Bought by the Puma (Studly Shifters Book 1)

by Ashley Hunter

  "Who the fuck are you?"

  Whitney squealed and spun round, her heart missing a beat. Then, she saw Natalya prowling up the lawn towards her. To Whitney's surprise, the other woman was naked, showing off her long legs, her flat stomach and perky breasts. Her hair was loose about her shoulders and her eyes were glowing golden.

  Just like Simon, Whitney realized.

  She swallowed.

  "I'm sorry." She squeaked. She coughed and tried again. "I'm just a lost tourist. I was taking a late night walk and I wandered too far off the track. I was trying to find someone to point me in the right direction."

  Whitney tried not to shrink back as Natalya came up onto the porch. The moonlight made her skin gleam, the blonde hair dusting between her legs seeming to shimmer. Whitney tried not to stare but she ended up staring at Natalya's breasts. Finally, she chose a spot just over the woman's shoulder.

  "I very much doubt you're a lost tourist." Natalya stalked around her. She didn't seem to care that she was naked. "This place is too far from any walking path."

  "Not the ones I went on." Whitney responded.

  She cringed as Natalya came very close, almost brushing up against her, and leant over. She sniffed at Whitney, her nostrils flaring, and her eyes widened. She straightened up.

  "You smell of sex."

  Whitney was stumped for a second. She didn't realize you could smell of sex.

  "No, I don't."

  "Don't lie to me, girl." Natalya's eyes narrowed. "You smell of him."

  "Him?"

  "Yes, him. Simon Oliver." Natalya's lip curled. "The bastard who lied to me and tried to put it on me."

  Whitney didn't know what was going on. Natalya could tell that she had been making love with Simon and was calling him a liar? She didn't believe her for a minute.

  "I don't know anyone called Simon."

  She gasped as Natalya grabbed her throat and shook her.

  "I said don't lie to me." The woman growled. "He's been fucking you." She chuckled without mirth. "Do you know what he is yet? And the reason he's got such stamina and such a big cock? Bryce says that it's all part of the animal DNA; you become a god in bed."

  "What are you talking about?"

  While Whitney could vouch on Simon's stamina and anatomy, she didn't know what Natalya was on about. And she didn't like to think about Natalya being with Simon; that made her nauseous.

  Natalya frowned, looking at her curiously. She pushed Whitney against the wall and took her hand off Whitney's throat. Then she roughly turned Whitney's head back and forth, inspecting her neck. She grunted.

  "No bites. He's clearly not marked you." She smirked. "Evidently, he isn't going to keep you long. If he was, he would've mated you already."

  "Mated?" Whitney was confused. "Marked? What the hell is going on?"

  "You really don't know?"

  Natalya giggled and tossed her hair over her shoulders. It was then that Whitney saw the bite marks on Natalya's shoulder, marks larger than normal human teeth marks.

  "Oh, this is going to be fun." Natalya grinned and Whitney realized that she had fangs. "I'm going to enjoy ripping you to shreds."

  Whitney was frozen to the spot as she watched a golden glow appear and lick around Natalya's body. Natalya began to change and Whitney could only stare in horror as the human woman disappeared, quickly replaced by a huge wolf, its yellow eyes staring at her with its jaw slack showing off huge fangs.

  Whitney screamed. The wolf snarled and launched at her. Whitney darted to the side and shoved as hard as she could, her eyes closed tightly shut. She hit something soft and furry and heard a whine as glass smashed. There was another whine and a heavy thud.

  Whitney didn't hang around to see if she had done any damage. In books, werewolves were hard to kill. She probably hurt the bitch but no lasting damage.

  She needed to get out of there before she was caught.

  Whitney ran to the end of the porch and leapt off the planking. Right into the arms of Bryce Grattidge.

  Who didn't let go, glaring down at her with glowing eyes.

  It was then that Whitney knew she was in deeper shit than anticipated.

  Chapter 7: Saved by the Puma

  "Who the hell are you?" Grattidge demanded.

  Whitney stared. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Bryce Grattidge was a werewolf. The eyes, the flash of the fangs, everything pointed to Grattidge not being entirely human.

  Grattidge shook her, digging his fingers into her arms.

  "Are you mute, girl?"

  Whitney flinched as claws ripped through her sweater and ripped at her skin.

  "Let me go." She whimpered.

  Then she noticed Grattidge looking at her closely, dipping his head to see her face properly. Whitney tried to turn her head away but he grabbed her chin and held her still. His eyes widened in recognition.

  "I know you. You're the one I ordered to be sold to my paying customers. How did you get out?"

  Whitney swallowed.

  "Someone actually cared and rescued me." She croaked.

  Then, Grattidge's eyes narrowed. He leant in and sniffed at her neck. Whitney squirmed and tried to get away, crying out when his claws bit into her arm. She felt the blood trickling down her arm.

  "Puma." Grattidge swore loudly. "I'll need to screen the customers better from now on."

  Whitney had no idea what he was talking about. Puma? She hadn't been anywhere near any cats lately, especially not big cats that weren't indigenous to the United States. She could feel the panic rising.

  "Please," she pleaded, "Just let me go. I didn't see anything, I swear. I will leave you alone."

  She tried to pull away again but Grattidge tugged her back easily, making her fall against him. He wrapped his other arm round her waist, caging her in.

  "I don't think so, lovely." He growled. "You stink of shifter and you're not of my pack. That's not a good sign."

  "I don't know what you're talking about."

  Whitney had no idea what was happening or how she had gotten into this mess. This had gone from strange to downright surreal in mere seconds. She was still trying to keep up with what was going on.

  Grattidge looked at Whitney's neck, brushing her hair away. Whitney trembled as she felt the talons brushing against her skin.

  "Not mated, then." Grattidge smirked. "Maybe this can be fun. Thin girls are good in bed but fat girls are better."

  Whitney felt the growing panic take on a new speed. She didn't need to be a genius to know what Grattidge wanted.

  "No!"

  She began to struggle but Grattidge was too strong. He tripped her neatly and they fell in a heap on the ground. Grattidge flipped her easily onto her front and pinned her to the ground. Then he glanced up and saw Natalya's slumped body on the porch. She had shifted back to her human form. Whitney could see a shard of glass sticking out from her forehead but her chest was rising and falling.

  Grattidge grunted.

  "Pity you didn't kill her. She was getting annoying. I shouldn't have mated with her in the first place."

  "She was your mate?"

  "I thought she was and she led me to believe it." Grattidge shook his head. "But I realized my mistake shortly afterwards." He lay on top of her and buried his nose in her hair as he inhaled deeply. "You, on the other hand, smell really good."

  He pushed his hips against her backside and Whitney felt his cock pressing against her buttocks. No, this was not happening.

  "I belong to someone else." She whimpered.

  At least, she was Simon's for now until he decided what he wanted to do with her.

  "Who hasn't mated with you yet. Which makes you fair game." Grattidge grinned against her hair and chuckled. "By the time I'm done with you, you're going to struggle to remember what the other guy was like."

  Whitney wished she had left a note where she was going. But because of her over-confidence and wanting to do this alone, she had forgotten to let somebody know where she was.
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  Now she was going to be raped and murdered, dying alone out in the woods where nobody would find her.

  She screamed. And felt Grattidge grab the back of her head, slamming her head into the ground. Whitney lay dazed as Grattidge began to undo her jeans.

  Then she heard a snarl and the heavy weight on top of her disappeared. Gasping for breath, Whitney pushed up and looked round. A scream bubbled back up in her throat as she saw Grattidge in human form, his cock still erect against his bare stomach, squaring off with the biggest cat she had ever seen.

  #

  The cat was a magnificent animal. Whitney couldn't take her eyes off it as it prowled around Grattidge, who was looking like he was about to fight the animal with his bare hands. At one point, the cat looked at her, its golden gaze flaring for a second before it turned back to Grattidge.

  Grattidge let out a howl and his body glowed as he shifted, turning into a huge wolf, almost as huge as the cat. It howled again, snapping its jaws at the cat. Then it pounced.

  Whitney covered her eyes and curled into a ball as the snarling started and she heard the flesh tearing, the teeth gnashing and the yowls. She rolled so that her back was to the fight, keeping her eyes shut tight as she moved her hands to her ears, trying to shut out sounds of the fight. It seemed to go on forever and Whitney wanted to cry.

  She wanted Simon. He would be able to rescue her from this. While she was grateful for the wild cat to appear out of nowhere and momentarily take away the threat of danger, she didn't hold hopes that the cat would simply walk away afterwards.

  Then Whitney realized that she couldn't hear the fight anymore. Her hands had managed to mute it all but that was it. Now she couldn't hear anything. Braving herself, she rolled back towards the fight and slowly opened her eyes.

  The wolf was lying on the ground, blood pooling under its body. It shifted back to Grattidge's human form, his body riddled with cuts and gouges. It was clear that he was dead.

  The cat was standing over him, blood matting its fur and dripping from its teeth. It looked up and locked eyes with Whitney. Whitney couldn't move. She wanted to run but she found herself rooted to the spot. There was something about this animal that had her mesmerized.

  Then, to her stunned amazement, the cat began to glow. It changed shape, going from feline to human. Whitney could only stare as the cat disappeared and the naked man stood, wiping the blood from his mouth.

  She couldn't believe it.

  "Simon?"

  This wasn't real. It couldn't be. The man she loved was a shifter. He had hidden this part of him from her, had lied to her. And now she was facing him over a dead body.

  She began to back away.

  "Get away from me."

  "Whitney..."

  Simon started walking towards her.

  "Just get away from me!"

  Whitney turned and started to run. She got as far as the drive before she was grabbed by the arm and swung round. Simon wrapped his arms round her as she fought him.

  "Whitney, please. Hear me out."

  "And hear you say what?" Whitney hit her fists hard against his chest. "That you lied to me?" She stopped long enough to glare up at him, feeling the tears well up. "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "How would you have reacted if I'd told you right at the beginning?" Simon demanded. "Would you have treated me like any other person? Would you have made love to me?"

  Whitney faltered. He had a point. If he had told her right at the beginning that he could change into a big cat then Whitney would have been scared of him. Feared him. Treated him like a monster. He clearly wasn't a monster but Whitney's mind would have made that unfair connection.

  Simon's expression was grim at her silence.

  "There's your answer."

  Whitney closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his chest.

  "I don't like being lied to." She said in a choked voice. Tears were clogging up her throat.

  Simon's grip changed, holding her gently and rubbing slow circles on her back. He rested his chin on her head.

  "I had my reasons." He said quietly. "Like I had my reasons for you to stay at the cottage while I came here. I didn't want you to get hurt."

  "But I wanted to help."

  "And get your story." Whitney jerked back and stared at him. "I knew you still wanted to do that article on Grattidge. I know even when a subject isn't mentioned that it doesn't mean it's over."

  Whitney shuddered.

  "I'm not writing a story on this. Not ever."

  "Good." Simon cupped her cheek in his hand. "Your safety is more important to me than your help. I wanted you to stay safe so I can come home to you."

  Whitney blinked. What had he just said?

  "Come home to me?"

  Simon sighed, looking away for a moment.

  "I was going to ask you to make our arrangement permanent after tonight. There was no way I was letting you go after what I found out."

  "What did you find out?"

  Somehow, Whitney knew what he was going to say but she didn't jump headfirst into it. She wanted to hear Simon say it.

  "That you were my mate." That she hadn't been expecting. "That was the real reason I paid for you that night. I scented you the moment we were in the nightclub. I followed you to that warehouse and I bid for you to get you out of there." Simon brushed a thumb across her cheek, brushing at a stray tear. "I wasn't about to let anything happen to you."

  "I'm your mate." Whitney said slowly. Both Natalya and Grattidge had mentioned mates. "Is that like a soul mate?"

  "It sure is." Simon bent his head and pressed a kiss to her jaw. "You've been driving me crazy since I bought you."

  "That's my joy in life."

  Simon chuckled against her skin and kissed her cheek.

  "But then I began to fall for you beyond the urge to mate." He kissed her temple. "I love you, Whitney." A kiss to her eyelids. "And I don't want you to walk away," A kiss to the end of her nose, "Just because I kept something from you for specific reasons."

  He loved her. Whitney's heart pounded. Simon loved her. She leant into him and allowed him to kiss her, pulling away before Simon could deepen the kiss.

  "Being lied to bothers me." She said. She watched Simon's face fall before she smiled and cupped his face in her hands lovingly. "But what you are doesn't. Your cat is quite beautiful."

  "He's called a puma." Simon's eyes glinted. "And he really likes you." He took her hands and lowered them, placing them on his chest. "So will you stay with me? Please?"

  "Because you said please." Whitney teased.

  "Don't tease me, Whitney. I want you to stay because you want to, not because you want to be obligated."

  Whitney smiled. She went up on tiptoe and kissed him.

  "I'm not feeling obligated." She whispered. "I love you, Simon. And I'm staying with you."

  Simon growled and wrapped his arms round her as he kissed her, diving his tongue into her mouth. It was then that Whitney remembered Simon was naked, his cock digging into her belly. She rubbed against him, resulting in a groan from Simon. She pulled away, her head spinning.

  She knew what she wanted. And she wanted Simon.

  "Take me home." She ordered.

  #

  "What will happen to the bodies?" Whitney asked.

  Simon turned the wheel with one hand. His other hand was clasped in Whitney's across the center console.

  "Natalya isn't dead, just stunned and covered in glass wounds." That was too good for her. "She'll be incarcerated in a special prison for shifters. Grattidge's body will be dealt with by John."

  Who was planning on incinerating the body and sending the ashes to Grattidge's Beta to tell them what happened when a wolf shifter messed with someone else's mate. Simon could tell that John wanted to rip Simon's hide for jumping in as he had done but the outcome was the same as the one they had been aiming for so it wouldn't last very long.

  "And what about me?"

  Simon squeezed her hand.
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  "John will take your statement tomorrow. Because you're my mate, he's not going to have you arrested for nearly jeopardizing the assignment."

  Whitney grunted.

  "That's something."

  They didn't say anything more as they drove back to the cottage. They didn't need to say anything. Simon was feeling content for the first time in a long time. The last two weeks had seen his puma settling a little after finally getting Whitney into bed and now it knew Whitney's feelings for him, the beast was acting like a little pussy cat. It had liked it when Whitney thought it was beautiful.

  But it was itching for something more. So was Simon. And he knew neither would be completely settled until Whitney gave her consent and allowed them to mate with her.

  They reached the cottage and Simon helped Whitney out, holding her close to his side as they went up the path, letting them in. He shut the door and sniffed at his clothes, making a face. He had left his clothes in the car and now they had picked up the smells and stenches that belonged to Bryce Grattidge.

  "I need a shower."

  "Do you want me to scrub your back?" Whitney asked saucily.

  Simon grinned and stripped off his sweater.

  "I like the sound of that." He kissed her and pulled away before his beast jumped out and started bounding about. "But I do have to warn you of something. It's about my puma."

  "It's not going to come out mid-sex, is it?" Whitney's eyes narrowed. "Because I'm not into bestiality."

  "No, not exactly." Simon winced and hastily explained when he saw Whitney's expression. "Not exactly. It's recognized you as its mate from the first moment it caught your scent. It's held itself back for now but since you've admitted to loving me, it wants to mate with you properly."

  He watched Whitney's expression as she caught on to what he was asking for.

  "You mean biting me." She said slowly.

  "It's not as painful as it sounds." Simon slipped his arms round her. "We make love and I bite you, usually near the point of climax. It makes the orgasm more explosive."

  Whitney didn't answer. She simply reached up and tugged Simon's head down to meet hers. Her mouth was hot against his and Simon groaned as she bit his lip. Hard. She pulled back, her eyes bright.