Hunting Season (The Gathering Book 1)

by Shelly Laurenston

  “You know me, Neecy. I don’t bullshit around.” He tightly gripped her waist with both hands. “I want you, Neecy. Not for a mindless fuck. Not just for twenty-four hours. I want you. And if you think I’m going to just let you go without a fight, you’re nuts.”

  Just as he knew she would, she tried to pull away from him. He yanked her back hard, bringing her down on his cock, and she moaned in defeat as he held on to her.

  “Fuck me, Neecy. Now.”

  She couldn’t resist him. No matter how hard she tried. Not with his big cock buried so damn deep inside her and her entire body screaming for release.

  “Fuck me,” he ordered again.

  Hating herself for being so weak, she rocked her hips back then forward.

  Yager shuddered. “Goddamn, Neecy.”

  Yeah. Her thinking exactly. She didn’t know anything could feel so good.

  She rode him, her hands gripping his shoulders while he stared at her face. His hands moved off her waist and slid under her sweater, pulling it up above her breasts. He smiled when he saw her sports bra and she rolled her eyes. It’s not like she planned on getting laid in her office—what exactly was he expecting?

  He pushed the soft cotton over her breasts and leaned forward so that he could grasp one of her nipples between his lips. She barely bit back a cry as she pulled him closer, her arms wrapped around his neck and head. They no longer spoke. Not with him having a mouth full of tit, and she really couldn’t think past the cock shoved inside her pussy. Besides, her office was surrounded by other professors’ offices and the walls were thin.

  And even when someone knocked on her door, they kept going. Their grips tightening on each other like they were afraid the other would bolt.

  “Hey, Neecy,” came a voice through the door. “It’s Delia. You in there?”

  Who? Who is this person? “Busy!” Neecy gasped out.

  “Okay, but Didi sent me over. She’s been trying to call you all morning, but she thinks you’re ignoring her.”

  This is so not happening.

  Well, she wasn’t about to stop now. Not for anything. The world could crash down around them, and there was no way she was stopping until she came. No way in hell.

  “She told me to tell you that she wants to discuss the Arri thing. I think she’s hoping to talk you out of it. She wants you at the house tonight.”

  Yager’s hand slid around to squeeze her ass, forcing her harder onto his cock. Her whole body jerked and he chuckled against her neck.

  She growled. “Tricky sonofabitch!”

  “Hey,” Delia barked. “Don’t curse at me. You got a problem, talk to Didi. I’m only here ‘cause I was the only idiot heading into the City today. And trust me, you didn’t want her to come instead. Then she would have been really mad. All she wants is for you to say you’ll be there tonight to talk.”

  Yager moved his mouth to her other breast, sucking her nipple hard.

  Her grinding movements became stronger. Harsher. She could feel every inch of his big, hard cock. It stretched her open, forcing her to accommodate its girth. Like its owner, it was a demanding bastard.

  “Goddammit!” she burst out as his big fingers dug deep into her cheeks, causing a nice bite of pain.

  Delia sighed. “Bitch all you want, Neecy. Just so you know, Didi told me not to leave until you swear that you’re coming.”

  “Yes! God, yes!”

  “Don’t bullshit me, Neecy Lawrence. Are you comin’ or not?”

  “I’m coming! I’m coming!” And she did. In big gushing waves.

  “Cool. I’ll let Didi know she’ll see ya tonight.”

  As soon as her muscles spasmed around him, he came. So hard, he was surprised he hadn’t blown her across the room. Instead he held her tight as his cock spurted over and over again.

  When her pussy finished milking him dry, Yager leaned back in the chair as they held on to each other for several minutes. He feared she’d immediately pull away from him, but she didn’t. She simply rested her head against his neck while he did the same to her. It had to be one of the most comfortable positions he’d ever been in with a woman.

  “Did someone knock earlier?” she muttered against his neck.

  He shrugged. “I have no idea.”

  “Okay. Probably wasn’t that important.”

  They sat quietly for a few more minutes and then, finally, she pulled back. “Christ,” she sighed softly. “I’ve got another class.”

  He reached up to pull her sports bra back down, but she grabbed his wrists. They stared at each other. “You are really starting to piss me off, Yager.”

  “If this is your rage, I can’t wait to see what you’re like when I make you happy.”

  She released his hands and pulled her bra and sweater back into place. “This is bullshit and we both know it.”

  “Really? Is that what we both know?”

  She stood up and he gritted his teeth at the loss of her heat on his cock. He watched her pull down her skirt. “You better go.”

  He disposed of the condom in a tissue, tossing it in the trash. He tucked himself back into his boxers and buttoned up his jeans. “Don’t shut me out, Neecy.”

  “Shut you out?” She reached into a cabinet and pulled out a gym bag. “You were never in.”

  Neecy unzipped her emergency clothes bag and dug through it. Christ, she had to have a pair of panties in here somewhere. She kept it in the office just in case she couldn’t make it home after one of her long nights.

  “You want it that way… fine.”

  “Yeah. I want it that way. It’s just sex, Yager. Don’t make this into any more than it really is.” She found another pair, yanked it from the bag, and quickly tugged it on.

  As soon as she pulled her skirt down, she realized what an outright bitch she was being. There was no reason to cut the man off at the balls simply because she refused to have a relationship with him. Especially when he kept getting her off in such fabulous fashion.

  To be honest, she wouldn’t mind a completely sexual relationship with Yager. A regular booty call when they both had an itch that needed a good scratch. Anything more, she could never give. Her life belonged to The Gathering. It always would.

  “Look, Yager. I’m not trying to hurt your feelings or anything.”

  “I know. You’re just scared.”

  Neecy slowly turned around. “Excuse me?”

  “Want me to spell it out for you? Or would you prefer I write it in some ancient text? Maybe then it’ll be a little less threatening.”

  “I am not threatened by you. I’m just not having a relationship with you… or anyone.”

  “Fine.” He reached down and snatched up his jacket. “Then the war is on.”

  Fuck. She couldn’t afford this shit. Didi would have her ass in a sling if she started some major shit between the Crows and the Ravens. “What war?”

  He walked to the door, glancing back to smile at her. “The war for your heart. And in case you’re wondering, I never lose.”

  At first Neecy couldn’t move. The war for her heart? Was he kidding?

  She watched him walk out her office door. Then she charged across the room, wrenching the door open. He sauntered down the hallway of her school like he’d just gotten laid.

  “You know,” she yelled after him, “only white people come up with that kind of trite bullshit!”

  He turned, blew her a kiss, and walked off.

  Neecy growled, turning her head as one of the other professor’s doors opened. She nodded. “Dean Eggert.”

  The elderly man who’d recommended her for tenure years before nodded back. “Dr. Lawrence.”

  Without another word, she went back into her office and slammed her door shut so hard, several books hit the floor. Three of them she’d written herself.

  Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! What the fuck did I get myself into now?

  Chapter Ten

  Arri met them in the backyard and appeared seriously panicked, if her pac
ing and hand-wringing were any indications.

  She did have on the standard Crow fighting outfit—white racerback tank top, black jeans, black steel-toe boots, wool sleeves for her arms—and possessed the minimum amount of weapons. Long, steel blades shoved in the holster wrapped around her right leg. But Arri being Arri had also dyed her hair dark blue for the occasion. It was a good color on her but still couldn’t hide the shaking of her hands or the trembling of her small body.

  Neecy put her arm around the girl. “It’s gonna be okay, Arri. Just remember to stay near me and if things get really bad—find a corner and stay in it.”

  For two hours Didi had argued with Neecy about this. She didn’t want little Arri out with the team. She even tried to call on Skuld herself. Like that was ever a good idea. But it was too late. Neecy received her orders for a hunt while sitting at a traffic light on her bike. One second she was sitting there trying to forget Yager and trying to remember who came to her office door earlier in the day and the next… she knew it was time. That’s how it happened for all the team leaders. Skuld simply uploaded them with the information they needed and expected them to take care of it.

  In employer terms—she only hired “self-starters”.

  Arri took a deep, shaky breath. “Okay.”

  Neecy winced at Arri’s squeak. She hated doing this to the poor kid. She really did. If she had her way, she’d let Arri handle everyday admin stuff for The Gathering. There were all sorts of things that needed taking care of that Neecy never had time to handle and Didi never wanted to bother with.

  Yet, for some unfathomable reason, Skuld was making Neecy do this instead. Put this poor, defenseless, terrified little girl out in the middle of a Hunt.

  Janelle walked up, her tattooed arms crossed in front of her chest. She stared down at Arri, and Neecy wondered if she was going to again voice her complaint that this was a bad idea.

  Instead, Janelle said, “Keep your eyes on me and Neecy. Okay? You’ll be fine.”

  Arri nodded. “Yeah, I will.”

  Neecy was relieved to hear Arri say something other than “okay”.

  “Then let’s go, ladies.” Neecy looked at her team. “The quicker we get this over with, the quicker we can get something to eat.”

  Katie and Connie took off, Janelle right behind them.

  She turned to Arri. “You’re not going to pee on yourself, are you?”

  Arri snorted a laugh. “What?”

  “I just wanted to make sure, so I’m not flying behind you or under you.”

  “Aw, that’s disgusting, Neecy!” But she got her to smile.

  “Disgusting, perhaps, but possibly a little accurate?”

  “No! Ewwww!” She slapped Neecy’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine. Yuck.”

  Arri spread her wings and flew. Neecy blew out a sigh of relief. To be honest, she was kind of worried the girl couldn’t even fly.

  Yager wiped blood from his cheek. The little asshole cut his face. Grabbing him around the throat, Yager lifted him off the floor. “I love it when you guys make it easy for me.”

  This was what the Ravens did best. Interrupt some weird religious rite usually involving the sacrifice of some poor schlub. Save the “sacrificee” and “manage” everybody else. He liked saying “manage” because that sounded a hell of a lot better than “kill”.

  It wasn’t Yager’s favorite part of the job, but at times it was the most fulfilling.

  Yager didn’t know who these guys were. Maybe Satanists, but he doubted it. They kept their stuff pretty quiet and often the Christians handled them. But anything involving the Norse gods belonged to the Ravens. Unless, of course, that invisible line was crossed and the Crows were called to clean house.

  Gripping the man tighter around the throat, Yager slammed him against the wall three times until he stopped wiggling. He dropped him and turned to find the others had been “managed” by the rest of the team.

  Tye moved up behind him. “We may have another problem.”

  Yager turned, facing his friend and saw that he held one of the prey in his big hands. “What?”

  Tye shook the man—once. “Tell him.”

  “We were paid to hold this rite,” the man choked out desperately. “Paid to make sure the right people knew about it.”

  “So that it would get back to me,” Tye growled.

  It was a well-known fact among the Clans that Tye had some rather… unholy connections. He could find out stuff that no else—absolutely no one—could ever find out through normal mystical means.

  “So what does that mean for us?” Yager asked.

  “If this is a decoy—” Tye snapped the neck of the man in his hands and let his carcass drop to the ground, “—then they’ve opened up a doorway somewhere else.”

  “We need to find that doorway.”

  “Bet you money it’s already been found.”

  Slamming the door to the Hoboken butcher shop, Janelle pushed her back against it and desperately looked at Neecy.

  “Portal to hell! We have a portal to hell!”

  Neecy threw the biker up against the alley wall. “How bad?” she yelled over the fighting and the unholy screams coming from the other side of the door Janelle stood in front of.

  “Uh… straight to the very pits of hell. So we do have a problem here, ladies.”

  As Janelle finished her statement, heavy bodies threw themselves against the door from the other side. Pushing on it harder, Janelle gasped out, “If you’re going to do something… do it quick!”

  Neecy knew how to close mystical doorways leading to alternate dimensions, but portals to hell? That was something different altogether. Way beyond her skill set.

  Yeah, this was getting seriously out of control.

  “What are you gonna do, little girl?” the scumbag, Lewis, barked at her with a smile. In response, Neecy slashed him with her talons.

  Lewis’ head snapped to one side, but by the time he turned back to her the wounds had healed.

  Uh-oh.

  Yeah. He’d activated that necklace all right. No wonder Skuld wanted it back so badly.

  Of course, the necklace had been what they originally came for. This should have been an easy “kick ass and grab”. But stumbling into the middle of a human sacrifice in the back of a Hoboken bar—so not on the menu. And what was this idiot doing opening portals to hell? Like that was ever a good idea.

  Lewis’ biker buddies went after the Crows, eagerly hoping to get a piece of them. Five guys against them. Easy. Even with Arri. But the portal to hell was a little distracting. Especially when her strongest warrior was having a hell of a time keeping the door closed.

  Then you add in the nine or ten really sweet Harleys pulling in beside them and Neecy was now a little less confident about her team’s current situation.

  Knowing Lewis could experience pain and serious discomfort, Neecy reached into the back of her jeans and pulled out her stun gun. She pushed it against Lewis’ neck and sent one hundred thousand volts through the man.

  That’s when the rest of the bikers moved on them. “Crows! Get ready!”

  They couldn’t leave until they got what they came for and until they closed that doorway. They especially had to close that doorway.

  Neecy heard a squeal and discovered Arri in a dark corner keeping a scumbag at bay with a well-placed slap to the face. Who knew a bitchslap could be so effective?

  Then, like a thunderbolt, it suddenly hit her.

  “Arri! The portal! Close it!”

  “Me? Are you insane?”

  Neecy started to tell her to get her butt into action or she’d kill her herself, but Lewis had dragged himself to his big feet and she became real busy, real quick.

  Arri didn’t have much choice. But she also knew she could close that portal. The power tingled in her fingertips. This had been the Gift Skuld had given her.

  Her only problem at the moment? Fear. Mind-numbing, limbs-unable-to-move, head-about-to-explode fear. But Neecy needed
her to do something and, at the moment, her mentor had her hands full.

  No. She couldn’t let Neecy down. Not Neecy.

  Choking back her fear, Arri ran to the door Janelle had placed herself against and dropped to her knees.

  “Do something, Arri-girl. Or we’re fucked,” Janelle ordered as she desperately worked to keep that door closed.

  Arri raised her hands, a chant on her lips to seal the door, when Janelle bucked forward from the force of the blow behind her. Janelle quickly moved back into place, but she wouldn’t be able to hold whatever was on the other side much longer.

  Then they were surrounding Arri, dropping out of the sky. Ravens. Yager’s men. She looked up in time to see Liar-Mike, as she liked to call him, land beside her. He walked over to Janelle.

  “Move it, sweet cheeks.” With his usual arrogance, he grabbed Janelle’s arm and pulled her away from the door, quickly replacing her there. “Go kill somethin’. I’ll hold the door.”

  Janelle gave him a look of disgust and then she was ducking the biker chain aimed at her head.

  Arri looked up at Mike, his legs on either side of her.

  “You know, while you’re down there…” He raised an eyebrow and leered.

  Biting back her desire to spit in the man’s face, Arri went to work calling on the powers of Skuld and the other Fates.

  Neecy and Lewis squared off, moving around each other like two wrestlers. Growling, she charged him, but before she got two feet, a brick wall dropped in front of her.

  “Hey, baby.”

  She pulled her blades back just in time. Another few inches, she would have gutted Yager.

  “What are you doing?” she demanded. If Yager tried to take Lewis from her, she’d rip out pieces of him he didn’t even know existed.

  “Came to help.”

  “What?” Helping was one thing. But Yager was standing in front of her. He was protecting her.

  She moved around Yager as he tossed a biker against the wall. His usual crew was with him as well. Mike, Tye, and Danny Terleski as well as a few other Ravens.

  “Yager, I don’t need you protecting me.” Well, at least that much was true. She didn’t need Yager protecting her. Helping her, however, that was different.