by Smith, Debra
All of the men were speechless, complete with gaping mouths. All except for Gryph, who on the other hand, stared at her with unknown emotion. Marlena rose from the table, gave Jenny a hug, and headed off to retrieve the food. Jenny reached forward and clasped her hand around the delicate handle of the crystal pitcher and poured herself a glass of ice water.
“This is preposterous. Who will train you?” Kane sputtered.
“Well, Charlie, of course.” She brought the water to her lips and relished its cool, clean taste.
“Now lass, I did not agree to that.” Charlie furrowed his brows.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be wonderful.” She patted his arm reassuringly. She was unsure if it was for his comfort or hers. Jenny smiled, but she knew she had a lot of impossibly hard work in front of her. Marlena returned with several platters and tried her best to steer the conversation to more desirable topics, however unsuccessful. Jenny prayed for dinner to last forever because she was in for a tongue lashing from Charlie when dinner ended.
The scolding was going to rival Armageddon sized proportions. She watched him stab at his food with brutal force no doubt wishing it was her. She wasn’t worried because he always came around, even when she drove his truck into the lake on a dare. He forgave her for that. So this should be a slice of pie.
Chapter Nine
“I’m sorry I didn't tell you, but I have to try. It’s not fair for me to be expected to marry the winner. If I win I get to go home, and that’s all I want. I just want to be free. Please, you have to understand that.” She paced back and forth along her bedroom floor hoping Charlie would see her side. His shoulders slumped in defeat, and she knew she had won.
“No, you will withdraw. I have the right mind to flip you over my knee and paddle you.”
Jenny stuck out her bottom lip and batted her eyes. “Please.”
“Fine,” he looked to the heavens. “I will not be easy on you. You will have to win. Lord help us if your father finds out.” He rose from his seat and Jenny embraced him.
“Thank you, Charlie! I promise I won’t let you down. Now let me get some rest. I’ll see you bright and early.” Jenny shoved him out the door, wanting a moment with her scattering thoughts.
She unzipped the side of her dress and stepped out of it. She started to remove the pins from her hair when a knock on the door drew her attention. She grabbed her towel from the back of the chair and covered herself.
“Charlie, I thought I would see you in the morning.” Before she had the door open all the way, Gryph came barreling through.
“Have you lost your fucking mind? Do you have any idea what the Slag is like? Men lose themselves to their animal nature and function on instinct. You could be killed.” He walked over to the fire place and turned around to face her.
Jenny put her hands on her hips and stuck out her chin. There was no way she was backing out of the Slag, least of all because of a chauvinistic male.
“I know what I’m doing. You have no say in my life, Gryph.”
He started walking forward, seeming impossibly larger. The black t-shirt he wore did nothing to calm her nerves. His broad muscular chest and washboard abs were clearly visible, and pieces of his black hair hung over his intense blue eyes. He looked like a wild animal stalking its prey, completely focused on one goal: eating her alive.
“You are mine, and there is no way I’m letting you do this. I forbid it.” He grabbed her by her arms and tried to shake some sense into her, causing her towel to pool at her feet. His muscles tensed as his eyes roamed over her body like he was committing every curve and hollow to memory. He reminded her of cat staring at cream, ready to lick up every last drop.
“Stop looking at me like that.” Her words sounded weak.
Jenny’s nipples pebbled, and her core became slick with her arousal. She took a deep breath, but it only made things worse. His smell made her want to rub her body along his until she was saturated in his earthy scent.
“Like what?”
“Like you want to eat me alive.” She swallowed as his eyes heated.
“Oh, but Jenifer, I do.”
Her breaths quickened, and her thoughts became fogged with lust. She just wanted one decision to be hers. He watched the movement of her pink tongue as she moistened her bottom lip. Her body remembered his caress, eager for more, completely addicted.
“Kiss me or leave.”
He purred with approval and pulled her body against his. He was claiming her whether she realized it or not. The kiss was full of passion and dominance. Their mouths sucked, licked and caressed. He captured her moan as he rubbed his erection at the apex of her thighs. His canines elongated, and he spoke with an animalistic voice.
“I will not be able to stop this time. Are you sure?”
“Yes, Gryph. Let me chose for just one night.”
He began his assault on her body with a renewed sense of energy. She could feel his need in the way he petted her body with strong, sensual caresses. His hands squeezed her ass as he drew her up.
“Wrap your legs around my waist.”
For once, she followed his order without arguing. She still had her black, strappy heels on, along with her matching silk panties, but he didn’t seem to notice. He pushed her against the wall and effortlessly held her up while he used one of his strong callused hands to pluck and massage her aching breasts.
“I’ve dreamt about this you since the first night you walked into my bar.” He bent his head forward and encased her nipple in the warm, wet heat of his mouth, sucking gently. He laved at her with his tongue, masterfully flicking with the tip. Then he sucked her roughly, and she cried out from the mix of pleasure and pain.
Jenny was shamelessly rubbing her heat against his hard sex trying to find a release from the pressure building deep within her.
“If you keep moving like that I’m going to come.” His lips masterfully kneaded her breast sending shivers of delight straight to her clit.
She wanted him to. She needed him to come deep inside her.
“Please Gryph, I need…”
“Shhh…baby, I know.”
He reached down to his pants with one hand and let them fall to the floor. His sex sprung forward, reaching for her slick cleft. He was enormous and extremely aroused. A small drop of liquid lust formed at the tip. Jenny shuddered and licked her lips, wanting taste him.
Jenny reached between them and used her thumb to spread the liquid around the sensitive tip. She brought her finger to her mouth and moaned as she sucked it clean. His erection jerked, volunteering to be next.
"Fuck, you're so sexy."
Then she grasped his searing hot shaft and reveled in the feel of silk over steel. He grabbed her hand and shook his head. Jenny’s bottom lip showed her disappointment. He leaned forward and nibbled on it. Her breath hitched as Gryph used a claw to cut away her favorite panties. He moved his hand down to where she wanted him most, and she was hot and ready. He slipped one finger inside her.
“Damn, baby, you’re so tight. I can’t wait to feel you gripping my cock.” he purred softly in her ear as he nipped at her neck.
She dug her blunt nails into the firm muscles of his ass urging him forward.
He positioned himself at her entrance and slowly filled her. The sensation was too much. She climaxed with his name on her lips. He began pumping into her with a furious pace, making her orgasm go on and on.
Gryph cursed in reverence as she milked his cock. He whispered deep words of praise in her ear. He pumped once more buried himself to the hilt, and his seed filled her.
The sensation of Gryph's release sent Jenny into another orgasm. Shivers of pleasure tingled through her body and straight to her heart. Her inner walls clenched greedily pulling him deeper. Jenny let her head fall to his shoulder as her breathing returned to normal. This male was dangerous and called out to everything female inside of her.
“That was amazing.” Jenny didn’t know what to do. She wanted him to hold her in the cr
adle of his body all through the night, but that wasn’t possible. She had to train bright and early and needed what little sleep she could get. She let her legs fall to the ground as she stepped away, immediately mourning the loss of his body. She donned her robe, “Thanks, um, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He propped himself against the wall. He smiled and looked at her like he was ready for more.
What was he doing? Did he want her to ask him to stay?
“Look, I need to get some sleep and you are distracting, so off you go.” She threw his shirt and pants at him hoping he would take the hint.
“Are you sure you want me to leave? I can go all night and would love to…continue tasting you.”
She swallowed as his sex became hard once more right in front of her unabashed gaze. Then she narrowed her eyes. “If you don’t leave, I’ll be forced to call for Charlie.”
“Pity.” He stood and pulled his jeans over his toned legs and bitable ass. She could probably bounce a quarter off it.
He certainly was godlike. Jenny bit her bottom lip to keep from asking him to stay. His chest and abs were enough to make anyone drool all over themselves, but she had to be taken seriously.
“This can’t happen again. You need to stay away from me and my room.”
He shrugged his shoulders, making the sinewy muscles flex under his golden skin. Jenny's finger's itched to trace the hard lines. She did her best to hide the small sting his indifference made. She liked him, so much it scared her, but she was obviously just another notch in his bed post.
“O-okay, well, goodnight.”
He slung his t-shirt over his back and waved over his shoulder, not even bothering to say good-bye. Jenny was not going to cry, she just wasn’t. This was what she wanted. She had no business falling for a man like him. If she didn't leave, he would.
Chapter Ten
Jenny yawned and rubbed her eyes. She didn’t sleep a wink. She was too busy thinking about all the trouble she had gotten into and about a devastatingly sexy man. She had entered the Slag and was probably going to die. Then she had life changing sex, possibly fallen in love with a man more concerned about her last name than her actual person, and finally she was terrified of shifting again. Not just terrified but every time she thought about it, she started hyperventilating and almost passed out from overwhelming fear. How on earth was she going to survive if she couldn’t shift? So she was sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee when Charlie came in.
“I’m proud of you, lass, I did not expect to see you up before me.”
She smiled tightly and drank some more of her coffee.
“What do you say to getting an early start?”
Jenny shrugged her shoulders, scooted off the stool, and placed her cup on the counter. “What about Gryph? I thought he was supposed to teach me.”
“Marlena said he had some business to take care of and I was to take over.”
She nodded. What did she expect? She kicked him out of her room last night. What did she think would happen? I wasn’t like he was the type to take rejection well.
“I’m scared, Charlie. I don’t want to feel that pain again. I don’t think I could handle it.” She wasn’t sure if she was talking about shifting or her feelings for a certain male.
“Don’t worry, it only hurts the first time.”
Still Jenny wasn’t quite sure she believed him. Good thing she hadn’t eaten, she felt like she was going to throw up. Charlie gave her a tight, one-armed hug meant to reassure her as he led her outside.
“Okay, I’ll do the best I can to train you, but I can only shift into one animal, unlike you. You will have to learn to multi-shift on your own, but I can teach you speed and endurance. The rest is up to you.”
Jenny nodded and decided to go to the library after training to find out about more animals.
“We have to get you to trust your instincts. Shift.”
It was happening again. She was going to pass out. She tried to picture her coyote again, but all she could see was black.
“If you can’t shift now, how do you expect to shift during a fight? You will never be free if you can’t focus. Is that what you want? Do you want to be a prisoner?”
All her anger began to simmer. This was the moment she had to make the choice. Was she going to stop being a child and finally grow up? This was her life, and she was going to be the one who decided her future. She was done being afraid. She was going to take control. She pictured her animal and then she transformed. She yipped her excitement. Charlie was right, it didn’t hurt at all. Maybe she could do this; she was a lot stronger than she gave herself credit for. She shifted back and ran to hug him. “I did it.”
“I’m proud of ya, but that was the easy part.” He embraced her back and set her down. “We have a lot more to do. Let’s do some drills.”
Jenny’s body sagged. “Drills?”
Charlie couldn’t stop his laughter.
As he explained what he wanted of her, for the next several hours, she did as he asked, no matter how much it hurt, or how tired she felt. Maybe the library would have to wait until after a nap.
“We’re done for day, go get some rest.” Charlie patted her on the back, and she hid the wince caused from the contact.
Sweeter words had never been spoken. She had blisters on her feet from wearing new tennis shoes and smelled awful, but she held her head up high. She had changed in just a few hours. Jenny wondered what she would be like after a month. The Slag was approaching fast, and she had a long way to go. She wanted her freedom and would not be swayed from her goal.
Chapter Eleven
Jenny was finishing her laps in the pool. She had to admit she felt sensational. Charlie was doing a splendid job, and after only two weeks she had made leaps and bounds with her shifting. Her body was leaner and stronger. She practiced her difficult shifts in private, sometimes doing multiple shifts in a row. She was more determined than ever, and for once, she felt like she might actually have a chance in the Slag. She missed her father terribly and wished she could contact him, but it was forbidden. Swimming was one thing she found freedom in. She felt weightless like all her cares in the world were no longer there.
“I see you are taking a break.” The sound of his voice felt like slime coating her skin.
“What I do is not your concern, Kane. Are you checking out your competition?” He looked like a pissed off rattler ready to strike.
“Ha, I have no concerns about you. However, I am checking you out. Your body is much more appealing to me now. Maybe we could make some sort of… arrangement before the Slag. I could beat you less severely in exchange for the use of your body.” Nix that, he was more like a greased pig rolling around in his own droppings.
“I will never let you touch me. I would rather die.”
Anger hardened his face. “I will enjoy breaking your spirit when we are mated.”
Before she could tell him to go to hell, he was gone. That guy really made her skin crawl. She wrapped her arms around herself to fight the chill from his words. She had to win. She had no other choice.
***
Two more weeks passed. She did her best to avoid the other competitors, especially Kane. She caught him staring at her with an intensity that set off all sorts of warning bells. The Slag started in two days, and she was ordered by Charlie to rest. It was hard. This was her fate. If she lost she would be crushed, devastated, well, more like destroyed. She loved her newfound strength, and she couldn’t handle being tied down. She was trying to rest and decided to spend some time in the library.
“Are you enjoying my books?”
Jenny’s body responded to his voice like Gryph had actually touched her. Instantly, she wanted him, and she hated it.
“What do you want, Gryph?” She didn't bother looking up.
The corner of his mouth tilted in amusement. “I remember when you used to be sweet and timid.”
“Yeah, well, that girl is gone and never coming back. Kane was right she was
too weak to be queen.” Jenny continued reading her book, hoping Gryph would take the hint and leave. He was the only one who actually scared her. This was the first time they had spoken since they had sex, and she didn’t want a repeat. Okay, so maybe that was a complete lie. She wanted multiple repeats.
“Are you just going to ignore me, Jenifer?” Gryph's voice was dark and sensual, giving her chills. She did her best to suppress her rising shiver.
Gryph walked over to the window, “I guess I can take that as a yes. Well, if you won’t talk I will. I want you to drop out of the Slag before it’s too late.”
That got her attention. Jenny sat up quickly. “Like hell. There is nothing you can do to make me quit. I’ve worked too hard.” Gryph didn’t respond and continued to stare out of the window.
Jenny growled as she stood and walked over to Gryph. She grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face her. “Look at me when…” He looked shattered. She cupped his face, “What’s wrong?” Her eyes searched his for an explanation.
“I can’t pretend I don’t want you. I know you feel the connection between us even though you have tried to ignore it and me. What are you afraid of?”
“I am not afraid. I just don’t want you.”
“You’re lying. Even now I can smell your sweet arousal.”
Shifters. Her body was betraying her again.
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want you. So stop this and leave.” Her voice trembled.
He continued to stare into her eyes, like he could see all of her well kept secrets.
“Please go, Gryph, I can’t do this, I just can't.” Her breath caught as she fought her tears.
“No, your mine and I’ll prove it.” Gryph leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and sensual. The love he was showing her freed the tears in her eyes. He was seducing her with his touch, offering her the hidden secrets of her heart. She wished she could tell him how she felt, but even that choice had been taken away. She had to stay focused on winning. If she lost sight, she would lose her freedom. Part of her wanted everything he offered in the kiss, but she just couldn’t accept. She had to make him leave. She forced herself to stop crying, hiding all of her thoughts somewhere deep within herself.
