by Marie Harte
He opened his mouth, and she swore she saw a hint of…fangs? She took a step nearer, needing to see, needing to feel the fan of his breath on her face, to taste the intriguing scent of mint filling the space between them. Her nipples hardened, and her womb quickened. She licked her lips and leaned closer.
“Gotta go.” He jerked backward and stumbled over his feet in his haste to leave the office.
Olivia had to blink to free herself from his spell. Embarrassed that she'd sent him running from the room, she turned to Mrs. Sharpe, expecting the woman's dismissal. Nearly jumping her coworker couldn't have put Olivia in a favorable light.
Instead she found Mrs. Sharpe wearing a wide smile. “Welcome to the team, my dear. I'll call Ava and get you settled in for the night. Any questions?”
Olivia closed her mouth around a hint of mint. She took a deep breath and realized she hadn't caught anything Jesse had been feeling. Interesting, to say the least. “Ah no, no questions.” Except for where my mind has gone. Because I really want a look at that Jesse again.
Whoa. Wait. Remember, Olivia, you're here to work as a translator, not a mattress.
“Good. I'll have Ava show you to your room, and we'll get the ball rolling.” As Mrs. Sharpe put events into motion, Olivia wondered just what she'd gotten herself into.
The four men she'd met could have posed on any Special Forces poster. Yet they lived in a mansion away from the military base and worked for a civilian woman, a tiny lady who wore a designer suit and pearls. Talk about stepping into wonderland.
* * *
Fallon didn't care what the hell Jules had ordered. If he didn't fuck someone soon, he was going to explode. That hot piece of ass in Sharpe's office hadn't helped matters at all. She'd only made them worse.
Giving in to his inner beast, he raced from the office toward the gym, where he could smell traces of the others. Normally they had a harsh workout after suffering from the burdensome arousal. But not tonight. Arousal rode his beast hard. He could scent the same lust from the others in the air. Pheromones called, luring him with the promise of surcease.
As he moved, he stripped until he wore nothing at all, and changed—that unfortunate side effect from the Circe serum, the ability to change into an altered state. While as a man, Fallon had enhanced vision and hearing and could heal quickly; as a beast, he could do so much more.
He grew several inches in height and breadth as his muscles and bones expanded. His hair grew, his skin hardened, and he developed fangs and claws capable of annihilating an opponent.
The change no longer hurt after three years of constant shifting, but the mating heats were getting worse. The virus that genetically mutated him into another form altogether turned him into a Circ, a creature with the need to make more of its own kind. With Doc Dennis's drugs, they'd been able to suppress the mating heat. But now that Sharpe had ordered them to stop taking them, the heat was back, and worse.
A Circ could only find sexual satisfaction from another Circ. Fallon could fuck all day and all night long, but only another Circ could give him relief from the need to procreate. Male or female—it didn't matter. He needed his own kind to ease the ache building in his balls.
He hurried down the corridor, the scent of the others drawing him near.
The first generation of Circe's Recruits had been able to overcome the mating heat by finding mates. That those guys had managed to find females with Circ genes at all amazed him.
Fallon had no such hope for himself, not after fighting so many rogue Circs and mutants, aftereffects from Elliot Pearl's mad-scientist experiments. There didn't appear to be any available female Circs left standing. Which sucked, big-time.
Though he didn't prefer men if given the choice, he viewed sex with them as a necessity to still the voracious sexual hunger that gnawed at him.
Need, must have her, his inner beast growled. He'd learned to trust the ingrained instincts that came with being a Circ, but he thought maybe this time his libido had fried his senses.
Her? What “her”? He hadn't seen a female Circ since his last trip up north. And those females were totally off-limits. His inner beast made little sense, but Fallon knew he'd put his sexual need off as long as he could.
He shoved through the gymnasium doors into instant darkness. In the time it took his eyes to adjust to the lack of light, a hard, naked body knocked him to the ground. He sensed Jules before he smelled him. Their team leader had a psychic feel different from the others. A sweltering sense of power that tempted too easily.
“Come here.” Jules grunted. His eyes glowed like shimmering diamonds. Long black hair hung over his shoulders and covered Fallon as he looked up at his leader. Fangs glinted, but before Jules could bite him, Fallon shoved him aside, brushing against his slick cock.
Another aspect to being Circ. In the changed state, a male Circ emitted natural oils to lubricate his erection to facilitate sex. It looked like Jules planned on coming in him first.
A glance over Jules's shoulder showed Tersch and Hayashi, both naked and changed, fighting for dominance. The Circ mating dance, they liked to joke. Blood and sex often went hand in hand. Violence, for their inner beasts, was nothing more than a test to determine the worthy.
Just as Tersch flipped Hayashi onto his belly and mounted him, Jules rushed Fallon.
“Shit.”
Jules knocked into him, and they both rolled over the floor mats, trying to gain the advantage of being on top. Though Jules had more muscle, Fallon was quicker. Except mental distractions kept him from making Jules work as hard as he should have. An image of Olivia Lynn popped into his mind—thick black hair held back from a sultry face, those ripe lips, a body made for fucking…
He slacked enough for Jules to pin him.
“Now spread those thighs.” Jules panted. He lifted Fallon's pelvis, pushed his cock between Fallon's buttocks, and thrust hard.
“Fuck.” The reaming felt so good. That huge cock burrowing deeper and harder with every push of Jules's large body. The respite so out of reach for so long seemed suddenly within Fallon's grasp.
Feeling his leader inside him soothed that need to belong, as Jules claimed him once again.
The sex not only eased their need to procreate, but it cemented ties between them, like a real pack.
“With me, Fallon?” Jules rasped and leaned down to kiss him. One thing Jules never tolerated was letting the act remain only physical. Fallon couldn't think about anything now but Jules.
The slide of his pelvis grazed Fallon's cock time and time again, teasing while promising an end to his ever-growing need. He heard Tersch yell out his release and groaned, wanting to come as well.
“That's it. Ease that ass around me,” Jules growled. “God, I needed this.”
“Me too.”
Jules kissed Fallon again, shoving his tongue inside Fallon's mouth, sweeping and stroking while he continued to ram inside him, digging for purchase in a body that could never reward him with child for such. But that wouldn't stop Jules from filling him all the same.
The scent of Jules—a mix of vanilla and grass and man—hit Fallon hard.
“Christ yes.” Jules gasped as he shuddered and stilled inside Fallon, coming in great pulses.
While Jules spent, Fallon did his best to hold on, but desire burned a hole in his resolve.
Not caring if Jules had completely finished, he angled out from under him and stood, holding out his dick. “Need it bad,” he growled.
Jules didn't wait but took Fallon into his mouth and began sucking, grazing with his fangs.
A glance to his left showed Tersch doing the same for Hayashi. To see such powerful males on their knees, accepting and trusting in the males above them, always aroused him. Longing, love, and a healthy respect for how hard this was on all of them never failed to make an impact.
The incredible suction from Jules's mouth turned him harder than stone. His leader dug his nails into Fallon's thighs and raked, leaving blazing trails of pain that only heightened h
is pleasure. When Jules cupped his balls, Fallon nearly exploded, loving the sensation of danger and lust only a Circ could arouse.
“Mmm.” Jules moaned as he took Fallon even farther into the back of his throat, swiping the length of his shaft with his thick tongue.
Unable to hold on, Fallon gripped Jules's hair to hold him steady. Two more thrusts and he came hard, shooting load after load into Jules's mouth. When he finally let go, he realized the others waited on him. Hayashi and Tersch looked worn-out. Jules rose to his feet and wiped his mouth.
He sighed, an odd sound to hear from such a savage-looking creature. “There's no denying we needed it.”
“Yeah,” Fallon rasped and milked the last bit of cum from his cock. He felt no regret or embarrassment, only the wish that he could control these bouts of lust. The mating heat normally struck every other month, but the crew had been dampening the need thanks to a special injection. Until Mrs. Sharpe took them off the treatment, claiming the drugs were doing more harm than good.
What she knew about Circs that Doc didn't, Fallon couldn't say. Dr. Evan Dennis, or Doc to those who knew him, was the Circ expert. Months after Fallon's release from the hated labs, he and the team had stayed with Doc and his Circs up north. Through trial and error, Doc had concocted the shots that kept their mating heats at bay. Why would Alicia Sharpe question Doc's methods? But more to the point, why would Admiral London agree with her?
“I hate to say it, but that was fucking ten times better than Doc's shots,” Tersch admitted.
Hayashi said nothing, but he remained in close contact with Tersch, needing the touch of acceptance.
“It's been a while since you've bonded with them,” Fallon reminded Jules, not surprised to see Jules's cock stiff again. Circs had an insatiable appetite, and they'd abstained for longer than normal. Sex with humans didn't count. Only other Circs could dampen the need.
“Good point, Fallon.” Jules smiled, his fangs sharp. “Go fetch me a wet rag, would you?” Fallon left for the small adjoining locker room and returned with two soaped towels. He tossed one to Jules and one to Tersch. As they wiped themselves down, he looked forward to another round of pulsating sex, despite his desire to go seek out the new woman, Olivia.
Something about her had stirred him past control. He needed to study her, to see what it was that tempted his inner beast. And then Tersch crooked a finger at him.
“Not this time. Viking, I want a piece of that ass,” Fallon growled, knowing he'd lose but needing the fight. In the end, he'd blow Tersch, then fuck him, because the big guy was always generous after an orgasm.
A flickering thought hit him just as Tersch gripped him by the neck and tried to force him to his knees. Would Olivia be as generous after an orgasm? He hardened at the thought, surprised to find that he looked forward to finding out.
Chapter Three
Olivia halted in her tracks. “I look forward to finding out.” A man's voice, yet only Ava sat in her bedroom.
“What's wrong?”
“Did you hear that?”
Ava frowned. “Hear what?”
“Never mind.” Great, now I sound like a wacko. “How long have you worked here?”
“Two weeks.”
“That's all? You seem like you know everything about this place.” Ava shrugged, and her gaze shifted to the open closet, where Olivia had already stowed her bags. She'd been instructed to bring enough clothes to last her several months, in the event she earned the job. So now she had two suitcases and an overnight bag crammed with personal items, as well as a duffel bag full of shoes. Good thing they hadn't given her a limit on clothing.
“It's my job to know everything. I'm Mrs. S.'s right hand.” Ava smiled. “How do you like your room?”
“It's bigger than my condo at home.” The room had a king-size bed, a closet fit for a queen, and an entertainment system that boggled her mind. She could barely deal with one remote control at home. Three sat on her nightstand in the bedroom she could now call her own. The room also had an area she could use as an office, complete with a desk, chair, and love seat.
Done in shades of blue, white, and yellow with chintz curtains, the whole bedroom had an elegant air. She wondered if Mrs. Sharpe had decorated.
“Mine too.” Ava gestured to the room. “You'll get the hang of the house's layout the longer you're here. The wing you're in is for guests. So far, that's just you. Mrs. S.'s room is in the next hall over. Jack and Melissa's quarters are out back, that cottage house you can see through the window.”
Olivia peered through and saw a pretty house lit from within.
They spent the next hour talking about flowers and housing costs in general. It seemed Ava had planned to move out West before she'd found the job working as Mrs. Sharpe's assistant.
“So where's your room?” Olivia asked.
“I'm downstairs because I need to be closest to whatever everybody needs. And by everybody, I mean Mrs. S. And by needs, I mean her office.” She smiled, showcasing a dimple.
“I'll have to be careful of your boss.”
“And now your boss. I'm just teasing. Mrs. S. is good people.”
“Good to know.”
They left the room and walked along the second-floor hallway past the main stairs.
Olivia told herself she wouldn't ask. “So where does the team reside?” So much for not asking.
“In here.” Ava stopped in front of a long wing. “There're all prior SEALs, big guys with big appetites. But don't worry. They're mostly harmless.” At that moment, loud footsteps sounded behind them.
“Speak of the devil.” Ava crossed her arms over her chest and raised a brow.
Olivia turned to find all four sweaty, haggard men. They wore jeans and nothing else. And no shoes. Strange. She had a hard time tearing her gaze away from such fine physiques and found herself wondering, not for the first time, just what kind of work these men did for Uncle Sam.
At the sight of her, they stopped. Curiously they didn't project the same hungers they had earlier. Perhaps they'd worked it out of their systems, since they looked like they'd just gone ten rounds with a heavy bag and lost.
“Ava,” Jules greeted. He nodded to Olivia. “I see you've made the cut. Welcome. We met earlier. I'm Jules.”
“And that's Kisho, Jesse, and Gunnar,” Ava finished for him, pointing out the respective team members.
“Hayashi, Fallon, and Tersch,” the blond corrected.
Ava ignored him. “Kisho is the quiet one with the soul of a poet. Jesse's a player, so watch out for him.”
“And what about me?” Gunnar, or Tersch, asked.
“Gunnar's a walking hemorrhoid. Ignore him.” Ava pulled Olivia with her and brushed by the men, who chuckled, except for Gunnar, who growled. “We're on a tour. Excuse us.” As she passed, Olivia's hand accidentally brushed Jesse's. The contact sent sparks of desire through her, and she gasped, unable to help herself. Unlike before, this time she felt a sense of awareness and something more, a hint of wildness under the surface.
“See you later,” he murmured.
She could feel his eyes searing into her back as she walked away. She followed Ava down one of the sets of stairs and explored the downstairs, trying to ignore her intense reaction to Jesse Fallon.
“Don't let the guys intimidate you. They tend to take over a room, you know?” Olivia nodded. “They're all so…big.” Lame, but it sounded better than sexy, handsome, or hot as hell. How professional was that?
“Yeah, and you get to work with them. Lucky you.” Ava pretended to hang herself with a rope.
Olivia chuckled. “This isn't what I was expecting at all. Everything is so, well, relaxed.
You're in jeans, and I could be mistaken, but I don't think any of the men were wearing shoes.” Ava smiled. “We do things a lot differently around here. This isn't Dam Neck or Camp Lejeune. You could say we're attached to the military in a very, very loose sort of way. In fact, the less we look military, the better it is for all of us
.” She didn't say any more, but Olivia understood the implication. No one here wanted attention brought to them. The veiled secrecy only made her that much more curious about what the mission would entail.
They walked around a spacious kitchen, past the long oak dining table that could comfortably fit a dozen diners, and into the living area. A great, big, open floor plan that would be terrific for entertaining. Yeah, right, Olivia. Can you see those guys sitting around drinking wine and eating canapés?
“This is where everyone seems to congregate every night. Movies or cards, you name it.
The guys are actually pretty easygoing after they've had a decent meal. Melissa is an angel in the kitchen.”
“How long has everyone been here?”
Ava perched against a card table. “Well, I'm new, but Jack and Melissa have been here since the guys moved in, a year, I think. The team's mostly here and gone, lots of overseas missions. Then Admiral London took a backseat. Mrs. Sharpe is in charge of the group now. She brought me in.”
Olivia paused. “What do the guys do?”
“Protect and defend. What else?” Ava said, a twinkle in her eyes. “Mrs. S. will brief you and the others soon enough. You need to get used to the team dynamics before you head out to Brazil. So lucky. I wish I were going.”
Excitement thrummed. “Brazil, hmm? I haven't been there since I was a little girl.”
“Cool. Make sure to bring me back something special.”
“Sure thing.” A sudden longing for family assailed her. Time to call home and talk to Uncle Jaime again. “Can I make a phone call?”
“You'll have to ask Mrs. Sharpe about that. But be careful. The woman will put you to work so fast, your head will spin.”
“Ava.” Mrs. Sharpe's voice carried through the kitchen.
“See?” Ava sighed and left her.
Alone, Olivia considered the strange turn her life had taken. She couldn't say she was bored. Not any longer. One look at Jesse had cured her of that. She wondered what he saw when he looked at her, if he saw anything. She couldn't read him, not that she'd tried overly hard. Still, it wouldn't hurt to put her feelers out.
