by Kyle, Celia
He remained in place, eyebrow frozen in its arch, as he stared at her.
“Grayson? You don’t have to if you—”
Claw-tipped fingers suddenly gripped her biceps, his nails resting against her flesh, but not hurting her. “Say it again.”
His voice was a deep, rumbling growl, but she wasn’t afraid. No, she was… overjoyed. Overjoyed the words finally escaped her lips and she meant each syllable.
A full inhale brought his scents forward and she discarded those that belonged to the hotel room. From there, she found what she sought. His heat and musk surrounded her, but there was also the sweet saltiness she’d come to recognize as his arousal. If she looked down, she’d see the thick ridge of his cock pressing against his jeans. But she wasn’t ready to go there, to take him in hand or into her body. She did like the fact she aroused him, though. He wanted her.
“I want you to give me my first kiss.”
Another growl, the reverberation traveling from his body into hers. “Honor.”
“You don’t…” Did he not want to? She smelled his need, but maybe he wanted her, but didn’t want to want her.
“Mine.”
The word hung between them and yet he still didn’t move.
“Yours.” The word drifted from her lips.
His eyes flared gold, his cat shoving forward, and then a tremor shook his body. When he closed his lids and reopened them, she found the familiar blue she was accustomed to.
“Tell me if I scare you.”
“You won’t.” She hoped he heard the conviction in her tone. Without a doubt, she knew he wouldn’t frighten her.
His hold gentled, claw-tipped fingers transforming back into their human counterparts. He stroked her biceps, soothing the tender ache. She could have told him not to bother. She enjoyed the small twinge as long as it came from him. His hands wandered, palms skimming her shoulders and then sliding down to her wrists. He gathered them, urging her to wrap them around his waist and she gladly complied.
She’d never held him, felt the heat of his body against hers, and she was thrilled to have the chance. With the new embrace, she eased closer, pressing their fronts together. She couldn’t miss the ridge of his cock or the rapid thump of his heart. His pulse raced as fast as hers.
Good.
She stared into his eyes, kept her attention trained on him as he leaned down and gently brushed his lips across hers. She sighed against his mouth, enjoying the tiny shiver of desire that coursed through her at the chaste touch.
“Honor,” he whispered a bare moment before he returned, the contact a hint firmer than before.
When he pulled back, it was her turn to whisper, to call him back to her. “Grayson.”
The kiss heated, each gentle meeting turning more passionate than the one before. His mouth opened and she followed the move, lips pressed together while tongues remained passive.
His hands wandered, tracing her body with his palms, stroking her back, caressing her shoulders, and finally cupping her cheeks. She allowed him to tilt her head, reposition her as he desired, and that’s when their kisses turned from a gentle simmer to overwhelming fire.
Grayson slid his tongue into her mouth, stroking hers, and she returned the caress. She pet him, tasted him, with each flex of muscle. She swallowed every hint of his flavors, gathering each droplet as if it were his last. She moaned against his lips and pressed closer, wiggling to reduce any space that may linger between them.
Her lioness rushed forward, wanting to take part in this early exploration. Her human nails thickened and sharpened, allowing her to scratch the flesh beneath her fingers. His answering moan told her he enjoyed the rough touch.
Now they both caressed, pet, and scratched as their kiss continued. He suckled and she returned the favor. He slid his tongue over hers and she mimicked him. Each flowed into another which flowed into another and then…
It overwhelmed her. Passion. Desire. Need. Arousal.
All of it was because of him, because of her delicious mate.
Her pussy heated, growing heavy and aching for something she’d never experienced. She’d pleasured herself with fingers and toys, but no other had ventured to that part of her body. Hell, no one had ever touched her.
Except… except him. In London. She banished the thought, refusing to think of that male’s touch.
Her mate growled against her mouth, the sound vibrating through her and seeming to reach for her desirous pussy. She moaned in response, a purr building in her chest. The cat wanted to answer the call of their mate. Now. This second. It didn’t want to wait…
Grayson eased their kiss suddenly, pulling his mouth free and pressing his forehead against hers. He panted into her mouth, his warm breath bathing her with his scent.
“We have to stop.” His chest heaved and pressed against hers and she realized her nipples had hardened into firm points. That brought forward the image of his mouth wrapped around one nub, suckling the tip, and a small shiver overtook her.
“Honor, we really have to stop.”
She whined, but knew he was right. Her body was heated and ready for him, but her mind was still at the kissing-only stage. Going further would end in a panic of claws and fur.
She nodded. “Okay. You’re right.”
Honor moved to step out of his embrace, put some much needed space between them, but his hold held fast. “I said stop kissing. I don’t think the lion is ready to let you go yet.”
She rubbed her nose against his. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
She licked her lips, ready to jump off a cliff and get to the second reason she’d come to him. “We could do this, only this, every night if you moved back to the pride house…”
Grayson groaned. “Honor…”
His cock was hot and hard against her lower stomach, seeming to reach for her. She wanted to stroke him, discover the textures for herself, but she wasn’t at the point where she could guarantee follow-through. There was no sense in pushing him, exciting him until he became violent. Where he…
Metal bars surrounded her, screams and roars echoing off the walls. Then that face, the one she loathed. “Nothing but a cock tease. We’ll see how you feel when the moon rises.” He grabbed his exposed dick and stroked himself until it was hard. “See how much you want this.”
The insistent ringing of a phone tore her from that brief, horrible memory. It wasn’t him holding her, it was Grayson. Grayson with his large muscles and deadly possessive attitude. He would kill anyone who came after her. Anyone, no matter their position.
Even a Prime’s son.
Angus…
A shudder raced down her spine, one filled with fear rather than arousal. Grayson stiffened. She heard, and felt, his deep inhale. Crap. She needed to explain the sudden shift in her scent. She needed… “Grayson—”
He released her and stepped away. “Sorry. I need to grab that.”
The heat, the desire, from before no longer imbued his words. Now he was all business. The repetitive ring picked up again and then abruptly cut off when her mate answered.
“Grayson.”
She turned, following him, and froze when he glanced at her and then presented her with his back.
“Uh-huh.”
She cursed the person on the other end of the phone. She needed to stop Grayson from jumping to conclusions, from getting hurt by what he scented. Damn it.
The muffled voice of a male came from the phone, but even her shifter hearing couldn’t pick up the words. Double damn it.
“Right. What’s the status?” Grayson nodded and then his back went rigid. “Are we sure?” More tension thrummed through his muscles. “Fuck. Not really. For the most part.” He glanced at her and his eyes were lion-gold. “All right. Yeah, we’ll do that. You’ll call him next? Right. Thanks.”
Her mate’s shoulders slumped and he dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling. A ripple overtook his skin, a gold coating of fur slithering over him and then disappear
ing. He took a deep breath and then released it in a quick huff.
“Okay, we’ve got to get you back to Alex’s…”
“But, Grayson—” She wanted him to come, too. That was the whole point of her escape.
“Let me pack my stuff and we can leave.”
Honor allowed a hint of hope to creep into her heart. “You’ll stay at the pride house?”
He looked to her, his eyes flat with no trace of desire or attraction. “Yes.”
Grayson’s agreement should have made her happy.
It didn’t.
70
“Once upon a time, I tried to be normal. It was around the same time I thought I was wrong. Thank God they were dreams. I thought the apocalypse finally showed up.” — Maya O’Connell, Prima of the Ridgeville Pride and woman who will never be normal and there’s no way she’d ever be wrong. She’s the Prima, it’s a perk.
Grayson remained silent during the drive to the house, unwilling to say anything he’d regret. A mixture of disgust and rage burned his gut, the emotions threatening to overwhelm him, but he kept it together. He had to, he had Honor with him. He needed to be strong for his mate. Even if she feared him.
Fuck, the revulsion at his actions rose. She’d asked for a kiss, not a mauling. Instead of keeping things light, he’d allowed his passion, his need for her, to rush forward. At the time, his cat roared in triumph. Now it snarled at him, growling at him for pushing their mate.
Thank god the phone rang when it did, pulling him away.
Stone.
And not with good news… He replayed the conversation, his anger easily overtaking his internal hatred.
“Grayson.” His cock ached, throbbed and shoved at his zipper. He wanted to free himself, encourage Honor to stroke him. But he couldn’t because she’d asked for a kiss and the heated stench of her panic hit him. He thumped his dick and realized he’d be taking an extra cold shower when he got them home.
“Stone. Got some news.”
“Uh-huh.” He needed to keep his responses vague. He’d been keeping the research into London under wraps, unwilling to worry and upset Honor.
“We got another into the pride to aid visitor number one.”
Grayson didn’t like Stone’s tone. “Right. What’s the status?”
“Dead.” The gorilla’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
“Are we sure?”
Stone growled, the man’s animal obviously coming out to play. “I had… pieces… shipped to me. Pieces, Grayson. And the reports that came in before visitor two was discovered makes Alistair McCain look like a kitten. There’s something going on within that pride.”
“Fuck.” He was conscious of Honor’s presence, of her sweet, terror-tinged scent surrounding him. What had that pride done to his mate?
“Exactly. You sound stilted. Can you talk?”
“Not really.” Grayson wished he could. He also wished he could roar and tear apart the hotel room.
“Then listen.” Stone sighed. “They did manage to tell us that the Prime’s son, Angus, disappeared not long after Honor returned to Ridgeville. I know you said she’s been keeping to the house…”
“For the most part.”
“It needs to be for all the parts. She can’t leave. I have no doubt the asshole is on his way to Ridgeville or is already there. She needs to stay at Alex’s.”
“All right.” Ice filled his veins. Why did the Prime’s son want his mate?
“Keep her home and rally the troops, Grayson. No leaving. Increased patrols. Warn the town. The operatives didn’t mention anything about the son in particular in regards to Honor, but I don’t like his disappearance so close to hers. Keep her home, under guard.”
Fear warred with fury. He’d gut any male who threatened her. He’d tear Angus apart and go to fucking London himself and challenge the Prime. He’d destroy the pride, demolish every claw raised against him.
Nothing would threaten his mate. Nothing.
“You’ll call Alex?” The Prime needed to know what was on the way.
“Next call and I’ll keep you in the loop. We’ve got every shifter group keeping their eye out, but…”
But even though humans knew of them, shifters tended to keep to themselves rather than come out to their towns.
“Right.”
“I’ll keep in touch.”
“Thanks.” Grayson didn’t bother saying anything else. He ended the call and turned back to his mate, not looking forward to the coming days. She was so gorgeous, red lipped from his kisses and her arousal filling the air.
Too bad he’d scared the hell out of her.
“Grayson?” Her soft, timid voice pulled him back to the present, and his hurried rush to the pride house. Fuck. He should have been paying attention to his surroundings, watching for anyone following them. Then again, the location of the pride house in Ridgeville wasn’t much of a secret. If the Prime’s son, Angus, wanted to walk up to the front door, it’d take one question at the local Drool n’ Dine for directions.
He’d make sure Alex spread the word around town. One of their own was in trouble.
“Sorry, what?”
“Nothing. Never mind.” She took a deep breath and he did the same, taking in more of her flavors. “You’ll be staying at the pride house, too?”
“I said I was,” he snapped and then internally cursed himself when she flinched.
“Yeah, okay.” Her attention shifted to the passing scenery and a fresh wave of emotional pain drifted to him. “Sorry.”
He was such a fuckup. “No, Honor, I’m sorry. I got some news that was a little…” Disturbing. Terrifying. Rage inducing. “…unsettling this morning,” he finished lamely.
“Oh.”
Grayson didn’t like the sound of her “oh.”
He eased into a parking space in front of the house, tossing the truck into park.
Honor gripped the handle and tugged to release the lock. Before hopping free of the vehicle, she turned to him. “Is that why you changed your mind? About coming home?”
Yes.
No.
Partly.
“Yeah, but it’s not—”
She didn’t stick around to listen to the rest and he cursed himself again.
Grayson followed her, jumping from the driver’s side. “Honor, wait!”
But she didn’t. Nope, she raced into the house, the front door swinging shut and cutting him off.
“Fuck.”
The heavy thump of someone approaching him forced the beast to the surface. It didn’t take much, really. It was already pissed about how he’d handled Honor and was looking for an outlet.
He spun toward the approaching person, a snarl on his lips. He was ready to call it back if necessary, to yank the cat under control if he was faced with a weaker lion. Instead, he came face-to-face with Ricker.
Perfect.
“I take it things aren’t going as anticipated?” the male drawled.
Grayson growled.
The tiger grinned. “Yeah, well, you gotta fuck up to make up.”
The words of wisdom didn’t help.
“C’mon. Let’s go patrol. Take a sniff. Since Honor has let you into the house, I doubt you’ve been slinking through the forest and marking the perimeter. We can check things out.” Ricker grabbed him by the back of the neck and dragged him to the side of the house.
He hated that the massive tiger was right. Asshole.
“Did Alex call you? You got here fast.”
The ex-Tracker shook his head. “Naw, Maddy’s been itching to help Honor and Maya decided to force the issue. By the time we get back Maddy will either be sitting on the front porch while I tell her ‘I told you so’ or your mate will need you.”
Grayson snorted at that. “No, she doesn’t even want me now. I doubt she’ll want me just because your mate poked around in her head.”
Ricker tightened his grip and shook him. “You’re an idiot. That girl cries out for you at night. Has nightma
res and yells for you, and you’re not there to help her.”
“I doubt that.” Then the tiger’s words sunk into him. “How do you know? When have you been around her when she’s sleeping?” The growl built in his chest.
The man sighed. “Our women gossip like it’s going out of style and Maddy forgets she’s mated to a shifter. There’s not much I don’t know about the Prime and Prima’s favorite position and flavor of lube.” The male gave him a blank look. “Doggy even if they are cats, and strawberry.” He shuddered. “The visual still hasn’t left me.”
Grayson chuckled. “Dick.”
“I’ve got a huge one, yes.”
“That Maddy broke.”
That had the tiger snarling. “Asshole. As soon as we’re done patrolling, I’ll show you my dick.” The man’s pace stuttered. “Wait, that didn’t come out right. Fucker.” Ricker released him and shoved him away. “Asshole.”
“Repeating yourself, Tracker.”
“Just wait until we’re done, cub. Just wait.”
Grayson chuckled and tugged on his shirt, slipping it over his head. They neared the edge of the forest and he stopped to toss it over a bush. The rest of his clothing soon followed, his shoes tucked beneath the plant.
This was what he needed. He’d fucked up the morning, but a hunt and time spent on four feet would allow him to start over with Honor. With luck, in the next hundred years or so, he’d learn her favorite position and flavor of lube.
He glanced at the house and found her staring at him from her bedroom window. The moment she noticed him focusing on her, the curtain was yanked shut.
She’d been watching him strip.
All right, maybe it’d take only fifty years.
* * *
“Your mate has a great ass.” The voice scared the hell out of her in more ways than one, but it also enraged her cat.
She swung around and glared at the newcomer, baring her fangs as she fought the desire to run and hide. “Mine.”
Maddy shrugged. “Mine has a great one, too. No need to get all furry and jealous-y. Ricker is all the male I can handle.”
Honor narrowed her eyes at the woman, weighing her words. A quick inhale revealed no subterfuge so she released some of the anger inside which left only fear.
