Marc (7 page)

She locked her heels behind him and curled
her fingers into his shirt collar. Watching him, she tore it from him, baring
his chest for her to touch. When she lowered her head to his nipple to bite him,
he jerked her head up by her hair and held her.

It seemed like they were at battle. She
didn’t want to say she wanted him, and he needed her to say it. She knew it was
because of what she’d said to him about raping her, but she was afraid if she
gave him permission for this, it would never be the same, she’d never be able
to leave him. When he lowered his head again and licked at the scar he’d branded
her with, her body clenched tight, ready for him to sink his teeth into her
again. But he lifted his head and watched her. She was so close, so very close
to losing it all that she nearly said no.

“Yes. Please, take me.” His mouth was
brutal as he took it. When he lifted her from the car, she held onto him as he
struggled to get his keys out of his pockets. His shirt in tatters around his
arms hung on at his wrist with his cufflinks, his tie still clung to his neck.
As soon as the door opened he took her to the table and swiped everything on it
to the floor. Her back touched the hard surface even as the last cup shattered.

Her clothes fared no better than his
had. Her shirt was torn away, then her bra. His claws skimmed along her skin
and brought goose bumps as he cut though her pants. Before she could protest,
even if she had wanted to, she was lying on his table, naked but for her
panties.

“Christ, you’re more beautiful than I
ever thought you’d be.” He tore out his links and tossed them behind him. When
he reached for his belt, she sat up and ripped it from him by opening the
button and jerking them off. He stood before her in his boxers and nothing else.

Marc ran his hands down her ribs and up
under her breasts. Slowly, he explored her, touching her here then moving to
another part of her to touch and soothe her there. He watched her face, and
when she closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the sensations, he stopped.

“I’m going to taste you. I want to….” He
took a deep breath as he ran his fingers across her soaking panties. “You’re so
wet for me that I could slide into you without any problems. But you’re a
virgin and I want to make this good for you before I have to hurt you.”

“I don’t care. Please just take me,
Marc.” He shook his head and grabbed a chair and sat it between her legs. Then
he sat down. She tried to close her legs, but he wouldn’t let her. Instead, he widened
them until she felt completely exposed.

He tore her panties away, her last
barrier between them. As he lowered his head, she felt herself get wetter and
tried to close her legs again. This time he held her the way he wanted her but
curling his hands over her thighs. She felt his breath on her and shivered.

“You smell delicious. I’m going to enjoy
this very much.” His tongue teased her clit, and she cried out. Her body seemed
poised on a ledge, and she knew he was going to push her off. As soon as his mouth
covered her, she felt his finger enter her. Jonny wanted more and less at the
same time. She wanted him to make her fall, but she was afraid of hitting the
ground when he did. But when he suckled her clit into his mouth and nipped at
her, suddenly she didn’t care what he did to her.

Her first climax tore from her. His
mouth and tongue were driving her higher and higher, only to let her down
again. It took her breath away one minute how close she was until he moved and
her body fell back. She reached down and grabbed his hair and tried to guide him
back to where she wanted, but he laughed and lifted his head.

“You come once more for me baby, and
I’ll give you what we both want. But I want you to come hard, no holding back. I
want to feel you come around my mouth and drink deeply from you. All right?”

She begged him, pleaded with him to give
her what she wanted now, but he only lowered his head and licked her. When he
entered her again, she felt his fingers move, dig, and pull at her. When he
touched something in her, she cried out and heard him chuckle. He was
relentless after that. His mouth and fingers brought her closer and closer
until she was dizzy from need. When he slid his finger up her ass, she tensed
for a second. Then he slowly rubbed his thumb over her tight muscles. Every
swipe brought her closer still until he pressed inside at the same moment he
bit her clit.

She screamed. Her body didn’t just fall
over the edge but leapt over. Every time she felt herself ready to land, he’d
nip again and move deeper into her bottom. There was a pain, short and over
before she could voice it. Then he was standing over her, his cock fisted in
his hand. She sat up and reached for him.

He closed his hand over hers as she held
his cock. “You do that and I’m going to come all over you instead of inside of
you. And while that sounds wonderful, I want to feel you wrapped around me.”

She nodded and lay back. Marc held
himself as he moved his thick cock at her entrance. She moaned each time he
touched her sensitive clit. When his head breached her pussy, she moaned and
arched up.

“Now, Marc, Christ now.” He slammed deep
and she felt his balls at her ass. Every part of her screamed to tell him to
stop, to pull out of her because it hurt too much. But she lay very still, as
still as he was.

“I’m going to move slowly, love. I’ve already
taken your maidenhead, but I have to mark you again.” She shifted and moaned. “Christ,
baby, if you do that again I’m not going to be able to go slow.”

She moved again and felt his cock move
into her deeper. She watched him as he held himself over her, and noticed that
he looked to be in pain. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and she reached up to
touch him. He kissed her palm as he moved slowly.

“You’re so beautiful. And mine. All
mine.” His words, softly spoken, seemed to touch her deeper than he was, touch
her in ways she knew that meant everything. As he moved in and out of her, she
wrapped her legs around his hips. He leaned over her, his mouth inches from
her.

When he kissed her it was gentle and
soft, his body covered her from breast to hips, and still it felt as if he was
everywhere. As soon as his mouth moved to her shoulder again, she licked her
lips. She wanted to bite him as badly as she wanted him to bite her. When he
licked along her shoulder, she did the same to his. His body shuddered over
hers, and he moved faster. Wanting him to bite her, needing for him to, she was
startled when her release took her; it came over her like a fast moving storm,
completely obliterating everything from her mind but what she was feeling. As
soon as he stiffened above her, she pulled him closer and sank her teeth into
his muscle, tearing it open so that blood filled her mouth. Her second climax
hit her when he bit her, his roar muffled by his bite.

Chapter 7

Khan sat in the chair after talking to
Marc for the longest time. He wasn’t sure what to think or do. His brother had
a mate. Marc had a chance at happiness. But Khan was afraid.

“Why?” He looked up at his own mate. “You
said you were afraid for him, why? Don’t you want him to be happy?”

“Of course I do. What a thing to say.” He
stood up and got them both glasses and then the tea. “I’m just worried that….
What if she’s not really his mate and he just wants her to be? Where will he be
then if he’s loved twice and he loses them both?”

“What a horrible thing to say,” his mom
said, entering the room. He looked at her. “I was with Marc the other day, and
let me tell you, young man, she’s his mate even if you don’t believe it.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t believe it. I
only said I was worried that he might want it so badly that he thinks she’s his
mate. We all remember how hard he took it when Sonya was killed. Christ, Mom, I
don’t want to see him go through that again.”

“She’s his mate. And when you see them
together you’ll believe it too. He just needs to claim her and it’ll all be right
there where you can see it.” He flushed when his mom glared at him. “What is it,
Khan? What do you know?”

“He wanted me to find out about her
parents. I did and…. I talked to him a few minutes ago. Her parents aren’t
panthers. They’re humans. He said that Jonny—his mate’s real name is Jonny
Thomas—he said that she is worried that they’ll use them to get to her.”

“What are we going to do to get them to
safety? I’m assuming you and Marc mean to bring them here.” He nodded at
Monica. “Well, what’s the plan, big boy? Don’t leave us in the dark.”

“Caitlynne is fixing it now. She’s
taking Dylan, and she wants you to go as well. But I don’t—”

“If you say you aren’t going to let me,
you’d better have a damned good reason why I should allow you to live.” Monica
crossed her arms over her breasts and stared at him. “I mean it, Khan. I’m not
going to stand by when I can be helpful.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t go. I just
wish you wouldn’t.” He loved his mate very much, but she was very strong
minded. When she grinned at him, Khan knew that she’d heard his thoughts.

“Caitlynne will get them here. And I’m
betting the bad guys won’t even know it.” His mom sat sandwiches in front of
Monica and him. “And don’t think because I love this idea that I’m not still
mad at you about my house and car.”

Khan nodded and smiled to himself. She may
be acting all pissy about it, but he knew she was having fun with the
decorators. He loved having her and Dad at his house too. Maybe too much; he
was worried about what the contractors were going to say tomorrow when he met
with them. The house was getting very old and somewhat unsafe.

His house phone rang and he got up to
answer it. He turned to look at Monica when she asked him who it was. He told
her it was Caitlynne.

“I have things on this end set up. And
Dylan is going to meet me at the airport in two hours. Can you have Monica
there?” He told her that he could. “She’s going to be our secondary man, so
she’ll be very safe. I just need two medics on the team, and she’s going to be
controlling Mr. Thomas.”

“Controlling him? I don’t understand.
Why do you need him to be controlled?” He looked at Monica. “I don’t like this,
Caitlynne. If you’re going to get my mate hurt, you—”

“I won’t, and I need her to control John
because he’s going to be dead.”

Khan was nervous to be staying at home
with Jonny, but he promised his brother that he’d keep her safe. And her going
could be a problem on the other end. He glanced at her as the car left the
drive.

“They’ll be fine. Caitlynne is very good
at her job.” Jonny nodded and walked away toward the living room. Khan thought
it might be a good time to get to know her a little better while his family was
gone and his mom and dad were with the children, his and Walker’s. He sat down
beside her on the couch.

“Can you give me a little more
information on what Dawson had you do in the house when you got inside? I mean,
what sort of stuff did he have you steal?” She glanced at him, then back at the
fire. “I’m guessing that only the very wealthy can afford exotic animals.”

“He had a profile on them before we had
to go in.” Her voice was clipped, but he had been told by Marc that she still
didn’t trust him completely.

“I would imagine he has people doing
that for him. I wonder how much that would cost. I would suppose it would be
worth it if the jewels and stuff were high priced enough. Could be—”

“I’m not going to do it.” He looked at
her, confused. “I’m not going to pretend to be an animal so I can rob your friend’s
houses. I didn’t want to do it for him, and I most certainly won’t do it for
you. Find another way to make some quick bucks. I’m not helping.”

Anger surged through him, and he stood
when she did. “Sit down.” His voice was full of compulsion, and she fought it,
but in the end sat. He took several deep breaths before he spoke, but she did
first.

“I don’t know what you just did to me,
but you’ll not do it again. I’m not a child to be ordered around like I’m
stupid. I also won’t be a thief, not for anyone.”

“If you don’t want to be treated as a
child, then stop acting like one. I asked you a question to try and figure out
an angle on making this person pay for what he’s done to you and others. I
don’t need to rob other people’s homes, and if that was my plan, I could simply
shift into a bigger cat and do it myself.” She glanced at him. “Look at me,
Jonny, please.”

She looked at him for a second, then
away. He knew she’d look back, and he waited. When she did, he held her chin as
he looked into her eyes. She was in pain and a great deal of it. She’d been
abused and threatened since she’d been a child. The only people she trusted at
all were her parents. He let her go when she pulled back.

“Marc said you don’t know a great deal
about your own kind,” he said. “He said that you have very little knowledge
about what you really are as well.” She didn’t answer, but then he didn’t think
she would admit to not knowing something. “I can answer any questions you have.
I’m sure there are going to be plenty over the next few years. Do you
understand that you and Marc are mates?”

“He told me. I don’t know why he wants
me, but he seems to.” She glanced at him again. “I don’t want him to get hurt.”

“He won’t, not with all the rest of them
there. Caitlynne is my sister-in-law, yours too, I suppose, in a way. She’ll
kick his ass if he gets hurt. She’s somewhat of a pain in my ass, but I don’t
have to live with her. Walker does.” He’d tried for a joke, but it failed
miserably. “Marc is a good man. He’ll protect you.”

“I don’t really need him to protect me.
I’ve been doing just fine on my own.” He raised a brow at her. “Okay, I really
haven’t, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. I was doing all right.”

“You kept yourself alive, that’s a
plus.” She snorted and he laughed. “My mom does that too. She is gonna love
you. And my dad…you should ask someone before you believe anything he tells
you. He doesn’t really lie so much as he likes to stir up trouble.”

“I don’t know how to love people without
getting them hurt.” She moved to the floor and in front of the fireplace. “When
they took me away from my house when I turned fifteen, I thought I’d never see
my parents again. Then when I escaped, I stupidly went back home. Roy caught me
in days.”

“He knew you’d go where you felt safe.” She
nodded. “What did he do to you? And how long did he have you?”

“The second time he had me for three
years. I would get away, but he’d catch me pretty quick. He made me believe
that I was the only one of my kind. The only panther in the world that could be
a girl as well as this thing I am.” She shifted on the floor again before she
continued. “The third time he had me was when I was nineteen. He held me in a
cell for almost a year before he’d let me out. I suppose it was because I
kicked his ass and mopped up the floor with him. He…he beat me and tossed me in
there. I thought for sure he’d forgotten about me. But he hadn’t.”

Khan tried to imagine what it would be
like to be locked in a cell for a year. Before he’d met Monica he had been
locked in this house, hiding from the world, but his family had come by to make
sure he was all right. She’d had no one.

“I was able to escape again. I’d…I had
to hurt someone to get out. I wish it had been Roy but it was one of his
minions. I hated myself for it until I realized that he would have hurt me
without any problems.”

“You killed him, didn’t you?” They both
looked at his mom when she spoke. “You had to kill him to get free, didn’t
you?”

“Yes. I didn’t mean to. But I had no
control over the cat, and he attacked me. I shifted and tore his throat out
before I could stop the monster inside of me.”

“You’re not a monster, Jonny. You’re a
predator, yes, and one that kills to survive, just like the rest of us. But
you’re not a monster.” Khan looked at his mom when she sat next to Jonny as he
continued. “My mom is a panther. Does she look like a monster to you?”

Jonny stared at her for a few seconds. He
wasn’t sure what was going through her head, but he would bet it was a horrific
memory. When she spoke, it was as soft as a whimper from his child in his
sleep.

“Have you killed to survive, Mrs. Bowen?”
His mom had, and he knew it. When she nodded at Jonny, the girl looked at him. He
nodded as well.

Jonny nodded. She looked so lost and so
hurt that Khan, not usually a man who hugged a stranger, wanted to pull her
into his lap and hold her as he would his own children. She sat there staring
at the fire until his dad came into the room. His dad was the greatest man he
knew. But there were times….

“So, who died?” His voice thundered
across the room, and he smiled at Jonny. “Christ, you’re a pretty little thing,
aren’t you?”

“Dad, this is Jonny Thomas. She’s going
to be staying with us until Marc returns with her parents.” He nodded at him
but stared at Jonny. “Dad?”

“You’re related to Deb Anderson, aren’t
you?” Jonny shook her head. “Yeah, you might not know it, but she’s probably
your mom. Her mate…what was his name?” He turned to Khan’s mom when he asked.

“Travis? You mean Travis Anderson? I
thought he was dead,” Khan said. His dad nodded, and his mom nodded too. “They
had a baby. A little girl that…. Deb said she died, that the baby died at
birth.”

They all looked at her, and Jonny squirmed.
Khan knew how she felt. They were looking at her like she was a spec on a
microscope glass. His dad finally got up and reached for her hand.

“I just asked Marc if I could touch you.
He said that I was to explain to you what I mean. He said that you wouldn’t
understand.” Jonny shook her head. “He’s marked you, honey, as his own, and
when another male touches what is his, he can be a little….” He looked at Khan.

“We can be a little mad, as in violent,
about it and want to mark you again and kill the other male. He gave Dad
permission so he won’t kill him, but…well, he’ll mark you again so you no
longer smell like another male.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever
heard.” They all looked at each other and not her. “And marking? You mean….”

He nodded at her. Her face couldn’t have
gotten any redder, he was sure. When his dad laughed, she glared at him.

“You can be mad all you want, child, but
it’s the way we are. Kind of on the possessive side, we males are. You, too, if
he comes back smelling like another female. Turned don’t have that same
instinct as purebloods. You’ll see when he comes back if you don’t smell
another female on him.”

“George, you’re embarrassing her. Stop
before I show you how pissy a full-blood can be.” Khan was embarrassed and
wanted them to simply stop, but his mom changed the subject. “You have your
permission. Now touch her before I have to smack that stupid smile off your
face.”

His dad was still laughing when he put
his hand on her cheek. When he ran it over her throat, Jonny flinched away. His
dad winked at her and sat back. He looked both smug and upset about whatever it
was he found.

“You’re their daughter. I can…it’s been
a long while, but I can still feel another cat’s sires. One of my gifts.”

She looked at the fire, then back at
him. Even Khan could see the tears in her eyes.

“I don’t know them. Do you know…do I
want to know why they gave me up?” His dad shrugged and told her he could find
out for her. “I’d like that, please. I don’t know where I’ll be, but I’ll be
more than glad to call you sometime.”

“Where are you going, child?” His mom
asked before he could. “You and Marc will stay here in his home. I hadn’t heard
that he was leaving, had you, Khan?”

He started to say he didn’t think that’s
what she meant when she spoke again. There were times when he wished he wasn’t
the leader and didn’t have to be the bearer of bad news.

“You can’t leave him, Jonny. You and he
are connected now and considered one. If you leave him or try to leave him,
he’ll just find you and bring you back.” She stood up to pace, and he found
himself relieved that she wasn’t going to hurt him. Yet.