“The A/C must be broken in this wing.”
She had whispered it to herself, but Lee heard her. He envisioned her underneath him in his bed, crying out, her voice breaking, as his cock slammed into her in ownership.
As she looked at him, she was growing wet, and his brain almost shorted out when the scent of her pussy hit him. He could hear her heartbeat and the swish of her thick thighs, as they rubbed together. She swung her hips, as she approached his desk, and he stood, glancing at his watch, wondering why his stomach was growling so loudly. Embarrassed, he patted it, with his eyes pinned on her.
“Are you new?” she asked.
“Uuhh,” he stammered, trying to regain control of himself. “Yeah, my name’s—”
Suddenly, he doubled over in pain, dropping to the floor.
“Oh, my God! Are you okay?” she cried, squatting down beside him, patting his back.
“Food...” he croaked out.
“Are you diabetic?” Unable to control his reactions, meaning to shake his head, Lee instead nodded. “Your blood sugar must’ve dropped! I’ll run to the commissary and get you somethin’!”
From where he was lying on the floor, he saw her tottering away on her heels, yelling for everyone to get out of her way. His eyes followed her plump ass encased in that tight skirt until he couldn’t see her anymore.
After a few moments, the agony lessened, and he sat up. Shaking his head to clear it, he thought about what he’d eaten for breakfast.
A dozen boiled eggs, six slices of bacon, four pieces of toast, and some yogurt with mixed berries.
Shrugging, he got himself up from the floor, dusted off his pants, and went to sit back at his desk, musing about the things he wanted to do to her and the mewls and cries she’d make as he did them.
“Move! There’s a medical emergency!” he heard her shouting.
He couldn’t wait to watch all of her bouncing and jiggling, but as she rushed to him, he was again thrown into an insufferable distress of hunger, the likes of which he’d never known.
“Ugh!” He held his stomach and put his head on the desk. “What’s happening to me?”
Just then, she arrived in front of him, and his wolf surged inside him, wanting to be released. Tamping it down with all his strength, he stood and stumbled from her, as he took his phone from his pocket. Pressing the button to call Blaine, he tripped out the front door and leaned against the exterior of the building, gasping for air.
Blaine answered with, “Do you have a lead?”
“Come get me!” Lee snapped, as the hunger raged through him.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know! Just do it!”
“Be there shortly.”
“I’ll be waiting outside.”
Lee raised his face to the gray and foreboding sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance, as thick and heavy drops of rain began to fall.
“Hey,” a female voice said.
Lee craned his neck around to see his personal Florence Nightingale standing a few feet back, holding a matching Burberry umbrella in one hand, with the other outstretched, holding a packet of crackers.
“It’s all they had, but I thought it might help.”
“Ugh!” he moaned, doubling over yet again.
“Do you have a friend comin’ to pick you up?”
Lee nodded, and she stepped closer to him, shielding both of them from the downpour. In that instant, something deep inside Lee told him that she would be his for much longer than a night and that once he sank into her wet heat, his world would be complete.
She whispered, “My name’s Piper.”
“Lee,” he forced himself to say through gritted teeth.
“Nice to meet you. I’m sorry you’re not feelin’ well. Do you want the crackers? Maybe they’ll settle your stomach.”
Scared that if he reached out, he wouldn’t simply grab the packet, he shook his head. He couldn’t blow his cover because of some crazy impulse, especially not on the first day! What would The Directive think of him? What would happen to the clan?
When a car drove by, splashing dirty water onto the sidewalk, some of it hit Lee’s pants, and Piper reached out to wipe it away.
“No!” he yelled. “Don’t touch me!”
“Why?” Her hand was moving dangerously close to his cock. “Do you think you’re contagious?”
No! I’m about to yank you into the alley, slam you against the wall, and have my way with you! And I’d be willing to bet you’d go along with it! What the fuck is wrong with me? Hurry up, Blaine!
Piper fell into a one-way conversation, while Lee tried and failed to compose himself. As the minutes passed, the agony became unrelenting, the more Piper touched him. His dick felt like it was going to burst, it was so erect, and it was throbbing so hard that he wondered if she could see it twitching in his pants.
While he suffered, Lee’s mind went back to a discussion he’d overheard between his mother and a friend years ago. They were talking about the Legendary Hunger. Apparently, her son had been struck by it when he found his fated mate.
Then, with a certainty he felt in his soul, Lee knew that Piper was his. Yet there was nothing he could do about it but fight against it until the investigation was over. He had an image to stick to, a goal to meet, and a clan to rule.
“I just moved here a few months ago,” she said. “I wanted to live in the big city and buy clothes at the nice stores I only saw in magazines, ya know? We didn’t have any designer places out in the sticks. But once I got here, I was finally able to find what I always dreamed about. Got my hair done by a fancy stylist, too. Oh! You and him might hit it off.”
Not likely, Lee thought, as he groaned in agony.
“Bad thing is, though, it’s been hard findin’ people to hang out with. Everybody’s so caught up in their own lives. So much hustle and bustle we didn’t have in the country. Hey! Maybe you and me can be friends! Once you’re better, of course.”
We’re going to be so much more than that. You have no idea.
“My mom wants me to move back home and marry a farmer’s son down the road.”
Like hell, you will. Damn, my timing sucks.
“I’m not gonna, though. I want more than that.”
And you’ll have whatever you want once you’re mine!
“I think that’s your friend, Lee. He’s wavin’ at ya. Why’d he park way over there, when this space is free right in front of us?”
“It’s okay.”
“Well, then, let me help ya.”
Her scent and lilting voice had almost been his undoing, and as much as he wanted her to touch him again, he couldn’t allow it.
“Go inside, Piper. I’ll be fine.”
“You’re gonna get drenched.”
“Piper.”
His tone came out rougher than he’d intended, and he glanced at her in apology, as she gave him a gentle smile.
“I’m cranky when I’m sick, too. It’s okay.”
Forcing himself away from her, Lee used the building to remain standing, as he made his way to Blaine’s car. By that time, rain was pouring in sheets, so much so that it would have obscured his vision had he not been a shifter.
Lee pushed off the wall, straining with each step to get to the vehicle, and then he opened the door and fell inside.
“The Hunger,” he said, as he slammed it shut. “It’s got me.”
“That certainly puts a wrinkle in things.”
“Uuhhh!” Lee groaned, bending forward.
“Let’s get some food in you and figure out your next steps.”
“There’s a butcher up the street. I need a side of beef ASAP! No, make that two!
Chapter 10
Gunner once again looked over the documents in front of him.
Who was the key player in this? It has to be here somewhere.
He’d spent the last few nights reviewing the files Blaine had hidden for him when he went to prison and refreshing his memory on the details in
the notes he’d made. Though he knew the case well, he was finding some of the facts he hadn’t given pause to before worthy of deeper inspection.
He glanced at his hands, and for a second, he felt the weight of the cuffs, the odor of burning flesh, and the taunts and jeers of the inmates towards him. The threats to kill him in his sleep during the day. The times he’d returned to his cell after a shower or a trip to the commissary to see that his blood packs had either been stolen, ripped apart at the seams, or thrown against the walls of the small room to run down the concrete blocks rather than nourish him. He hadn’t said anything to the guards about it, since he didn’t want to call more attention to himself. It wasn’t a question of being a coward. It was the simple fact that the criminals outnumbered him.
“We’ve got a problem,” Blaine said, as he strode into the room.
He hung his coat on the rack in the corner.
“What is it now?”
“The Hunger hit Lee.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me!”
“I’m not, and it’s with a woman that works in the office with him named Piper.”
“So, he’s backing out?”
“Not at all. He intends to complete the job.”
“How can he? Once it hits, it’s completely unstoppable.”
“He said something about stuffing candy bars into a backpack to keep it under control.”
“That’s not gonna work.”
“I don’t think so, either, but what else can he do? It’s not like he can plunk half a cow on his desk without calling attention to himself. When I picked him up, he ate what had to have been 20 pounds of meat, before pausing to go back for more. Wait. What do you know about it?”
“I heard the howls of a shifter who was jailed with me. He was in the thrall of the Legend, and it was horrible—things of nightmares. He was begging and pleading for her to be brought to him. Eventually, he lost his mind… the ability to remain in human form.” He paused a moment, before saying, “It killed him, Blaine.”
“He died from it?”
“Yeah.”
“We’ll have to extract Lee and Piper out of there if it gets to that level.”
“Agreed. Is she affected as well?”
“He didn’t say.”
“Did you get a look at her? How she was acting?”
“It was raining too hard.”
“Well, what’s he gonna do if she gets close to him again?”
“I think he’s going to run like hell and hide as soon as he picks up her scent.”
Gunner fell into a short fit of laughter at the thought of a mighty alpha speeding away from a female, but the horrible memories of the tortured shifter sealed in his memory was something real and could also happen to his ally, given enough time.
“Please share my sincere thanks with Lee. I appreciate what he’s willing to endure to prove my innocence, but tell him that under no circumstances should he endanger himself or his mate in order to complete this mission. We’ll find another way.”
Chapter 11
Two weeks later
“Blaine,” Lee said into his phone. “I found something.”
“Thank the moon! Time is short! What is it?”
“I don’t want to say here. Too many ears.”
“Got it.”
“I’ll come to your place tonight.”
“Come to Gunner’s. I’ll text you the address.”
“Okay.”
“You sound weird. Where are you?”
“Broom closet.”
“Piper’s around?”
He ripped the wrapper from another candy bar.
“Yeah. God,” he said, his mouth full of chocolate and caramel, which was obscuring his words. “I can hear her. She’s laughing at something.”
“How about earbuds?”
Reaching into his backpack, Lee withdrew two more of the treats, tore the plastic off, and stuffed both into his mouth.
After swallowing, he said, “Tried it. Doesn’t help. Got ‘em in, though. For cover.”
“For the people around you, or her?”
“Both.”
“How many of those have you eaten today?”
“Twenty? Fifty? I dunno. Lost count. I need to buy more.”
“Okay. Well, stay as sharp and focused as you can.”
“Yep. Bye.”
Lee pressed his ear against the door, listening for footsteps—in particular, the click-clacks of Piper’s heels. Her scent was everywhere, something he’d wondered about until, under the guise of getting to know people in the office, he asked someone which department she was in. He found out that she worked in the mailroom. As such, she could pop up anywhere, delivering packages and picking up outgoing items.
Doing his best to stay hidden, he’d narrowly avoided being exposed to her several times that week and the one prior.
“Lee!” she’d called out.
Pushing away his desires to go to her as forcefully as he could, he’d flipped around and headed in the opposite direction, speed-walking to the other side of the building, acting like he hadn’t heard her, as she followed behind him for a while.
Wanting to see her once more, he risked a glance back at her, as he rounded a corner. Piper was lit up with a smile, waving at him, but his response was a pained grimace. Seeing his expression, her face fell, and agony that sliced like daggers went through him, as his wolf roared inside his head at his hurting his mate.
He’d stopped running and pressed himself to the wall, waiting, until he heard the sound of her shoes, as she started walking in the opposite direction. As he sneaked a look around the corner, she trudged away, her shoulders hunched forward, head down.
Lee wanted to run to her, gather her into his arms, and tell her that they belonged with each other, but he couldn’t risk the mission. There was too much at stake.
As the days passed by, Lee’s torment hadn’t lessened; it was as excruciating as it had been since the first pang. It was only his sheer determination and power as an alpha that kept him standing. That and nightly trips to the butcher shop to load up on pounds of beef, pork, chicken, whatever he could get his hands on.
Opening the door, he stepped out... and ran directly into Piper.
“Oh!” she squealed, as envelopes in all sizes flew into the air and fell around them. Lee froze where he was, as she looked him over with a quizzical expression. “Why do you have chocolate all around your mouth?” She reached out, running her finger up his skinny tie. She then slid it over his bottom lip, before opening hers and licking the tip. “Are you hidin’ in there, eatin’ candy? Are you bein’ a bad boy, not invitin’ me in for the fun?”
After running his hand over his face, he glanced down at the traces of chocolate on his fingers, as he imagined what he looked like.
“That’s it.”
“What?” Piper asked, as Lee scanned the hallway.
“I can’t take it anymore. I’ll figure out how to fix it later.”
“Lee, I’m not followin’.”
Grasping her by the wrist, he pulled her inside the closet and shut them inside. He backed her up to the rear of the space, peering down into her beautiful eyes, as he closed the distance between them.
“You’re mine, Piper.”
“I am?” she gasped. “But you’ve been avoidin’ me! I’ve felt this draw to you, like I should be with you, but then you ran, and then I thought I was bein’ stupid, because they said you didn’t like girls, but I didn’t believe ’em because of how I felt.” A low growl began in his chest and flowed from his throat. Piper shivered, and he circled an arm around her waist, loving how well she fit his body. “I thought I was wishin’ for somethin’ I’d never have.”
“Ssshhh,” he whispered, as he tilted her head up with his finger. “They’re wrong. I’m sorry for how I acted, sweetheart. I’m yours if you’ll have me.”
She took hold of his thin necktie, urging him down to her, as she smiled up at him. Their lips joined, and Lee’s wolf
howled in triumph, while his hands roamed her body the way he’d dreamt about doing. Grabbing her ass, he jerked her against his crotch, and she squealed once more.
Letting go of her with one hand, Lee reached behind him, searching for the doorknob, and locked it.
“You feel it, too, don’t you, Piper?”
“Uh-huh!”
“It’s unstoppable.” He undid his trousers, and they dropped to the floor. Hiking her skirt up, he ripped her panties away and drew her leg around the top of his thigh. Finally touching the part of her he hungered desperately for, his fingers plunged inside her wet heat. “Tell me. Yes... or no.” She nodded, and he said, “You have to say it. I won’t take this any farther unless you do.”
“Yes, Lee!”
He covered her mouth with his, swallowing her cries of pleasure, as he guided his cock into her. His fangs dropped, readying to mark her, but again, he couldn’t do that without her consent. Forcing them back up, he satisfied himself by filling his palms with her breasts, intent on bringing her home with him that day.
Items clanged on the shelves, as he made love to her in a dank and dusty closet, but he didn’t care about the noise. He was engulfed and held inside his mate, and he planned to take her on every surface in his home, filling it with her lovely scent.
Moments later, she came, muffling the sound with her hand over her mouth, as she collapsed against him. He followed her, breathing heavily.
“You’re still hard,” she gasped.
He swooped down, taking her lips once again in a scorching kiss, as he withdrew from her channel.
“Come home with me, Piper. I need you to. There’s a lot we need to talk about.”
“Sounds like there is.”
“You’re not safe here. Trust me, sweetheart.”
She straightened his tie, and he tucked his shirt back into his pants.
“I certainly didn’t see that comin’.” She giggled. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
“It’s okay, Piper. I didn’t, either.” He kissed her on her forehead and took her hand in his. “Let’s go.”
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