Carnal: A Dark Shifter Romance

by Piper Stone

  “You really are a bastard,” she hissed between clenched teeth.

  “I’m many things, Kathleen, and all of them powerful by nature. You’ll soon learn that.”

  She slapped her hands against the glass in an exaggerated fashion, giving me a vile look before smiling in such a pretty little plastic manner.

  The moment I smacked my hand across her bottom, she bit back a yelp, her body rocking forward. When I repeated the move, she managed to smile even more brightly. By the third, fourth, and fifth strike, she was breathing heavily.

  I kept my rhythm even, moving from one side to the other. The buildup of heat as well as the way her rounded cheeks fit perfectly in my hand was breathtaking, more appealing than almost anything.

  Almost.

  Even with the lovely crimson thong she was wearing, I caught a glimpse of her swollen pussy lips pushing against the lacey material. All I could think about was sucking on her tender tissue, licking up every drop of her delicious cream.

  Perhaps I would after I was finished providing a necessary reminder.

  The cracking sound of my wrist matched her guttural moan as I picked up the intensity. I wanted her to feel the round of punishment for days, to know that this kind of behavior wasn’t going to be tolerated. I also wanted her wet constantly, ready for me. I was indeed the bastard she claimed but she had no way of knowing what a true monster I was beneath the savvy clothing.

  She would soon learn.

  I heard the sound of the doorknob, someone attempting to get inside, to interrupt our sinful moment. I almost let them in, allowing them to see the carnal intensity being played out. Instead I willed them away, keeping my attention focused on finishing the discipline. “Ten more.”

  “Ten?” she repeated, her mouth twisting in frustration. “One day I will repay you and my way.”

  I didn’t bother to answer her threat, merely jerking her hips further away from the counter, forcing her to bend all the way over. I shoved my hand under her dress, pushing against the small of her back. Even her skin was on fire, searing the tips of my fingers.

  Moaning, she slowly dropped her head, taking several deep breaths. “Aren’t you going to pull out your belt?” she goaded, her shoulders heaving.

  “Be careful what you ask for, Kathleen.” I smacked several fingers against her pussy four times in rapid succession, startling her to the point she whimpered loudly.

  “Oh, God.” She crouched even lower until her cheek almost rested on the dirty glass. And in yet another brazen act, she opened her legs even wider.

  Asking for more.

  Begging for more.

  But in her way, as if she truly was in control.

  I issued four more slaps to her pussy, marveling in the way my fingers were slickened by her juice before moving back to her spanking. I wasn’t going to be able to keep my patience much longer. The last ten smacks were harder than the ones before and the second I was finished, I slipped my aching fingers down the crack of her ass, wrapping them around the slender string.

  She pushed up from the counter, a wild look in her eyes. “Go ahead. Rip them off. I dare you.”

  The snarl slipping from my mouth curled my lip as I wound my finger around the string three times. There was no fanfare, no advance warning. I merely twisted my wrist, the hard snap echoing, her panties floating freely into the air.

  She took that moment to slam her hands against the glass, using all her might to push backwards. I was unable to keep her in position, the two seconds allowing her time to shift in order to face me.

  I cupped both sides of her face, yanking her once again toward me and as I towered over her, she bared her very soul for me. There was no fear in her eyes, only a lust-filled look, the same thirst that would never be quenched. I captured her mouth, digging my fingers into her lovely skin as I dominated her tongue.

  Kathleen rocked her hips against mine then threw one leg over my thigh, clawing at my shirt with one hand while she gripped the edge of the counter with the other. I hiked her dress up once again, grinding against her until she moaned into the kiss. I knew exactly what she was attempting to do: break my concentration, usurp my authority. I was having none of it.

  I kept her pinned into place as I struggled to release my cock, immediately thrusting the entire length of my shaft inside. Her pussy yielded immediately, opening up like a beautiful flower. She was so wet, scalding hot.

  I broke the kiss, struggling to breathe, shifting back and forth as her muscled clamped around the thick invasion.

  “Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh.” She clawed at me, slapping her hand against my chest, her ragged breathing animalistic in nature.

  “Mine. All mine.”

  Her entire body began to shake as I pulled out, plunging into her again. And again. The force was savage, rattling the cheap mirror against the wall. She jutted her hips, meeting every brutal thrust with one of her own, still jockeying to take the lead.

  I lifted her off the floor, pushing her hard onto the counter, splitting her legs far apart as I leaned over. “You’re not in charge and you never will be. The sooner you get that into that pretty little head of yours, the better.” I began rocking my hips, driving in and out in long, hard drives.

  She gasped for air, planting her hands on the counter and arching her back, her eyes never leaving mine. A smile curled on her lips as she wrapped both legs around mine, laughing softly as if still winning.

  I fucked her long and hard until we were both panting. Beads of sweat dripped off my brow, sliding onto her face and neck, two onto her luscious lips. When she licked them off, dragging the tip of her tongue back and forth, I threw my head back and roared.

  I became the wild animal, slamming into her. I was insatiable, hungering for more and more. There was no ability to focus or even think clearly. I was merely feasting on a precious gift, fueling the beast inside.

  She clung to me, her entire body shaking yet accepting every hard plunge. When she lolled her head against me, moaning loudly, I could no longer take the pressure of my swollen balls.

  “Look at me,” I commanded, the words nothing more than a raspy growl.

  Her fingers dug into my arms and when she finally obeyed, her eyes were glassy, her face shimmering from the intensity of our passion. “What?” she managed.

  “I’m going to fill you with my seed. Then there is no turning back.”

  “Uh... huh...”

  “Come for me. Come with me.”

  Whether or not she understood no longer mattered. The adrenaline flowing through my body was like jet fuel, rattling every sense, sizzling every nerve ending.

  She crushed her arms around my head, tugging at my hair as if holding on for dear life. As she drew me in closer, until our lips were almost touching, the feel of her heartbeat matched my own. She wrapped her feet together, tossing her head back and forth.

  “Oh... I...” Kathleen murmured, her body undulating against mine, our combined heat explosive.

  “Come, baby.” My voice was little more than guttural as stars floated in my periphery of vision, a tightness in my chest occurring.

  Her pussy muscles clenched and released several times, drawing me in even deeper. Everything became a blur as I tried to hold back. I wanted this moment to last.

  Taking her.

  Using her.

  Fucking her.

  But as a climax rushed into her system, her moans becoming muffled screams, I lost all control, powering into her like some crazed barbarian. There wasn’t a muscle in my body that wasn’t aching from the rawness of the actions, the sensations overwhelming.

  And I issued the command one last time.

  “Come!”

  She tossed her head, her mouth opening to a perfect ‘O’ as her entire body trembled in my arms. An orgasm swept into her system with enough violence she clawed at my neck, moaning huskily, “Yes. Yes. Yes.”

  I was finished holding back. Done. Incapable of any rational thoughts whatsoever.

  As I erupted dee
p inside, I could almost feel a change in my system, one so powerful it took my breath away. I closed my eyes, concentrating as my cock continued to throb. The extreme heat and the wetness of her sweet little pussy threw me into another reality. I issued a bedraggled growl as she clung to me, burying her face against my neck, her heartbeat echoing in my ears.

  I could almost taste her.

  The wolf was close to the surface, far too damn close. I fought the urge to turn, my heart racing from the rush, the frantic energy surfacing. The growl pushing up from my throat was no longer my own, but in those next few seconds, I willed the beast into his cage, rattled as fuck from what had almost occurred.

  One.

  Two.

  Three.

  Four.

  The count was all I needed to regain absolute control, furious I’d allowed my guard to fall. No one had prepared me for the extreme shift of need or the lack of willpower. No one. When I was completely in charge, I finally opened my eyes, blinking from the harshness of the man in the reflection. My eyes were no longer human.

  They were canine.

  Chapter Seven

  Kathleen

  Darkness.

  I loathed storms, lightning and thunder always driving demons to the surface. At least the ugly storm had passed, leaving behind thick gray clouds and enough wind to bring a chill in through the old bathroom window.

  The phone call was a reminder I was embroiled in a true moment of horror.

  “Hello?” I yanked the towel around me, hovering in the chilly bathroom and glaring out the small window at my unkempt yard. “Hello? Is anyone there?” All I could hear were crackling sounds, which was completely abnormal. There were fiber optic cables close to my little house. I waited another few seconds before glaring at the screen on my phone. The number wasn’t one I recognized, but I was used to receiving scores of unwanted solicitation calls. “I’m trying one more time, asshole, and if you’re selling, I’m not buying. So, is anyone there?”

  The crackling all but stopped, leaving silence.

  Dead silence.

  Not dead air, but the kind of eerie quiet that created goosebumps. Snarling, I ended the call, waiting for a full minute for the person to try again. Then I’d give them a piece of my mind. I finally slid the phone on the counter, glaring at my reflection, my pinched face highlighting exactly what I was feeling.

  Anger.

  What I felt was rage boiling deep inside. I was more than just incensed that my captain had taken me off as lead. I was furious to the point I couldn’t think straight. Then again, I’d allowed an arrogant prick of a man like Maximillian to touch me.

  Spank me.

  Fuck me.

  Tossing the towel, I grimaced as I stepped into the shower, standing under the steaming hot water as chills continued to race down my spine to my legs. I couldn’t deny our explosive attraction, or the way Max made me feel.

  Desired.

  I’d never felt so filthy or wanted in my life. I’d also never felt the level of shame I had as when he announced in front of an entire bar he was going to spank me. I’d actually heard at least five people clapping. As if I’d deserved such an egregious action. I groaned, slapping my hand against the dense tile. I hadn’t been able to sleep, nausea finally kicking me in the stomach somewhere around three in the morning.

  That’s when I’d resorted to a tall glass of bourbon. Even the smooth liquor hadn’t erased the cramps or the visions of the hard fucking in the middle of a dingy bathroom.

  And I’d loved every second of being taken savagely, the few minutes dirty and unforgiving.

  I had to be losing some of my senses, or my mind entirely. I’d sworn once that being with him wasn’t going to happen again and I meant it this time. We would be working together. Oh, goody. He would be... my superior. God! I couldn’t believe it. What had I done to deserve such treatment?

  You almost got yourself killed.

  Well, there was that. The captain had barked at me for thirty solid minutes when I’d arrived at the office. Finding out Mark had requested an extended leave of absence had been gut-wrenching, his medical condition potentially life-threatening. Then hearing the identity of my new partner hadn’t gone over very well. To say I’d expressed livid tendencies was an understatement.

  Everything about this case was off, terrifying because I hadn’t been able to get a handle on the killer in any regard. I stood by my instincts. There was a calculating killer in the midst.

  I shuddered as an entirely different kind of vision flashed into my mind. I’d seen Max’s eyes in the bathroom. The change in them had been both erotic and eerie and so damn similar to whatever I’d seen in the forest. Or so I thought. The lighting in the dingy bar had certainly sucked, but I knew what I’d seen. There was something strange about the man and I was resolved to find out what.

  I honestly couldn’t tell if Max had bought the entire concept of an animal attack. He didn’t seem swayed one way or the other. I was determined to prove a human was responsible. I was meeting him at my office in less than an hour. Sadly, I couldn’t spend the entire day on the case and I also couldn’t get out of the damn lunch I’d been wrangled into attending. The last thing I wanted to do was take any time away from hunting down the vicious killer, but the catered soiree was for my baby sister’s upcoming wedding.

  And it was a family affair.

  I slunk further under the water, suddenly hating my life. I wanted nothing to do with seeing my parents right now. My father would likely grill me on the case, as if I had a choice in working it. He was ashamed that I’d decided on law enforcement.

  Damn him.

  I wasn’t going to follow in his footsteps. I wanted nothing to do with my father’s company and no matter how often he ridiculed my job, I would never give in. I almost laughed at the thought. I’d wanted to join the police force for as long as I could remember. Too bad my father didn’t have a son to become his protégé, although he did have a second in command, a man I’d heard from my sister was one hot bachelor. Today would be our first meeting. How wonderful.

  I grabbed the shower net, yanking a bottle of gel off the small ledge. This morning I had no time to lament over family issues. With the murders escalating, catching the fucker before another kill was a race against time.

  As I began to scrub my naked body, my thoughts drifted back to Max. Our attraction was close to being feral, carnal in nature. I felt more alive this morning than I had in a long time and after no sleep. The nausea was gone, electricity soaring in my body. The sensations had to be about adrenaline and nothing more.

  When I grabbed the shampoo, I allowed the naughty visions to filter into my mind, remembering his utter domination in the way he touched me. He’d held me as if I was a prized possession, a woman truly belonging to him in every way. While I adored powerful men in certain regards, his prowess was riddled with a dangerous quality that I couldn’t seem to process.

  I took several deep breaths, finally relaxing enough to close my eyes as I rinsed my hair. After a few seconds of the water spray dancing off my skin, the stream became pinpricks, more discomforting than soothing.

  “Ouch. Jesus.” The water was way too hot. Even reaching for the faucet moved from being uncomfortable to providing an actual hint of pain. I jabbed my hand at the lever until I was finally able to shift it to cooler water, staring down at my blotched skin. Great. Now I needed to get the water heater checked out. Granted, since purchasing the tiny cottage almost two months before, the one I’d promised myself I would renovate when I had time, I’d done almost nothing.

  Including handling various maintenance projects that the inspector had said needed my immediate attention.

  Or unpacking.

  I’d purchased the home on a whim, resisting the warnings I’d heard from my family and my partner regarding the area of town. Maybe I wanted to be in the thick of crimes. Laughing, I turned off the water, yanking open the shower curtain and noticing the screen on my phone glowed with the tropic
al beach screen saver.

  Someone had called once again.

  Only I hadn’t heard the phone ringing.

  Annoyed, I quickly dried off, reaching for my dress on the back of the closet door. The ring I’d chosen sounded again, now an annoyance. Another damn phone call. I caught it on the third ring, this time saying nothing when I accepted it.

  Another round of silence coming from the other end. There were no call center noises or heavy breathing. Just a whole lot of nothing.

  “Look, asshole. Take this number off your list. Got it?” I didn’t bother waiting for an answer before ending and tossing the phone. I wrapped the towel around my head, reaching for my makeup bag when a flash caught my eye. After grabbing my Beretta, I inched toward the window, darting a glance outside.

  I’d never been a believer in ghosts or other fairytale monsters, but the case certainly had me spooked enough to think I’d seen something.

  A figure standing outside my first floor window.

  My cop instincts kicked in. After yanking the towel off my head, I rushed to the back door, quietly opening it and easing outside. In my opinion, I’d been lucky to find a piece of property close to the city with a small yard, massive trees surrounding me on three sides. The limited privacy had sold me on the little house, even though there were neighbors close by. At this moment, the shadows coming from every direction did nothing but creep me out.

  The aging back deck steps creaked as I walked down in my bare feet, the moderate breeze tossing two limbs from one of my unruly trees against the gutter. I hissed, chastising myself for feeling jumpy. I was a big girl with an even bigger gun, capable of handling any perpetrator.

  From where I stood, there was no sign that anyone had been in the back yard, clomping through the dense underbrush. I cautiously rounded the corner closet to the bathroom. There were no footsteps underneath the window or attempts to break in, but what did catch my attention was the pathway of broken limbs leading directly into the bank of trees.

  With the gun in both hands, I inched closer, staring through the opening. “What the hell.” I moved carefully through the foliage, scanning from right to left the entire time, listening for any sounds. Other than the breeze, everything was almost as quiet as the phone call.