by Marilu Mann
He could feel her pulse rate and heartbeat slowing as she absorbed the warmth of his body. Tony was wearing a shirt but when she had moved closer to him her hand had landed on bare skin. He’d been in such a hurry to get to her he hadn’t buttoned his shirt, just stuffed it into his jeans.
Tony could feel her awareness of him now. Though she’d been scared when he’d first arrived, she felt at ease with Tony. She knew on some internal level that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. His arms tightened around her briefly. Carly took a small step back. Tony immediately released her. He stroked one hand down the back of her head before he reached up with his other hand to tilt her face back slightly.
“Did he hurt you?”
“No, he was just on my car watching me. There’s something seriously wrong with him, Tony.”
“He’s dangerous. I told you that. I’m staying here until daylight.” It was a statement, not a request. He saw her anger flare for a moment and saw when she realized that she really wanted him there. She simply nodded as she turned to lead the way into her condo.
Tony followed even as he glanced around with interest. Carly’s tastes were somewhat eclectic but the overall effect was one of comfort. The colors she had used were bright and vibrant, much like the woman he could still feel in his arms. She was very different from Jenny. That thought came unbidden into his mind and Tony shook his head slightly.
His hair fell forward and he brushed it back impatiently. He hadn’t bothered pulling it back when he’d left his home. Tony chuckled briefly as he realized that wasn’t all he hadn’t bothered with. His appearance left a great deal to be desired. Not only had he stuffed his shirt into the first pair of jeans that had come to hand, but he’d put his shoes on without benefit of socks.
Tony ran a hand through his hair again, as he became aware that Carly was watching him. She was standing in front of the coffeemaker with a large cup in her hand. Tony nodded once and she turned her back on him to pour him a cup of coffee.
“I saw a brand on his hand,” Carly didn’t have to elaborate to let Tony know she was talking about Slade. “I’ve never understood why anyone would mutilate their own body that way.”
Tony grinned at the quick breath she drew in as she saw how close he stood to her now. Tony knew she hadn’t heard him move at all. Taking the cup out of her hands, he took a sip then deliberately backed away from her. Carly took another deep breath as she met his eyes.
“Are all lycanthropes into that?”
Tony felt a small surge of victory at the fact that she seemed to accept what he was. He wasn’t sure what had changed her mind but he wasn’t going to question it. He put the coffee mug down on the counter as he turned to watch her again.
“What, self-mutilation? No, of course not, just as not all humans are into it. There are extremists in everything, Carly. Shifters are no exception. There are those who enjoy inflicting pain and those who enjoy receiving it. That doesn’t mean that all shifters are into extreme behavior.”
“What about you? Are you into it? Pain, I mean.” Carly flushed slightly and Tony wondered why she’d asked.
“No.” Tony moved slightly closer to her and waited until she looked at him again then he smiled a wicked smile. “When I’m making love, I don’t mind a little biting and scratching but it isn’t the source of my pleasure nor is it necessary for my pleasure.”
He watched her eyes widen and he stepped even closer. “What do you like, Carly? Do you like pain?”
“No.” She kept her eyes on his as she answered then locked her eyes on his mouth. Tony closed the distance between them before she could draw another breath. He had her in his arms and his mouth was just hovering above hers. He was waiting for a sign, something, anything to show that she wanted this as much as he did. She rose up on her toes, closing the distance between their mouths.
He gently bit her then soothed the slight sting with a lick. Her arms wrapped around his neck and his held her tightly against him. Tony wallowed in the taste of her. He opened his eyes without even realizing he’d closed them. He could feel her yielding to him. Tony pulled her even closer and Carly opened her eyes. Dark blue eyes met green-gold ones then she allowed her lashes to drop closed again.
Tony took her under and Carly melted against him. Reaching down to pick her up, he carried her into the living room they had passed where a couch waited. He knelt on the floor beside the couch as he moved his mouth across her neck. With his jaw he brushed against hers then rubbed along her shoulder.
“This is how others like me will know to leave you alone. I’ve marked you with my scent, kitten.” He whispered even though they were alone.
“Tony…” Her voice came out breathlessly and he raised his head to stare into her eyes. He knew his eyes were even more golden now and he smiled as he slid his hands under her shirt to touch her soft skin. “Wait.”
She put her hands over his and he stopped moving his hands. “What’s wrong, Carly?”
“It’s too soon.”
“We don’t have to make love. Just let me touch you.” Tony slowly pushed her top up just to the bottom edge of her bra, exposing her stomach. Keeping his eyes on her face, he dropped his head to her stomach. He licked across her abdomen and Carly gasped as she grabbed his head. She couldn’t have known the meaning of their positions. For a shifter to expose his abdomen to anyone was the most submissive position imaginable.
She ran her hand slowly through his hair and Tony smiled against her stomach. It truly was his one vanity. He loved being stroked and loved having his hair played with. He turned his head so that he was looking at her feet and Carly continued to run her hand through his soft hair. She wrapped her fingers in his hair then pulled gently.
Tony was doing what he had wanted to do earlier he was wallowing in her scent. He really wanted to get her out of her clothes so he could concentrate more on her skin and not so much on the detergent she used and the smells of the hospital that still clung to her. He turned his head slightly and took a deep breath with his mouth open to draw even more of her scent inside. Carly gasped at the feel of his open mouth on her stomach and he chuckled.
“Touch, taste, texture, smell, they all mean more to shifters than they do to humans. Sometimes humans mistake the craving for touch for something more than what it is. It causes some problems. I want you to know this, Carly. I want you. I want to touch you and taste you and make love to you. I don’t want you to think I’m just craving touch from you.”
“Why do shifters need touch more than humans?”
“Contact. We need to know we’re not alone.”
“Everyone needs that.” She ran her hand through his hair again then shook her head as she took a deep breath. Tony felt it and turned his head to look at her. He smiled and turned his face back into her stomach. He opened his mouth over her lower stomach again.
Going slowly, he lapped at her with his tongue, then very gently closed his teeth on her. He felt her gasp but didn’t let up. He wasn’t hurting her and he knew it. He knew how much pressure to exert without causing her any pain. He just wanted to get more of her scent into his system.
Tony released her and sat back on his heels. Carly took a deep breath then pulled her shirt down, covering her stomach. She met his eyes and he smiled at her.
“I meant what I said, Carly. I want you.” Tony fought his body’s reaction to her scent yet again. He had succeeded in arousing himself and he knew he had aroused her as well. Though she wouldn’t admit it to him, her body’s response to his mouth on her had been very clear to him.
“I heard you. I’m not ready for this. Especially not with Slade running around out there. Why is he after you, Tony?” Carly sat up as she pulled her shirt down. Tony got easily to his feet and in control of his body again, he sat beside her on the couch. He trailed one hand down her arm then took her hand in his.
“He’s not really after me. He’s after those of us who aren’t aligned with any pack or other group of shifters. H
e wants us all out in the open. Slade is hungry, Carly. He wants power and he’ll use any means at his disposal to get it.” Tony continued to play with her fingers until Carly pulled her hand out of his.
“I don’t like being in the middle of this…this power struggle or whatever you want to call it.”
“You’re not in the middle of it.” Tony got to his feet. “Slade knows I’m attracted to you. He also knows that one way of getting to me is to threaten you. I’ll make sure you’re protected, Carly. I won’t let anything happen to you. I won’t fail this time.”
“This time?”
Tony winced, realizing that Carly had picked up on his last whispered statement. “What does that mean? ‘This time.’ Has this happened before?”
She studied his face for a long moment. Her expression made him wonder if suddenly he frightened her.
“That’s it, isn’t it? That’s why Slade made that crack about humans breaking so easily and your affinity for humans. You lost someone, didn’t you, Tony? Who was she?” Carly’s voice rasped with tension.
A muscle twitched in his jaw and he lifted his eyes to hers, knowing that the gold had to be showing now. He couldn’t help that because talking about Jenny still hurt. “Someone very close to me. She got into a situation that she wasn’t able to deal with and she was killed.”
Tony stepped forward, grabbing her by the arms. He growled low. “It won’t happen again. I won’t let it happen to you or anyone else close to me.”
“Tony, you’re hurting me.” Carly’s voice shook slightly even as she kept her eyes on his.
Disgusted with himself, Tony released his grip, hating the sight of her reddening skin. He swung away from her, throwing his hands up as if to deny they were even his own.
“I’m sorry.” Taking some pride in the fact that his voice sounded normal even though he didn’t feel it, he kept his face averted.
“You’re going to fight him, aren’t you?”
The calmness of her tone amazed Tony. Obviously all those years of ER work gave her some amazing discipline. He knew shifters who would be hysterical by this point. He watched her chest heave with the breath she took as he pivoted to face her again. Struggling to maintain a similar hold on his own emotions, Tony noted the tingling that told him his face reflected his animal more than he liked.
“If I have to. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect those close to me from Slade and those like him.”
“He’ll kill you.” Carly touched his arm. Her fear scent flared. Tony realized that she was scared of what might happen if he did challenge Slade. Slade was taller and heavier than Tony. He knew she sensed that Slade was more dangerous as well.
“He might try though it would probably be in his best interest not to kill me. He’ll want to use me as an example of what happens to anyone who goes against him but he won’t want me dead.” Tony must have meant his words to be reassuring but they didn’t have that effect on Carly.
“How can you be so calm about this? He wants to kill you, Tony. I saw it in his eyes tonight when he was staring through my windshield. He wants you dead.”
“Shh.” Tony pulled her back into his arms. “He’s not going to kill me, cheré.”
For just a moment he allowed himself the luxury of holding her, of breathing in the scent that was unique to Carly. The wanting flared again but he controlled it. Tony reluctantly let go of Carly. He walked back into the kitchen to pick up the cup of coffee he no longer wanted.
Sipping at the coffee was a simple way of centering himself, of trying to recall all of the reasons why he shouldn’t make love to Carly Chambers, all the while knowing they made no difference. At some point—soon, if his body had any say in the matter—he would take her to bed. There was no way he was going to walk away from her having had only a brief taste. There was so much more to savor.
Tony turned abruptly as Carly came into the kitchen. He gazed at her, knowing his “other” was peering out through his eyes. He could sense her fear even as he tried to send soothing thoughts her way. “I’m going to make sure you’re safe tonight, Carly. I called for reinforcements on the way over here. Why don’t we try to relax until he gets here?”
Tony held his hand out to her. Carly stared at him for a long moment then took his hand. They walked back into the living room and sat beside one another on the couch. There was a good foot of space between them. Tony leaned forward to place his cup on the coffee table.
“Ask it.”
“Ask what?”
“Ask whatever it is that’s bothering you. There’s something churning around in your mind, just ask me, Carly. I’ll answer any questions you have.”
She obviously had so many questions floating around in her head—what Tony was, really; how he could be so sure Slade wouldn’t kill him—there was just too much she wanted to know. Finally she opened her mouth and the words tumbled out.
“I’ve been doing some research. You said you were a lycanthrope but not a werewolf. You mentioned something about a cat?” Carly sighed, shifting about on the couch, her discomfort apparent in every move she made. “I really don’t know where to begin, but I guess the first thing I want to know is this, what is your animal?”
Tony smiled slowly before he answered. “You don’t speak Spanish, do you? Pantera, my surname, it means panther.”
“Your animal is the panther?”
“Yes, well, technically a black leopard.” Tony leaned back and put his arm along the back of the couch. He could just touch her shoulder with his fingertips.
“Isn’t that unusual? I thought from the reading I did that most shifters were canine. At least that’s what I could find and that wasn’t easy.”
“My family has always been feline and the gene was passed more often from mother to daughter. I’m the first male in two generations to have the ability to shift and all of my sisters can shift. I have two brothers who are fully human.”
“Really. Now that’s interesting.”
“What?”
“Genetic selection. In your line most passed through the female. It begs the question as to how many of your nieces and nephews will carry the gene and how many will actually be shifters. Does it hurt? When you change, does it hurt?” Carly watched him closely and Tony schooled his face to show very little emotion as he thought about her question. He could tell she still wasn’t sure about whether or not to believe him. Her sincerity meant she wanted to believe what he told her.
“It doesn’t hurt exactly. Sometimes it,” he hesitated then shook his head and continued, “aches. Your skin feels like it’s stretched to the breaking point then it feels like it has broken. Your bones feel like they’re melting but there’s no pain.”
“When did you first change?”
“I was ten. My oldest sister and I had been fighting and she growled at me. She was fourteen and had already been through her first change. I growled back and fell to my knees in front of her. I changed and it scared both of us.” Tony watched her face as he spoke and his curiosity was aroused. “You didn’t really see Slade change. Have you ever seen anyone change, Carly?”
“No.” She unconsciously leaned back away from him and he chuckled.
“Get those old movie scenes out of your head. I’m a carnivore not a cannibal. Except for fights I’ve never bitten anyone who didn’t want me to bite them.” Tony’s eyes gleamed at her as he leaned toward her. “Do you want me to,” he paused and gave her another feral grin as her eyes widened then he continued, “change for you now?”
“I…I don’t know.” Carly clasped her hands in front of her. He could almost see the thoughts in her mind. If he proved he could actually do this it meant she would have to rethink so many things. Tony took her hands. He moved closer to her on the couch without ever taking his eyes off her face.
“Carly, I would never hurt you. Even when I’m in animal form I think. I’ve only lost control once in my life and those were unusual circumstances. Do you want me to change for you?”
“You can just change at will?” He knew she was stalling and so did she.
“Yes. Shifting isn’t connected with the phases of the moon though it’s true that the moon can influence you to want to shift. I can change all at once or in phases.”
“You can change part of your body without changing all at once?”
Tony smiled wickedly. “If I concentrate hard enough I can change a particular part of my body without changing anything else.”
Carly looked confused as she said, “What?” Then she blushed as she said, “Oh.”
Tony laughed and leaned back. He put his hands on his shirt, keeping his eyes on hers as he pulled it out of his pants then removed it. Tony draped his shirt over the arm of the couch then turned to look at her again. He leaned forward and pulled his shoes off then stood.
“Tony, you don’t have to do this.” Carly shook her head as she looked up at him. She wondered, since his nose seemed to be so sensitive, if he could smell the woman in her responding to the sight of all of golden skin and the black hair falling over his shoulders. Even as the doctor in her berated her for her reaction. It wasn’t as though she’d never seen a half-naked man before.
“Do you want to see me change or not?” He paused with his hands at his waist and she swallowed hard before she nodded. He slowly unhooked and unzipped his pants then took them off.
Though Carly was a doctor and well-versed in human anatomy, she found herself slightly embarrassed to be confronted with his nudity. Tony on the other hand seemed very comfortable in just his skin. He draped his pants over the arm of the couch on top of his shirt. He turned to face her and put his hand under her chin.
“All at once or slowly?”
“I don’t know.”
“Okay. This time I’ll do it fast.” He stepped back from her and put his head back as a shudder rippled over his body. He dropped to his hands and knees and panted slightly and she watched with awe as his form changed. The bones actually changed shape right in front of her. His face structure changed, broadening and flattening.
His eyes turned bright gold and his black hair seemed to flow over his face. Suddenly she was looking into the face of a panther. The man had totally disappeared and a big cat was standing in front of her. It was unbelievably fast and it was real. This wasn’t a trick. This wasn’t a delusion. He had actually changed his shape right in front of her.
