattered all over the rocks below.
Chapter Four
“Damn it, this doesn’t make any sense. I don’t see or scent him anywhere.”
“You’re sure this is where he’s supposed to be, Derria?”
“I’m positive. Even if my electronics were malfunctioning, which they’re not, I can always scent a rogue shifter`. The tracker says he was here no more than a couple of minutes before we got here. But…”
“You can’t scent him?”
“Nope. Animals, trees, fauna.” She turned her root beer gaze on him. “I even smell you.” She flashed her most saucy grin. God, she just couldn’t help it. The man was like her favorite ice cream—she saw it on a shelf and knew she shouldn’t…but also knew she would anyway. “I smell…something.” A wolf, in fact, but she kept her mouth shut in case her new-found ability was a total fluke. “But a rogue it is not.”
“What does it smell like? A rogue, I mean?” he asked.
“Like a deep-seated sickness. Almost like rotten carcass. One whiff and you never forget it.”
“Well that’s sounds delicious and appetizing,” Lakota said with a disgusted curl to his lip. “Maybe the tracker is faulty?” But Derria doubted it considering the one she’d quietly attached to the inside of one of Kota’s back pockets beeped exactly where it was supposed to—four feet to her right.
And her quarry? Well, his little blue dot was stationary again. Right where she stood.
With the adrenaline from the hunt still coursing through her veins, she turned and kicked the nearest tree, then turned and stomped back to the Jeep.
“Looks like I need to stick around town a little longer. You mind dropping me at the Dark Moon so I can pick up my bike?” she asked ‘Kota from the passenger seat just as the phone rang.
“Where are you heading?” Then he looked her way and asked, “Do you need to get that?”
Nope. No way in hell was she answering her phone right now. One glance down at the tech that doubled as her tracker and communicator had Derria’s gut in a free fall.
“Nah. I’ll get it later. It’s just my cousin,” she said, blowing him off. “I’ll head back to Deal’s Gap, I suppose. I can check to see if a room has opened up at one of the bed and breakfast spots.”
“I have a better idea. Why not hole up where you are? You know, extend your stay, if your room is still available?” Besides, it would keep her closer to him. And that was something he needed in a way that was as urgent as it was unexpected. Yes, he knew what this beautiful, strong woman was to him…but that didn’t make it any less of a surprise.
“Nah. There’s a lot of construction going on right now. I’d rather not.”
They pulled into the back parking lot of the Dark Moon right next to her motorcycle. But before she could hop out of the vehicle, he gently put a hand on her forearm. “Wait a sec. Let me check on something.”
He pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial. “Hey Kane, this is ‘Kota. Thanks again for today, by the way. Look, I hate to bother you this evening, but I need a favor. You met my guest earlier. If Kitty’s former place isn’t occupied, mind if I put her there? All right. Where’s the key? Okay, thanks, man. ”
He disconnected the call and turned his full attention on Derria. Not like he’d ever taken his focus off of her in the first place. “Alright, you have a place to stay for as long as you need it. In fact, you have a whole house.”
“Excuse me?”
“Kitty was supposed to move in there not long ago, but as you know, she mated and then plans changed. So it’s vacant and you’re all squared away.”
“That’s awesome!” Derria beamed. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Or at least I think I do. It’s not a shack is it?”
Lakota laughed and assured her it was quite a cute little cottage and Derria’s smile lit him up from the inside out. He doubted she realized that this was a totally selfish move on his part considering he was just a few doors down. But even if she’d known, he had no shame
Without a doubt, this was his mate, and it made him thankful for his shifter genetics. Genes that allowed a solitary creature, like a jaguar, to change his typical behavior and take a mate.
* * * * *
One step through the front door, Lakota dropped Derria’s bag while she stood there and shivered. The thunder showers hadn’t stuck around, but the chill in the air certainly had. Now that evening approached, it actually seemed warmer outside than it did indoors.
Lakota ducked out the back door for a few moments and came back in with a big plastic tub filled with firewood. After starting a blaze in the fireplace, he took her on a quick tour of the place. He grabbed her duffel again and headed toward a surprisingly wide staircase.
“Show you around?”
At her nod, he said, “May as well start up there.”
The cottage was airy and spacious with bright, yet neutral colors that lent an airy quality to the space. Glad she’d kicked off her shoes at the front door, Derria was sure no one had ever lived here because in spite of the cream carpet and white walls, there wasn’t a spot anywhere.
Upstairs boasted two huge bedrooms and two full baths. The master bath sported a sunken jetted tub that she was definitely going to have an affair with tonight. The thought of affairs and getting wet brought with it another—doing that with the man right next to her. The one practically sizzling with need and not bothering to keep it to himself? Yeah, that one.
Royal blue blackout drapes and wood blinds covered all the upper windows. And downstairs—which was warming nicely thanks to ‘Kota’s quick handling of the fireplace—was filled with comfy-looking furniture arranged around a nice, wide open den.
And then she stepped into the kitchen and gasped. She was sure even Neesia would approve. The matriarch of their little pride, Neesia was also a top notch chef with a professional kitchen the size of a football field. Though this kitchen was considerably smaller, the highly polished wood floors, granite counters, and stainless steel everything else, was pretty darn nice.
A little breakfast nook, a wrap-around porch, and lots of light-colored wood blinds made the perfect mix of contemporary comfort and country charm.
Then her stomach rumbled. Loudly.
“The place was prepped for Kitty, but she never lived here.”
“I’m still amazed that a feline shifter mated with a wolf. I didn’t imagine that, did I?
‘Kota laughed and shook his head. “Nope, you didn’t imagine it.”
With genuine awe, she said, “Wow. Go figure.” Kotara and Koreas would give their canine teeth to be here. The two brainiacs, both premier bio-geneticists in the veterinary and bio-shifting sciences, were no closer to pinning down the secret switch/trigger/whatever, to mating heat. It annoyed them that the key to what should be a straight forward hormonal event, eluded them.
With so many scientific conundrums, K and K, as they were lovingly known by their family, would be itching to solve them all. The fertility issue here was a strange one, considering that three of Derria’s four cousins were mated and pregnant. No muss, no fuss. And definitely no problem.
They’d also be super-excited to jump into the question of the cross-breeding of species. Feline and wolf? Da ferk? It boggled the mind, but she said, “I guess Mother Nature doesn’t really care.”
“I hope that’s t
he case.” And the look he gave her was enough to melt paint off the walls. A step toward her, then two brought the man within touching distance. And Derria was surprised to find that she did indeed want to touch. “Anyway, the freezer is fully stocked. All the meat you can eat.”
“How do you know I eat meat? I could be a rabbit or a deer shifter for all you know.”
“I told you before that I scented your lioness, beautiful.”
She blinked. Beautiful?
So how did one know they were being affected by mating heat, rather than plain-old lust? After all, every female on the planet had a fertile period, whether they were mated or not.
And she still had no idea what the hell was happening with her nose, but as soon as ‘Kota headed out, she’d be on the phone with Niah in moments to hopefully find out. She’d never had this kind of malfunction on a hunt before. But Lakota’s scent brought with it more information about him that she’d ever experienced before. It was insane…and kind of cool.
Would it wear off when she went home?
The thought of leaving this stretch of beautiful country added a certain blue tint to her thoughts. But there was no time to dwell on the why of it, so she pushed it away.
Instead, she acknowledged what else was going on in her body. The thrill of the chase had fired her blood. Adrenaline still coursed through her and caused a flash of heat. Skin felt too tight, body taut with need. The scent of her own arousal only made the dew gather more swiftly between her thighs. And if she could smell herself, then Lakota was definitely getting a nose full.
She went still when his irises began to swirl until his gaze held a glow of otherworldly magic. Shifter magic.
Fight or flight? Fuck or flee? Well, neither of them were the fleeing types.
Her guts bubbled again and they both broke out in genuine laughter.
“It’s been a hell of a day,” she said. “I at least owe you dinner, and since the freezer is full, how about a steak? I thought I saw a grill out back through the window of the kitchen door.”
He stepped forward. When she remained still, he moved deeper into her personal space. Derria looked up into those beautiful eyes that still held the glow of a man wrestling with the beast inside. And it was a turn on like she couldn’t believe.
With a gentle touch, his fingers stroked just beneath her chin.
“Please tell me I can kiss you, Derria. I’ve been holding back all damn day.”
Something rushed forward inside of her. Broke, like water over a sea wall. Rushed through her until she damn shook with need.
Oh dear God!
Derria grabbed him at the back of his neck, pulled him into a fierce embrace and kissed him with all the pent-up passion that bubbled inside her. It started out wild. No way it could get any wilder, right?
Wrong.
It was as if they were two famished people getting their first drink in the parched desert. And Derria couldn’t get enough. When she came up for air, she realized that they’d moved from the entrance to the kitchen, fully into the living room. Sure shifters typically ran hot, even when resting, but ‘Kota’s touch sent her up in flames from scalp to baby toes. Even in the chill of a house that hadn’t been lived in all winter and into late spring, it was almost too warm.
They took each other down to the carpet and scrambled for purchase. One moment he was on top. The next second, she was grinding away, knees to either side of his waist.
Then her knees were wrapped around his back and he settled between her thighs. And back and forth they went. They weren’t competing so much as complimenting, and it was fucking glorious.
When had her shirt disappeared?
The moment the thought filled her head, so was his as he whipped it over his head and tossed it behind him.
The rasp of his belt passing through the loops made her moan. And when she palmed her own breasts through her bra, it was his turn to make that magnificent soft growly sound of a large feline ready to take his mate.
He leaned over and held himself up on his elbows as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. He inhaled, sighed, and then did it again.
“You smell so fucking good. I can’t help it, but I need you. If you want me to stop Derria, now’s the time to say so.”
And then he nipped her in that spot—the one between the tendons of her neck and shoulder. The one that made her writhe, and sent a frisson of pure unadulterated lust down her spine. Rather than warn him off, she arched into his body, skin to skin, wanton and unashamed.
Still in his black tactical pants, he ground against her core as he kissed her senseless. He tasted of wind, and water, vine and tree—the very foundations of the wild jungle beneath a thick canopy. He may live in the Great Smoky Mountains now, but his birthplace, the lineage of who he was and where he’d come from, was evident in every breath that fanned her skin.
Once she was completely breathless, and needier than she could ever remember, he eased away, unzipped her pants and took them with him as he leaned back.
His fangs were visible now, as were the sharp claws that shredded her damp panties. Derria nicked her own lip as she demanded what she wanted.
“Fuck me, ‘Kota.”
“Only if you need it as badly as I do.”
She closed her eyes and writhed in agony. “Please.”
“You know what we are to each other, don’t you, Dare?”
She started to deny it, but rather than lie outright, she simply stared at him and repeated her plea.
This time he gave her an even deeper growl—one that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end with anticipation as he flipped her over onto her stomach.
She landed on her hands and knees, and pushed desperately back against him.
Fingers buried themselves into the thick natural curls of her head and pulled until her neck was bared to him.
“You’re mine, Derria Sozi. My mate. But I won’t take what is not freely given, won’t mark you without your consent, no matter how badly I want to.”
But it didn’t matter what words she denied him—she knew what was real and what was imagined. She felt the bond forming in her own mind. The confirmation from home was really just for her little peace of mind. In truth, she already felt the bond forming in her own mind. It was the only thing that explained the crazy hunger for Lakota Phillips…and the knowledge that if it was necessary, she would fight tooth and claw to defend him as he would her.
“God, I hope you like it rough,” he rasped into her ear.
“You have no idea,” she hissed back.
With one hand still buried in her hair, he pulled even tighter as he guided himself to her sopping wet core. He teased her just a bit with only the tip of what felt like quite a wide cock. In two strokes he was buried to the hilt. Thick and long, Derria was sure he’d filled her completely. The sugared walls of her sex stretched just short of the point of too much, yet it was nowhere near enough.
Was she going insane? If so, it was an awesome way to go!
Lakota rode her until her pants turned to moans, and her moans turned to screams. And she was so close to an orgasm she could damn near taste it.
“You feel so fucking good. I’m not going to last much longer. Reach down and make yourself come, Derria. No way in hell will I blow first.” The words were clipped through gritted teeth, even as his movements in and out of her body became erratic and all she could do was sink her fingers into the carpet and hang on.
“Do it, Derria. Now!”
She reached down and stroked her clit. The thing was swollen, sensitive and reaching out of its hood for completion. And she would certainly oblige.
In no time, the energy of her climax tingled in her scalp, and worked its way down. In her mind’s eye, the lioness that shared her body took up the same position—on her belly, surrendering completely.
And in that moment, ecstasy rolled through her—an orgasm so powerful, it brought a sob to her throat as it overflowed in crashing wave after crashing wave. Mo
ments later, he joined her with a genuine roar that told her that she’d pleased him as much as he’d pleased her.
Both their knees gave out and they landed in a replete heap of arms and limbs in front of the fireplace. And there they lay, laughing quietly together as each poked fun of the other’s purr.
Chapter Five
The steaks they’d finally gotten around to were delicious. Nothing quite like meat grilled to rare perfection and shared, bite by succulent bite, with a new lover. Dinner had proved to be as delicious an affair as the sex.
After eating until they were stuffed, ‘Kota had carried her up to her bedroom. “One for the road,” he’d said, followed by a kiss so tender she’d been tempted to ask him to stay. With a promise to catch up with her tomorrow after taking care of some clan business, he’d left.
Since Kota had rocked her world and then helped her with the dinner dishes, there was nothing for Derria to do but wash up and then hit the sheets.
Skipping the jet tub for tonight, she hopped into the shower. As the water sluiced over her body, her mind relived every touch and caress. Lakota was what she called a “whole body lover”. There wasn’t a single bit of her body he’d left untouched. Titillated her outside, then filled her inside.
Just…dayum!
Turning off the water, she grabbed one of the fluffy towels she’d found earlier in the linen closet, and used it to lightly pat her oversensitive skin dry. Back in the bedroom, she kicked her gear bag aside. Grateful didn’t describe how she felt that ‘Kota had brought it up and set it at the edge of the bed earlier while showing her around. Yay on not having to expend energy dragging the damn thing up the steps just now. Energy she totally didn’t have just now.
Retrieving her tablet, she set it on the nightstand just in case she was needed in the night. After all, when out on a bounty, important details could come through at any time. No one wanted to “get dead” from turning off their comm device because they didn’t want to be disturbed in the night.
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