Hunting Season (The Gathering Book 1)

by Shelly Laurenston

  Neecy pried his fingers off her face while he stripped the dress off her body. “The first what?”

  Next thing she knew, she was facedown over her kitchen table. Torn between laughing her ass off and moaning uncontrollably, Neecy realized she’d never been so comfortable with a man before in her entire life. Anyone slamming her down over a table should freak her out royally. Instead, she kept laughing while trying to twist around and find out what Yager was up to, but he laid his hand flat against her back to keep her in place.

  Neecy heard his pants drop, the ripping of the condom box then the condom package. She squirmed a bit and Yager growled. “Don’t. Move. I’m barely holding on here, baby.”

  She didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she just couldn’t help herself. Teasing him was so much fun. Spreading her legs, she looked over her shoulder and said, “Then you better get off your ass and fuck me… Will.”

  “You,” he ground out, “are such a vicious brat.”

  Yager kicked her legs farther apart as he kept her rooted to the spot with one hand. His other hand slid over her ass and down between her legs. She moaned as two fingers pushed their way into her.

  “What am I going to do with this body tonight, Lawrence? How many different ways am I going to make you scream my name?” She panted as his fingers went deeper. “Damn, Neecy. You’re drenched. Is all this just for me?”

  “Not if you keep making me wait.”

  Yager leaned over her, his tongue licking across her spine.

  “We’ve got all night, baby.”

  “You’ve got till dawn.”

  He paused, his body suddenly tight. “What if I wanna fuck you in the morning?”

  “That’s not part of the deal.”

  “There’s a deal?”

  “There is now.”

  A long moment of silence followed that declaration and Neecy worried he might leave. Especially when he pulled his fingers from her body.

  She didn’t want him to leave, but she didn’t want Nice-Guy Yager to have any false hopes either. Waking up in his arms would be a huge mistake and they both knew it.

  Strong hands gripped her hips, yanking her body back. His latex-covered cock slammed into her, forcing its way past tight muscle. She winced as her body took a moment to adjust to his size. As always it was a snug but delightful fit.

  “Then I guess I shouldn’t waste a second, huh, Lawrence?” Yager demanded as his hand slipped around to the front of her body and slid between her thighs.

  “Nope,” she gasped as his fingers found her clit. “You better not.”

  It was pretty much the last thing she said for the next few hours…

  Waldgrave took apart his rifle. He loved the monotony of meticulously cleaning his weapons. It allowed his mind to focus on more interesting things. Like the Hunt. His congregation of Hunters knew they’d been preparing for something, but they had no idea what.

  Not surprising. How often does a true test of one’s skill come? How often do you truly risk your life while on a hunt?

  How often does a goddess put you on this path? He worshipped Her not merely because of her beauty or power, but because her cruel nature spoke to him. She understood him when no one else did. Not his ex-wives. Not his children.

  And when she finally gave him a task, it was something as wonderful as this. A true Hunt for the best Hunters.

  “What do you want us to do with the body?”

  Waldgrave didn’t bother looking at the carcass of one of his loyal disciples. They’d caught him, but he’d done his duty. He knew the boy had revealed nothing before dying because no Crows attacked his house. They were not females who waited for anything. If the Crows knew where they were, they’d be breathing down his neck this very moment.

  No. They still had time.

  “Prepare him for the pyre. We’ll offer his body to the flames and his soul to Her.”

  “No. Stop!”

  Yager’s cock popped out of her mouth and she glared up at him. “What is it now?”

  “You can’t keep going down on me every time I try to have a conversation with you.”

  Wanna bet? Neecy licked her lips and again wrapped her mouth around his hard cock.

  “Goddammit, Neecy.” She liked when he moaned that. Made her feel kind of powerful.

  She deep-throated him and sucked hard. His back arched and she thought for sure he would pop. And if he popped, he sure as hell wouldn’t feel like talking. Instead, however, he grabbed her shoulders and hauled her off. Next thing she knew, he’d flipped her on her back and pinned her down with his body.

  “I wanna talk.”

  “Then find a priest… or a therapist.” That seemed like a pretty nasty thing to say, but he only smiled at her. Why couldn’t she have a normal stalker like everybody else?

  “You can’t fight me forever, Neecy.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Really.”

  He sat up, bringing her with him. “Now, let’s get you comfortable.” She was comfortable. With his cock in her mouth. But, no, that wasn’t good enough for Will We-have-to-talk Yager.

  Yager pulled her up until her back touched the headboard, then he grabbed hold of the sheet and covered her. Sitting down close beside her, Yager fixed the sheet so that it covered his hips and his gorgeous cock. Disappointing.

  Once he put them the way he wanted, he turned to her. “So, tell me about yourself.”

  “No.”

  “What do you mean no?”

  “I mean no. This wasn’t part of the deal.”

  “Actually, we don’t have a deal. All you said on the phone was that you wanted no dating and no relationship. At the moment, that’s what we have.”

  Neecy turned her body so she could look Yager in the eye. “What do you mean ‘at the moment’?”

  “Come on, Neecy. You know I’m not giving up that easy.” She really wished he didn’t look so cute when he said that.

  “Is that right? And if you keep persisting, why should I keep this going? Why shouldn’t I throw you out on your ass right this second?”

  He didn’t answer her. Not verbally anyway. Instead, he reached out and gently grasped her breast through the sheet. One squeeze and he had her. They both knew it. She couldn’t even breathe. He toyed with her nipple between thumb and forefinger.

  “Tell me to go, and I’ll go.”

  He had to be kidding. She could barely think with his hand playing her so effortlessly.

  “Tell me to go, Neecy.”

  Yager knew she wouldn’t, she could see it by the look on his face. Not now. Leaning forward, she tried to kiss him, but he pulled back. He kept his hand on her breast, though.

  “No you don’t. I wanna talk first.”

  “About what?” Damn, she’d really have to do something about the whining. What was it about this man that pulled emotions out of her she never allowed herself to have, much less express in public?

  “About you. I wanna know about you.”

  Again? “I died when my boyfriend—”

  “Not that. After that.”

  “After that? You were there for ‘after that’. Why do I have to go over it again?”

  “I wasn’t there, Neecy. I was living my life with the Ravens and you were living yours. I didn’t even know you were a history professor or that you had your PhD. So I want details.”

  She didn’t get this guy at all. Why did he care?

  “I know. Let’s make this a reward system.”

  Neecy’s eyes narrowed even as she writhed under his hand. “What does that mean?”

  Finally releasing her breast, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his sheet-covered lap. Her legs straddled his hips, as she put her arms around his neck.

  “Now, where did you go to college for undergrad?”

  “Why do you care where I… oh… oh… shit!” He’d latched on to her breast and happily sucked away at her nipple. Digging her fingers into his scalp, she pulled him tighter to he
r. But, suddenly, he stopped.

  Gritting her teeth in pure rage, Neecy bit out, “I have to talk to get you to keep going, don’t I?”

  “This is why I love the Crows,” he joked around her breast. “You guys are so smart.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “Oh, yeah. I think you guys are brilliant.”

  “I don’t mean that!” Dammit! Emotion.

  “Don’t over-think this, baby. Just tell me what I wanna know.”

  Sighing, “Fine. I went to Stanford.” As soon as “I” was out of her mouth, he started sucking again, making sure to swirl his tongue around exactly the way she liked it.

  “Keep going,” he ordered around her breast.

  Biting her lip, Neecy forced herself to focus. “They have a really good history prog—” She choked on the word as his sucking became stronger. But as soon as she paused, so did he. She shut her eyes tight. With very little effort, Yager could make her come simply by sucking her breasts, but he was torturing her. The bastard.

  “Program. I’d heard some really… uh…” One hand stayed on her ass, pulling her tight against his rock-hard erection. His free hand grabbed her other breast and began kneading it. “Uh…” Think, girl! “Some really great things about it. Plus, it allowed me to train with the… the… California Crows.” She squeaked out the very last part as his teeth gently nipped her nipple. The bastard knew that drove her insane.

  Without releasing her, he asked, “What about grad school?”

  Neecy blinked, trying desperately to focus on his questions and her answers. Not easy when her entire body was moments from bursting into a nuclear reaction that would destroy the entire tri-state area. “I went to NYU for my master’s. And Columbia for my… my… um…”

  “Don’t stop,” he warned again.

  Would sobbing at this point really be out of line? She didn’t know. But she couldn’t handle much more at this rate. And she gripped him so tight, she wasn’t sure she might not be killing him.

  “For my… my… doctorate!” she screamed as she exploded all around him.

  He held her tight as spasms racked through her. When she finally started breathing normally again, he lowered her to the bed.

  “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  Without opening her eyes, she growled at him. Which only made him chuckle.

  Slowly he kissed his way down her chest and stomach. When he kissed the inside of her thigh, Neecy forced her eyes open.

  With a strange but thoughtful expression on his face, he stared straight into her snatch. The man was getting stranger and stranger by the minute.

  Glancing up at her, he grinned. “Now…” He gave her still-sensitive clit a little lick, forcing Neecy to grab hold of the sheets to stop her body from shooting off the bed. “Tell me what your master’s was on, then your doctorate. And I want details. Lots and lots of very specific details.”

  Really? Would sobbing really be that bad?

  Yager stretched and enjoyed the smell of Neecy surrounding him.

  Well, that had been amazing. One of the most amazing nights he’d had in a very long time. He knew he had her now. There was no way she could walk away from him this time. No way in hell.

  Turning over onto his side, Yager reached for her and touched nothing but paper. He forced his eyes open and picked up the slip of paper lying on the pillow next to him.

  He read it. Closed his eyes. Rubbed them. Then read it again. No. The words hadn’t changed.

  “There’s orange juice and cereal. When you leave, make sure to pull the door closed so that it’ll lock. Thanks for last night. See you around. Neecy.”

  Sitting up, Yager grunted and ignored his sore, well-used body’s protests. Right now he didn’t care about any aches or pains.

  “See you around?” Is she fucking kidding?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Damon Lewis still couldn’t believe it. His brother, Darryl, gone. Half the Pack with him. And these… females behind it. These freaks.

  As far as he was concerned, they were like demons or the undead. It was one thing for a goddess to bring someone back to life, but to have changed them somehow… Well, that was something else altogether.

  Something evil.

  But the black woman behind the desk kept telling him and his father that Darryl brought all this on himself. He’d used some ancient artifact to make himself invulnerable. Damon didn’t want to believe it, but he knew it was true. Knew his brother had delved into things he never should have and seriously wasn’t smart enough to control.

  And because of that Darryl paid the price.

  Damon looked at the woman across from him and his father. A true politician, that one, but he couldn’t stop staring at her goddamn wings. They… fluttered, or something. It was disturbing.

  Not as disturbing, however, as the big scary female standing near the door, blocking his way to freedom.

  He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She had to be at least six feet tall. At least. With short black hair and cold, coal black eyes. He had no idea if she was also black or something else like Cuban or whatever. She stood off to the side, her arms crossed over her chest, her feet braced apart, and a brutally cold expression on her face. She was a big girl. Not fat. Actually, he didn’t think there was an ounce of fat on her. But she had muscles and her frame could clearly carry a lot more. Her eyes slid over to him and he moved his gaze to the floor. She made the She-wolves in his Pack seem weak and girly.

  These women with their scary wings and watchful demeanor were downright unholy, and he wanted to go. Preferably now.

  Damon knew there’d be no war over what happened to his brother. Wolves didn’t waste time with bullshit especially when his brother asked for it. His Pack wasn’t about to take on these freaks for a wolf who’d gone bad.

  His father nodded at the woman’s words and then stood up. The tall female opened the door, allowing them to leave. Damon and his father walked out but froze right in the doorway, too terrified to move.

  They were everywhere. Perched on the banister and stairs. On top of the hallway furniture. And if there was nowhere to perch, they stood. Stood and stared. Damon had no idea how long they’d been sitting out here waiting for them. But he felt like it might have been the entire two-hour meeting.

  Damon’s father snapped out of it first, grabbed his arm, and headed down the hallway toward the exit. He pulled the heavy oak door open and stepped outside, but there were more waiting out there, too. This time, his father ignored them and kept going. Down the front house steps and toward their car.

  Their completely shitted-upon car.

  The only thing that didn’t suffer was the window on the driver’s side—so they could leave. Damon looked up and saw hundreds of actual crows in the trees. They didn’t make a sound either. They just watched them.

  At that point, his father threw him in the car and got in right after him. Without waiting, the old man tore out of the driveway. Short of an actual war with these people, Damon had no doubt they’d never come here again.

  Neecy, the last to come in, quietly closed the door. Slowly, she turned and faced her sisters.

  Clapping her hands together, she cheered, “What good doggies! Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy?”

  The Crows burst out laughing. And they laughed their asses off for the next half-hour.

  Yager’s eyes didn’t stray from the computer screen in front of him as Tye came up behind him.

  “What?” Yager learned long ago how to do more than one thing at a time. He had to. It was the only way to manage his life and the Ravens. So he kept working while Tye talked to the back of his head.

  “There’s a call for you.”

  “I’m busy. Take a message.” He worked code because for him it was mindless and he needed to focus on bigger issues. Like Neecy. Crazy, annoying, sadistic Neecy.

  Christ, I am so in love with her.

  “It’s Didi.”

  Yager spun his
chair around to face his friend and next-in-command. Crow leaders didn’t call Raven leaders unless something was wrong.

  “What? Why?”

  “Don’t worry. Nothing’s wrong. She just wants to meet with you. Tonight.”

  And they didn’t meet unless something was wrong.

  “Then what does she want?”

  “She wouldn’t say. She just asked that you come to the Bird House tonight. I told her you probably wouldn’t mind.” Tye grinned. “But that I’d check with you just in case.”

  Yager turned his chair back around. “Tell her I’ll be there.”

  “Wow. Amazing how I knew that.”

  Waldgrave walked through his house. An old Westchester, Connecticut mansion that had been in his family for generations. His Hunters, Her disciples, currently lived with him and his many trophies.

  Trophies he’d soon be adding to.

  He passed the converted family room. Converted into a communications center. They’d been taping the Crow chatter for months. Not hard—they never changed their cell phones. Stupid, stupid females.

  Stopping in front of the room filled with top-of-the-line electronics, Waldgrave motioned to the Hunter handling the next phase of this hunt.

  “How’s it going?”

  “Great. I think we almost have what we need. It might even be too easy.”

  Shaking his head, “Don’t get cocky. That’ll get you killed faster than anything.”

  He walked away, heading back to his office. If they were getting close, then he had much work left to do.

  Destroying a large group of freaks was a much more time-consuming task than Waldgrave ever imagined.

  Arri squealed and ducked.

  “Oh, come on! I haven’t even touched you yet!”

  Arri peeked around her boxing gloves at Janelle. “I was anticipating the worst?”

  Janelle took a deep breath and turned to Neecy. “I’m done, Neece. She’s driving me nuts.”

  “Wait!” Arri grabbed Janelle’s arm with her gloved hands. “I’m sorry. I just…”

  Neecy didn’t even look up from her sparring with Katie. “Keep trying, you two.” She blocked Katie’s fist. “We’ve got serious hunting coming up and Little Girl needs the training.”