by Gale Stanley
"Shut the door when you leave. Your snoring keeps me awake."
"Get used to it," he warned. "I'm not going away."
But I am.
This Jonas she understood and hated. She hated herself more for fucking him. She had to escape, and soon.
Chapter Four
The gel stress ball bounced off Jonas's head and woke him from an uneasy sleep. "Fuck!"
It lodged between his back and the sofa. He reached behind him, and his fingers closed around the brain-shaped blob, a reminder from his brother that he might be the brains of the family, but he could still be squashed. He squeezed and tossed. It missed Jude by a mile.
"Go away." Mumbling, he hugged the pillow and ground his morning erection against the sofa cushions. He fought to hang onto his dream, an image of Sable's luscious lips wrapped around his cock, a curtain of ebony hair brushing his belly.
"You throw like a girl."
His hard-on evaporated. His brother was starting to seriously piss him off.
"Wake up! What the hell is wrong with you?" Jude yanked the pillow from his arms, and he forced his eyes open. He sat up with an effort, leaned back against the couch, and combed his hair with his fingers.
"Jesus. I've seen better heads on a beer." Jude's brows drew together in a frown. He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head.
"Give me a break." The misery of his restless night haunted him. He'd only just fallen asleep. His mind burned with images of Sable. Her scent lingered on his skin. One minute he wanted to scrub all traces of her off his body. The next he contemplated never washing again.
Dark thoughts threatened his sanity. Did he have sex with a woman or an animal? Torn between despising himself and wanting to fuck her again, he'd caught himself at her door more than once. Hell, he wanted to do more than fuck her. He hadn't even gotten started. He wanted to take her every way possible and then fall asleep in her arms, instead of alone and frustrated.
Finally, he shut the door to her room and vowed to tie himself to the couch if he got up one more time. Despite her animal nature, he wanted her more than any woman he'd ever known. Did that make him some kind of pervert?
"Do you know what time it is, bro?" Jude hunkered down next to him. "We're supposed to be in town in thirty minutes."
"Shit! Call the realtor and tell him I got tied up." He felt hot and feverish, in no mood to talk real estate. "Tell him whatever the hell you want. I don't give a shit."
"I don't believe it!" Jude choked. "You're the one who wanted to buy up the surrounding property." He stared at Jonas's neck. "Is that what I think it is?"
Jonas planted his hand over the bite and winced. The damn thing still hurt.
Jude's jaw dropped. "Please don't tell me you fucked her."
"Okay, I won't."
"What in God's name were you thinking?"
"I don't have to explain myself to you." He couldn't even explain it to himself.
"Well, then, tell me how it feels to fuck a damn animal?" Jude stood and shook his head in disgust. "Christ, you could have rabies."
Red-hot anger surged in his veins and propelled him off the couch. He delivered a punch that caught Jude square in the jaw, and he staggered sideways against the counter, knocking glass vials, beakers, and pipettes to the floor.
Jude came back, fists flying.
Jonas blocked him, taking the blows with his forearms. He drove a knee into Jude's gut and stepped back to catch his breath. "Stay out of my business," he warned.
"Well, I guess you're awake now." Jude gasped, bent over, and hugged his stomach. He straightened up with difficulty and lifted his hands in surrender. "Calm down, bro," he said, panting. "I might've been out of line, but I thought we were on the same page here." He wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth. "I know she looks like a fine piece of ass but don't forget what she really is."
"I'm not forgetting anything." His anger vanished as quickly as it appeared. He was more upset with himself than his twin. Jude was just a convenient scapegoat. He felt like a degenerate but that didn't stop him from wanting her again. "It just happened. She's in heat."
"Oh, that's even better. What if you knocked her up? What then?"
Shock turned his blood cold. He never stopped to think about a condom. She bewitched him, made him so fucking hot he couldn't wait to get inside her. Shit!
"It's the last thing we need."
"I know. I know." He wasn't ready to have a kid, especially not some little freak of nature. Suddenly a wild idea took root, and his mind ran with it.
"I know that look, bro, and I don't like it. What are you thinking?"
"What if she is pregnant? This could be exactly what I need to jump-start my research."
"You need a reality check." Jude shook his head.
"Hear me out. This is a good thing." In more ways than one. Now he could justify the sex. It was all in the name of research. Hell, this was probably in his subconscious mind all along.
"Am I hearing you right? You actually want to father a baby with the wolf?"
"Imagine what I could learn from a hybrid. Think about it. A creature to study that had half my DNA or yours."
Jude's brow furrowed. "Mine?"
"If my sperm doesn't do it, then, yeah, yours."
"With a turkey baster maybe."
"Not as much fun." Jonas's lips curved in a wry smile. "But we can arrange something."
"Whoa! I don't know about this." Jude's expression turned stony. I'm not ready for kids, especially her kid. The whole idea creeps me out. I don't want to bring some little wolf man into the world."
Jonas ignored him. "I'd have a control for my tests, a half-breed combining the DNA of both species."
A slew of expressions crossed Jude's face—disgust, disapproval, fear. But under the surface Jonas detected a hint of excitement, and he knew it wouldn't take much to convince his brother.
"We'd be rich and famous, make a lasting contribution to science." He could practically see the wheels turning in Jude's head.
"What if we can't mix? Birds of a feather and all that crap."
"Interbreeding might not be possible." Jonas frowned. "But it's worth a try."
"Maybe she doesn't want a baby?"
"Of course she does. She goes through this heat thing for a reason. In the animal world, sex doesn't have a purpose aside from reproduction." The words came from literature he'd read on animal breeding. He wasn't even sure he believed them, but Jude seemed to accept the idea. "Put this in another context. It's like breeding livestock. Our animals reproduce in a controlled manner to produce young. This project will be strictly under our control and top secret."
"Yeah, but why would she want a half-human kid?"
Jude asked some good questions. Unfortunately, he didn't have good answers. He improvised. "There can't be many like her, and she'll want to propagate her species. It's to her benefit to breed." He read his twin like a book, and he saw Jude's resolve waver.
"I have to admit, the first time I saw her I wanted to fuck her. Of course, that was before I watched her shift."
"Yes, she is beautiful—and passionate." Jonas let his words hang in the air.
Jude ran his tongue over dry lips. "What if she changes right in the middle?"
Gotcha! "She won't. She's collared, remember." Jonas felt charged up, energized. A new project did that to him. "And she won't object. She's in heat. Remember, she needs to mate."
"I don't know." Jude shook his head, still unsure.
"I'm telling you, she'll be more than willing to mate with both of us."
"Both of us?" Jude thought for a moment. "I might consider it with two of us in the room. It wouldn't be the first time we shared a woman."
"That was a long time ago. I wasn't thinking of a threesome."
"If you want my sperm, then that's how it's going down."
"You're afraid of her."
"Maybe I am—a little. I wouldn't feel comfortable unless you were there to cover my back."
&
nbsp; As much as he liked sharing the guilt trip with Jude, he didn't like the idea of sharing Sable. If he didn't see them together he didn't have to picture her in his brother's arms. Why should he care? It was an experiment. Jude was right. They'd done it before, and as long as nobody stole anybody's girlfriend, and Sable was definitely not a girlfriend, it could be fun. Already he was getting hard. The image of Sable excited and moaning while being penetrated by two hard cocks was tantalizing.
"So? What do you say?" Jude asked impatiently.
"I say it's on." He smiled and extended a hand. "Now you can sweep up this glass."
* * * *
Sable's ears perked up at the sounds of a scuffle in the adjoining room. The men never fought, not in her presence anyway, so it must be important. Sometime during the night, Jonas had shut the door. It didn't matter. With her finely tuned hearing, they might as well be in the same room with her. Jonas thought he was so smart, but he tended to forget how much her senses exceeded his own.
Half-breed... study... breeding livestock...
Her body tensed. She pounded her fists on her thighs, then ripped the pillow in frustration. Eiderdown floated above her head and settled on her hair.
Each word incited another storm of emotion. How dare they think they could crossbreed her like some biology experiment? She was as human as they were. Better, even, or they wouldn't want her special abilities for themselves. Only the chain tethering her to the bed saved them from the fight of their lives.
Her wolf circled her belly, churning up bile that rose in the back of her throat. She swallowed with difficulty and tried to fill her mind with calming thoughts—the sounds and smells of the woodlands. Finally, the unruly animal curled in a ball and found its place in her underbody. It left behind a loathsome queasiness that set off alarm bells.
Nostrils flaring, she sniffed the air, and then her arm. Soft feathers tickled her nostrils but didn't disguise the obvious. Her scent had already changed. The reality turned her to stone. Would Kweo punish her this way? She laughed, cold and humorless. Wouldn't it make Jonas proud to know he knocked her up the very first time?
As a child, she'd been taught that humans and Lycans couldn't reproduce. But, Malcolm had proven that wrong. He and his human lover had conceived a baby. She should have thought of that before she let Jonas near her.
Her highly sexual nature had gotten her into trouble before, but nothing like this. She didn't want a half-breed baby, and especially not Jonas's baby.
Did they intend to keep her locked up until the birth? Or did Jonas plan to take her fertilized egg and hatch it in a test tube. And then what? She'd be expendable. Jonas would have what he wanted. He'd put her down like a rabid dog, and the baby would live under a microscope.
Kweo would never do that to a Lycan child, not even one that was only half Lycan. The spirit had sent her a test, not a punishment. She had to protect this baby at all costs. Jonas could never know about the baby. Escape was more important than ever.
The fight ended, and shortly after, Jonas appeared with a tray. He set the food on the bedside table and watched the feathers take flight. "If you think you can behave, I'll get you another pillow."
"Screw you!"
He grinned at her. "You already did."
Her anger burned hot, and the wolf stirred again. A temper tantrum would not help her escape. She took a calming breath. "I can sleep anywhere. I don't need a pillow."
"Suit yourself. I'll be out for awhile, you better use the bathroom."
"Why don't you just put some paper on the floor?"
"Cute, but I need you to pee in this cup." He pointed to a container on the tray and took keys out of his pocket to unlock the chain. "Don't try anything, Jude's outside the door with the dart gun."
"I wouldn't think of it." There'd be no more drugs mucking up her head if she could help it. She grabbed the cup and headed for the tiny bathroom.
"And leave the door open," he called after her.
Damn him! What if he tested her urine and found out she was pregnant? How could she dilute it when he watched her every second? She sat on the toilet, held the cup under her, and scooped up some water before she peed. Gods, she hoped that would screw up his tests.
"So how long will you be gone?" she asked as she handed him the cup.
The corner of his mouth quirked. "Why? Will you miss me?"
"In your dreams," she said, sneering. Funny, she actually would miss him. What other diversion did she have? He did it on purpose, the jerk. Knowing how lonely she felt, he did everything he could to make her more dependent on him.
It wasn't like her to let anyone get under her skin the way he did. No one had gotten that close since her family was murdered. This forced confinement would drive her nuts. She needed to get out of here soon before she went psycho. She could end up like one of those victims who become emotionally attached to their kidnappers. No way.
"Don't look so miserable, I'll be back later tonight." He locked the chain to her ankle restraint and turned his back to leave.
"Bastard!"
She grabbed an apple from the tray and hurled it at him. It gave her a tiny measure of satisfaction when it hit him square in the back of the head.
Chapter Five
"There's no need to tiptoe around, I'm not asleep."
"Of course not, how can you sleep when you leave the lamp on all night." Jonas avoided the mess on the floor and set a new tray on the bedside table. "I know it's late, but I thought you might be hungry."
Sable eyed the food and turned up her nose. "I'm not."
"You need to eat something."
"I don't want peanut butter sandwiches and fruit. I like meat." She growled and bared her teeth at him.
"You don't scare me."
His smile set her teeth on edge. "Take off this collar and then tell me that," she snapped.
"You know that's not happening."
"Then leave me alone. Get out!" With one sweep of her arm, the tray flew off the table and joined the one at Jonas's feet. A bottle of Snapple shattered and Mango Madness splattered his boots. His body went rigid, and a vein pulsed at his temple.
Baiting Jonas gave her a rush. She had nothing else to do, and it was a safe bet he wouldn't harm her as long as he needed her for something.
Anger glittered in his eyes. He looked like an animal ready to pounce.
Cat and mouse, predator and prey. Game on.
Sable slid along the mattress, and the chain followed, reminding her of her disadvantage. Frustrated, she pulled on it. She wanted the thrill of the chase.
For a few minutes, they glared at each other, neither willing to look away first. Jonas opened his mouth as if to say something, then shut it just as fast. He sat on his heels and mopped up the soggy mess with napkins.
"If I had you on a longer leash, I'd make you eat this off the floor."
"You could try." Outraged at his lack of respect, her nostrils flared, releasing the heat of her anger. If he thought he could master her, he'd better think again. She squatted on the bed and peed under his shocked stare.
His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. He took a step toward her, then changed his mind and went to the table. Her smile disappeared when he unscrewed the bulb from her lamp. Only the light that came from outside the door illuminated him when he turned to face her. "Bad dog. Keep it up, and I'll have to crate train you." He took the bulb and the trays and turned his back on her.
"Fuck you! You bastard." A string of curses followed him. She slammed her fist against the wall so hard it cracked the tile.
Being able to see in the dark should have prevented her fright. Instead, it only made things worse. She'd never been afraid of anything until she turned seven. Her mother had prepared a small birthday dinner. Malcolm and her older sister, Mia, had brought presents. Malcolm's sister, Tala, came alone. Her human husband had left her. When the family went back to their own homes, her mother kissed her goodnight and tucked her in bed. She fell asleep thinking ab
out her presents. She woke to her mother's anxious voice.
"Wake up. There are bad men coming. You have to hide." Her parents pushed her into the narrow crawl space under the floor. "No matter what you hear, don't move or make a sound." They kissed her and shut the trapdoor. She never saw them alive again.
She lay perfectly still, surrounded by packed dirt. Heavy footsteps followed by loud voices terrified her. The sound of gunshots locked the breath in her lungs. Still afraid to move, she endured the sight and sensation of tiny legs crawling over her flesh. When she finally lifted the door and came out, the ordeal was forever imprinted on her brain. Only light exorcised the demons.
She bit her lip to keep from crying and stifled the urge to yell for Jonas. He didn't need any more ammunition against her. Damn him!
She pulled the wet sheets and blanket off the bed and threw them on the floor. She curled in a ball on the damp mattress and used her arm for a pillow.
If only she could see the moon, she'd be okay, but there was no window. Not even a clock to shed a little light. It couldn't be too much longer until morning. She only had to hold out until Jonas brought her breakfast. She pushed thoughts of creepy crawly things out of her head. Screwing her eyes shut, she pretended the lamp was still on.
Something crawled, whisper light, along her calf. Icy beads of sweat trickled down between her shoulder blades. The unpleasant sensation traveled up her leg. When it reached her thigh, she couldn't ignore it any longer. Her eyes flew open.
Spider!
She screamed. Arms and legs flailing, she scooted up the bed and cowered against the headboard, shaking. She drew up her knees and hid her face in her arms. Her imagination ran wild. An army of tiny legs scuttled over her skin.
The mattress dipped, and two strong arms hauled her against a hard chest. She didn't protest.
"Shh." Jonas held her against his body and rocked her back and forth.
She clung to him. "Get them off." Shocked at herself, she cried on his shoulder.
