Mating Instinct: A Moon Shifter Novel (18 page)

As he continued stroking her with his tongue, he inserted one finger, then two, inside her in quick succession. The abrupt action had her hips lifting off the floor and he could just barely hear the sound of her heartbeat increasing above the pounding in his own ears.

Drawing his fingers along her inner walls, he shuddered in satisfaction as she clenched tighter and tighter around him. It wouldn’t take her long. He just had to find that perfect rhythm.

“You’re killing me, Jayce,” she hissed.

The sound of his name on her lips brought his inner wolf right to the surface. It made him want to claim her and dominate her. It scared the hell out of him.

Increasing the pressure with his tongue and his stroking fingers, he tensed as he waited for her to climax. Moments later, her body pulled bowstring tight right before her orgasm.

Her hips jerked and her inner walls clenched around his fingers as the first wave hit. Light moans filled the air as the pleasure surged through her. After her back arched one final time before she collapsed against the floor, he stripped off his boots and pants with supernatural speed. The need to feel her tight body around him was the only thing that mattered.

As he positioned himself between her legs, she stared up at him with dazed, pleasure-filled eyes. Instead of kissing her, he kept his gaze on hers as he thrust into her.

Her mouth parted but she didn’t break the gaze either as he buried himself deep inside her.

“Fuck.” The word tore from him as she tightened around him, and then he immediately cringed at his crassness.

A small smile pulled at the corners of her lips as she cupped his face with her long, elegant fingers. Stretching up, she pressed her lips to his and invaded his mouth with her tongue in erotic, toe-numbing strokes.

He pulled his hips back and slid into her tight sheath over and over. When he felt her heels dig into his ass, urging him on, he let himself go. He couldn’t stand it any longer, feeling her silken sheath wrapped around his cock.

Afraid of holding on to her and bruising her soft skin, he slammed his palms down on either side of her head as he found release. It felt like an eternity passed as his orgasm rocked through him until finally he propped himself up above her. Staring down into the pale blue eyes of the woman who owned him, an ache settled in his chest. She hadn’t returned the words he’d spoken to her. Words he’d never said to another woman. And never would.

She blinked once and it was as if a haze cleared from her vision as she watched him. A fist tightened around his heart as he waited for her to speak. To say anything.

When she did, the tenseness in his shoulders loosened. “That was just as good as I remember.”

“Better,” he rasped out immediately. It was fucking better.

She smiled and wiggled slightly underneath him, then froze, her eyes widening in horror. “I’m not on the pill anymore. I went off—”

“You’re fine. If you’d been in heat I would have sensed it—and you’ll know when you’re in heat.” She would be consumed with the need to mate, to have sex, and he’d be damned if she’d go to anyone else but him when that time came. He couldn’t admit what he wanted from her out loud, not yet, but in his gut he knew things had irrevocably changed between them tonight.

Her pretty lips pulled into a thin line. “Heat?”

“Twice a year you’ll . . . uh, your body will prepare to mate in every sense of the word. In human terms, it means you’ll be ovulating, but it’s a hundred times more potent than ovulation in human females. It’s the only time you can get pregnant.”

“Oh . . . Aiden only told me about the no-diseases thing.”

He knew what she meant. Shifters and vampires couldn’t get or transmit sexual diseases. Since it was also difficult for both species to procreate, condoms weren’t commonly used. But he didn’t care about any of that now. Instead of responding, he slowly pulled out of her, then scooped her up from the floor. She instantly curled her body into his and wrapped her arm around his neck as her face nestled against his shoulder. The feel of her against him like this warmed him from the inside out.

Their first time since their breakup shouldn’t have been on the floor at the top of the stairs, but he couldn’t pretend to be sorry. Not when Kat had finally let him back into her life. It might be a small start, but it was a start nonetheless.

After laying her on her bed, he grabbed a washcloth from the bathroom and wet it. When he began gently wiping between her legs and saw tears pooling in her eyes, surprise slammed into him.

Shit.

His heart rate increased. Seeing Kat cry had always done something primal to him. It wreaked havoc on all his senses. His inner wolf ravaged his insides, telling him to make her stop. To make it better. But damned if he knew how. He didn’t know why she was crying and the thought that he’d put those tears there cut him impossibly deep.

He quickly finished, then slipped into bed beside her, pulling her back close to his chest. She sniffled a few times but didn’t say anything, so he didn’t either. Hell, he’d already laid himself bare to her. He didn’t know what else to say, and if she didn’t want to talk, he would respect her privacy. Not to mention that his fear of pushing her away was too great. So he did the only thing he could. He held her.

Chapter 12

F
letcher tried to breathe through his mouth as the blond, blue-eyed man next to him slowly dragged on his cigarette before blowing out a puff of the nauseating smoke. “So what did these two humans do?” Fletcher asked, the first words he’d spoken since they pulled up to the biker bar on the outskirts of town. Apparently his killing spree for the day wasn’t done.

After the morning he’d had, he was curious what fucked-up logic this human would use in forcing him to kill these men tonight. The bartender he’d had to kill first had a criminal record—one count of fraud and another of criminal negligence—though nothing murderous. Hadn’t mattered to the man in uniform next to him. As long as his victims had records the guy didn’t seem to have any compunction about snuffing out their lives.

Who’s the monster now?

The guilt that rode inside him about killing the bartender seemed to be a never-ending wave eating away at him. Of course Fletcher didn’t feel guilty about the pedophile he’d killed that morning. The man next to him might be a psycho, but he hadn’t lied about his last victim’s crimes. If he had, Fletcher would have been able to scent the lie.

Wordlessly, the man who supposedly upheld the law pulled a thin manila folder out from under the armrest of the truck’s center console and handed it to him.

Flipping through the few pages, Fletcher read over the list of crimes, none of them pretty. Assault, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, sexual assault . . . The list just went on. Killing these two would actually be doing the world a favor. Still, he didn’t like being anyone’s slave. And he just wanted to be back with his mate so bad it was hard to control the rage inside him.

Each time he let it out he worried that he wouldn’t be able to rein it back in and would eventually turn into a feral wolf. The thing all shifters feared. “So you’re a vigilante?”

The man flicked a glance at him, his ice blue eyes narrowing. “You’re the monster. Why do you care?” Before Fletcher could respond—not that it would do any good—the man continued. “These two are hopped up on vampire blood. Will that be a problem?”

His eyes widened, surprise sliding through him like a fast-moving river. This human male didn’t seem to know much about paranormal creatures. Fletcher might be stronger than most humans, but he wasn’t invincible, and since he wasn’t an alpha in nature, going up against two humans on vamp blood . . . “We should target them one at a time.”

“Why?”

“I’m a beta.”

“And?”

He bit back a growl of frustration. This stupid human hated his kind enough to join the APL but didn’t understand what the term “beta” meant. “I’m strong, but vampire blood gives humans super strength. If they’re taking enough of it or if the blood source is particularly strong, it’s likely they’ll kill me.”

The human flicked his cigarette butt out the partially open window. “Guess you better think about that mate of yours. If you kill these two, I’ll let you talk to her tonight.”

His breath caught in his throat. It had been three days since he’d spoken to her. Three long days. At least they weren’t torturing or abusing her. From what it sounded like, they were holding her in a home of some sort. Just like him. She was at least being fed and well cared for even if she was a prisoner.

“I want to see her,” he demanded.

The man laughed, and the low, evil sound grated on Fletcher’s nerves. “You think I’m fucking stupid? She’s the only reason you’re on a leash right now.”

“She’ll be giving birth soon. How long do you expect me to keep up this . . . work for you?” Fletcher knew they never planned to let him go, but he played along like they did. If he could just figure out where they were keeping her or convince them to let him see her, he’d break free.

“Just another week or two,” the human said absently, staring at the front door of the bar as if he could will it to open. Almost as if by magic, it did, and the two humans they’d been waiting for stumbled out.

Fletcher’s body tensed and primed as they watched them walk around the side of the bar. To where their motorcycles were parked. They had punctured the tires of the two bikes earlier, so those two guys wouldn’t be going anywhere.

“We’ll do it here,” the human said.

We?
There was no
we
. Just him doing what he had to do. He wanted to argue that it was too public, but that would be useless. How could he argue when they had his woman? His bargaining power was almost nonexistent.

“I’ll bring them to you. Head for the line of woods behind the bar,” the human said.

The biker bar was on the outskirts of town, where there was very little lighting and no other civilian population. The cold January air surrounded him, seeping into his veins. He might have a higher body temperature than humans, but as a beta he didn’t fight the chill as well as his alpha counterparts. Not that it mattered. The chill he felt now went bone-deep and had nothing to do with the cold.

It was guilt. “Why these two humans? Just because they’re criminals?” he asked as he stripped off his shoes and sweater and tossed them to the floor of the truck. He’d keep his pants on until he got to the woods.

“They’re APL members, if you need another reason.” The human gave him an unreadable look, then stepped out of the vehicle.

He couldn’t stop the surge of surprise that shot through him. So that’s how the human was going to convince the two men to enter the woods. But why was he targeting members of his own group? Whatever the answer, it wouldn’t change the outcome of tonight or his choice to kill them.

Using his supernatural speed he sprinted for the woods. Once he breached the forest line he let the change come over him.

In this form, his weak human guilt washed away.
Protect my mate. Protect my young.
Those were the important things in life. Nothing more.

Through a crystal-clear gaze he watched the human who held him captive speak to the two human males cursing by their bikes. Though they were about fifty yards away, he could hear most of the conversation. The human was telling the other two humans that he’d been tracking a shifter and had him subdued in the woods.

The rage and anger rolling off the two humans on vamp blood was powerful. Good. At least he wouldn’t be attacking defenseless humans tonight. These two would fight back. It was the only thing that assuaged his ever-growing human guilt.

Guilt that he worried he’d never be able to erase. Would he stay in wolf form this time? Would he give in to his urges and become feral?

Growling low in his throat, he thought only of blood and rage as he crept back into the shadows. Tonight his prey was coming to him.

* * *

Kat opened her eyes with a start, then immediately relaxed. Jayce’s strong arms were wrapped around her, holding her close. No matter what, she knew he would always keep her safe if he could. By his steady breathing and equally steady heartbeat she guessed he was asleep.

She breathed out a slow sigh of relief. After last night—and a quick glance at the digital clock on her nightstand that said five a.m. told her the next day was officially here—she didn’t want to think about facing him.

First of all, he’d told her he loved her. Holy shit, she didn’t know where to go with that. At all. He’d said the words so casually, but the admission had pummeled through her with the intensity of a tornado. Then when he’d admitted he’d tried to sleep with other women but couldn’t because of her . . . she didn’t know where to go with that either. It hurt her with a vicious intensity that he’d even tried to go to another woman, but at the same time it warmed her that he hadn’t been able to.

Then she’d started crying last night. The horror of it made her cringe even now. Thankfully he hadn’t mentioned it. If he had, the floodgates would have opened and she’d never have been able to stop. She’d have probably told him she still loved him and would have hated herself in the morning for the admission.

She loosely grasped his wrist and slid it back and over her body. When he didn’t stir she eased out of bed and quietly made her way to the bathroom. It surprised her that he hadn’t moved, but she didn’t question it. After shutting the door she nearly sagged against it, but didn’t waste time. She brushed her teeth, then got into the shower.

Kat needed the strong jets pummeling down on her to ease some of her aches and stress. Usually a bath helped, but she didn’t have time for that now. If she was going to face Jayce with a clear head once he woke, she needed some time to herself.

As the water rushed over her, soaking her, her shoulders relaxed until she heard the quiet snick of the bathroom door opening. She should have known Jayce wouldn’t stay asleep for long.

Without turning around, she felt more than heard the shower curtain slide back. She stayed facing the tiled wall, staring at the luminescent glass backsplash that made the large enclosure seem to sparkle.

Big, calloused hands settled gently on her hips and Jayce pulled her close to him. The feel of his erection at her back was unmistakable and it sent a spiral of heat right between her clenched thighs.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” he murmured, that deep voice rolling over her skin like silk.

She shivered at the sound but didn’t respond. Just leaned forward, placing her hands on the cool tile and pushed her backside into him. They’d made love enough times in the shower that he knew exactly what she wanted.

Talking was beyond her at the moment. She didn’t trust herself around him. Not now. She was likely to say something asinine, like she loved him too. That so wasn’t happening. Not if she wanted to live with any semblance of her pride still intact. When she’d been only human he hadn’t wanted to bond with her, linking them so she would stay young just like him. Instead he’d lied. She had to remember that even though he’d said he loved her.

She shook herself, shoving those thoughts far away. She didn’t want to focus on that. Pleasure was the only thing that could drown her emotions. When she arched into him, he growled deep and low as he slid one of his big hands around to her stomach. He moved lower until he was cupping her mound, then gently began stroking her clit with his middle finger.

Her nipples tingled and her fingers splayed against the hard surface of the wall. “I want more,” she whispered. The sound seemed overly loud in the small enclosure.

“Tell me exactly what you want.” His voice was just as quiet as his stroking slowed over her sensitive bundle of nerves.

Her inner walls clenched, needing to be filled by him. “You.”

Jayce lightly nipped her shoulder with his teeth. “Give me details.”

She let out a frustrated sound. This was a game they’d played back when they’d been together. He’d loved pushing her to her limits and out of her comfort zone. And talking during sex had always made her blush. While he might not need or even care about talking, she knew he loved to get her worked up. And this was sure to do it. “Don’t do this,” she murmured.

He slowed even more, his finger barely working her. Moving her hips, she tried to force him, but he just chuckled against her skin and nipped her shoulder again. This time it felt like an actual bite. The sting was oddly pleasurable and made her nipples ache with a pent-up need to be teased.

“Then tell me what you want or I’ll do this all day.” He followed up with the satisfied laugh of a male who knew he held all the cards. In this instance he did. But payback would be fun.

So she gave in. “I want to feel your cock inside me, filling me, making me come until I can’t think straight,” she said on a breathless whisper, unwilling to say the words as loud as he no doubt wanted.

It didn’t seem to matter. His body jerked behind her and the scent of that dark male lust intensified, wrapping around her so tightly it was nearly smothering.

Before she realized what he intended, he drew his hand back, grasped both her hips, then plunged into her in one solid stroke.

Despite the fact that they’d made love last night, it had still been a while before that—almost a year—since she’d been with him. Her body needed a moment to adjust. Something he thankfully seemed to understand, because he remained where he was, buried deep inside her, panting hard behind her yet not moving.

The energy vibrating off him was almost palpable. That heavy scent of dark chocolate—of course his lust had to smell that good—was back in full force, threatening to push her under.

When he began moving inside her, her lower abdomen clenched and her nipples tingled with each steady stroke. Sex with him had always been amazing, but now that she was a shifter it seemed even more intense. Each time he thrust, he hit that perfect spot deep inside her that made her moan his name and forget the outside world and all the reasons she and Jayce would never work.

Because when he was inside her, it was impossible to care about anything other than pleasure. Anything other than him. In the quiet morning in this sparkly, luminescent shower all she cared about was finding release with the man who had such a tight hold on her heart it was terrifying.

“Say you want me, Kat,” Jayce said behind her, a soft almost imperceptible whisper.

“I want you.”

“Only me.” A low growl.

“Only you.”
Always you,
she thought but couldn’t bring herself to say
.
Her back arched as the orgasm began to build and then intensify.

All her nerve endings tingled with an awareness that left her feeling raw and exposed. Letting Jayce dominate her like this made her vulnerable in a way she would never allow anyone else to witness. Because it was him. Because she trusted him on a level no one else could ever come close to.

When he reached around and cupped her breasts exactly as she’d been craving he would, strumming her nipples with expert fingers, she let go and the climax rippled through her.

His name fell from her lips as she bucked against him, unable to control herself. Those strong hands squeezed her breasts before they found her hips and held on tight enough to leave marks. Not that she cared. Part of her liked the thought of him marking her. His own shout of her name intermingled with her cry as he released himself inside her.