Tane's Mate: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Shifter's on the Run Book 1) (23 page)

“Please.” Give me release, give me pain, give me pleasure. Just give me a little more to relieve the ache before you build it up again. “Please,” she begged one last time.

He ignored her, using his tongue to lash against her clit driving her into a frenzy then backing off just before she lost her mind.

That wicked smile was on his face when he finally looked at her. She was so far gone she could barely concentrate on the joy in his face. His eyes focused on her, seeing something so beautiful that it changed his life. He was looking at her, seeing her.

His body rose hovering over hers. She had never seen anything as beautiful as Tane about to claim her, make her his forever. She caressed him with her awestruck eyes.

He came down, swiftly plunging deep within her. Using the slicked path to find his way to nirvana. She screamed as wave after wave of pleasure rocked her body. This is what she always wanted.

Her body floated on a cloud for a minute before he began to pound into her making her body coil against him with the need for release. She clutched at him, wrapping her legs around him, meeting him thrust for thrust.

He took her higher, demanding that she feel more, experience more. She could feel the slick walls of her pussy clutching onto him tighter, refusing to let him go.

His grunts and growls in her ear were making her crazy with need. She had to feel him spilling into her, claiming her, making her crazy with his desire.

His hips plunged against her, starting another chain reaction deep inside of her.

She lost it as her body tensed and broke; rivers of pure joy ran through her. Her voice was caught on a high keening sound when she felt it. His body stiffened over hers and jets of warmth flooded her as he cried out in pleasure.

Wrapping her shaking body around his, she took everything he had to give. When he finally relaxed against her at his most vulnerable, she swore that she would always keep him safe.

She opened her eyes to Tane’s hand over her mouth and his finger in front of her. She gave a small nod to show she understood and he took his hand away freeing up her ability to breathe.

Cautiously she followed him off the bed and dressed quickly without turning on any lights. The whiskers of her panther were tingling in her mind. There was a heaviness in the air. They were being followed. She tested the air again tasting danger against her sensitive tongue. No, they were being hunted.

Leza cast him a look when he pointed to the door and started packing her bag. There was no way she was leaving without her clothes. Running without a change of clothes was getting old fast.

His mouth quirked up as he watched her. She gave a low growl and thought things that weren’t exactly nice about males in general and then narrowed it down to her male.

Bags in hand, she flattened herself against the wall behind him as he opened the door. He stepped to the other side as she waited, her ears trying to pick up any sound that didn’t belong there. He was back before she could miss him, motioning her out of the room. Their room was on the lower level with the SVU parked almost directly in front of them.

Dai and Jay were already at the vehicle with the doors and the hatch open. She followed Tane across the parking lot, and then went around placing her packages in the back. Closing the rear door, she stumbled catching a whiff of a scent she never expected to be hunting her.

Tane was at her side in a moment, a look of concern on his face. She shook her head no and indicated the driver’s seat. He took her around front and made sure she was in before jumping into the driver seat and starting the engine. In silence they made their way out of the parking lot.

Quickly he drove through the town until they were finally getting close to the on ramp for the highway. He turned his head to look at her.

“Rim,” her voice came out in a blast. “I can’t believe this. They sent him and his men to hunt us down. I caught just a faint whiff of him. I was with them long enough to memorize their scents.”

“Maybe it’s not what you think,” Dai said quietly.

“They could have escaped,” Jay interjected.

“No, they weren’t ready for that. They still don’t really believe they are being used. Why would they be coming after us?” She sounded confused.

“To catch a monster you need a monster,” Tane said softly. “A higher up decided to allow them to redeem themselves. Catch the female you allowed to escape. The fact they were in cages was swept under the rug. Once she is caught dead or alive then you and your men will be back in our good graces.”

“Do you really think it’s dead or alive?” Leza turned to look at him.

“It’s what I would do. You changed after they spent months trying to hinder the process. You killed their star doctor. In essence you have proven that you’re dangerous, something they weren’t expecting. It’s laughable really. In nature, females are some of the deadliest animals alive. They will feel much more comfortable looking into your dead soulless eyes instead of eyes that would condemn each of them to hell.”

“Since I like both my eyes and my soul alive, can you concentrate on out running them?”

“Sorry Love, I have a better plan.”

The car went silent as he took the exit up ahead driving until there were only acres of farmland in front of them. He took a small dirt road that weaved through the fields and stopped on what looked like unclaimed land. The grass came up to her hips when she stepped outside.

“What are we doing here?” Leza asked.

“We’re waiting for your friends.” Tane motioned to Dai and Jay sending them off in different directions.

Leza watched them disappear quickly in the wild grass. With nothing else to do, she climbed onto the hood of the SUV making herself comfortable.

They came in on foot. She had no idea where they parked the car but they must have had one to catch up with them so quickly or maybe they were being driven around. She was sure the government didn’t want to lose any more shifters.

Her hearing was more sensitive now that she was able to shift and she heard them long before she saw them. They were as loud as she imagined a pack of elephants to be. They were surrounding the car with Rim in the lead, heading for her and Tane.

His men stayed low in the grass as Rim walked directly towards them.

“Rim,” her voice rang out. “I’ve missed you. Glad to see you outside of a cage and that facility.”

“Leza.” His deep voice acknowledged her. “Who’s the friend?”

“You must not have been able to get a good look at him the last time we were all together. This is Tane, my mate. Tane, this is Rim and the men surrounding him are under his command.”

Tane lifted his eyes, took stock of Rim, and grunted.

Leza laughed. “Don’t be offended. Tane’s not a big talker especially when he first meets someone. Ask me someday and I’ll tell you about our first meeting.”

Rim ignored her. “I came to bring you in, Leza.”

“Well that’s a relief; at least you didn’t come to kill me.”

“That would be a last resort. I’d rather bring you in alive.”

“I’m pretty sure we don’t want to go back, Rim.”

“There’s no we. The order is only for you. The rest are free to go. If you surrender no one has to get hurt. You can save your friends’ lives, your mate’s life.”

“Why? Why is the order just for me and not all of us?”

“You’re dangerous, Leza. They may be dangerous as well, but right now you top the list of dangerous shifters.”

“Are you on the list, Rim? Are your men? Or do you think that you’re ok because you haven’t shifted. I see your animal. He sits right behind your eyes begging to come out and play. What happens on the day you can no longer keep him locked away?”

“This is for the best, Leza. You’re wild, you will kill someone.”

“No, Rim. I’m not going back, ever.”

She thought her life was at an end when they changed her, made her into something she swore wasn’t natural. Being locked in a cage was her new destiny, but then they allowed her to escape. She had been nothing but a city girl looking for freedom in the pages of the books she read when no one was looking until she met Tane.

Tane, the one who gave her a chance to live. He held her hand through the pain while encouraging her to spread her wings. Tane, who taught her to flatten herself against a wall and use her ears to listen. Tane, who taught her what the different bird calls they used meant. He loved her and showed her as well as told her. Tane, who wanted the whole world to see what he found in her. She wasn’t living without him because she loved him.

“Be reasonable. Life could be good there.” Rim backed up a few steps when she stood on the hood of the SUV and started pulling her cami over her head.

“What are you doing?” His eyes flashed with worry.

“I want you to meet my panther. She’s amazing.”

“No.” He pulled a gun from behind him. “Don’t make me kill you, Leza.”

The sound of hands clapping drew everyone’s attention. Rath was leaning again the SUV on Leza’s side. He hadn’t been there a minute ago when her gaze swept the surroundings and she definitely did not hear him approaching.

“That’s a pretty gun. Did your handler’s give that to you?” Rath gave Rim a smile. “There you are with several deadly dominant animals within you vying for the chance to get out. Yet, you choose to hide behind a human weapon.”

“Who are you?” Rim hissed, his hackles going up.

“Rath.”

“Rath, not you, him,” he gestured towards Tane. “Or anyone else is going to stop me from bringing her in.”

Rim looked around and then gave a small command.

“They can’t answer you. I took the liberty of making sure they couldn’t move before I came to talk to you.”

Rim gritted his teeth before relaxing, allowing a smile to play across his face.

“Then talk so I can get on with killing her. Why? Because she doesn’t get to walk into my facility and cause chaos when I have practically sold my soul to the devil for my men’s freedom.”

“They’re no longer men. Your males, shifter males and all you sold your soul for is their ultimate destruction after the government uses them and breeds them for the good of mankind. Or at least that’s the bullshit they are selling today. But by all means take that shot, after you see this.”

An image appeared in the air between them. It was Rim chained to a wall. He was naked and behind him stood a guard with a whip. In a room off to the side, sitting in a comfortable chair looking through a two-way window was a male in a dark suit.

“What are you waiting for? I said whip him,” the suit ground out.

“Yes, sir,” the guard replied.

“You’re being disciplined for not saving the asset from being abducted even though you were locked in a cage.” The guard’s voice sounded a bit skeptical. He still lifted the whip and brought it down on Rim’s back.

“Again. Harder until I tell you to stop.” The suit sounded like he was getting off on the scene before him.

The guard raised his arms and whipped him continuously as Rim stood there taking the pain until his legs finally gave out and his body slumped and still he didn’t cry out.

“Enough,” the suit finally called.

The scene changed. Now Leza’s dead body lay on the ground. Tane was close to her but he was tearing Rim apart slowly making it last. To the left and the right were Dai and Jay who were taking apart the rest of his crew. The scene ended with Tane laid out over her body and Dai and Jay looking haunted.

The scene disappeared and Leza fell hard on the hood. Tane reached over and caught her making sure she didn’t roll off.

“Go ahead,” Rath said softly. “Shoot her.”

Leza stared at Rim. There was no way she could change fast enough to be on him without taking a bullet to the chest. If what Rath showed them was true, it would be a deadly bullet to the chest. Instead, she pushed herself away from Tane because she wouldn’t put his life at risk. She would die so he could live.

No, she didn’t want to die. There was no way she could ever justify her life as meaning more than his. In fact, he was her life. Her reason to live.

“Don’t make her wait for death. Shoot. You’re simply prolonging your death. You’re tired and so are the males who follow your command. They want to be put out of their misery. Give them peace, give it to yourself. The ones who will suffer will be the living, but we already know that.”

Her eyes were glued to the gun in Rim’s hand. She followed it as he raised his hand, watched every shake and shudder as he aimed it at her heart.

One shot please, she silently prayed. Make it fast and clean.

“I’m so sorry, Tane.”
Moisture rimmed her eyes for what she was going to miss. His smile, the sexy way his teeth clutched her bottom lip, that intense look he got in those beautiful eyes when he was thinking.

“I’m not letting you die.” He prepared his body to jump in front of hers.

“Please Love,” her voice sounded tortured. “I can’t live without you.”

“I’m sorry.” That came from Rim. His voice was shaky.

“Sorry for what? That you can’t handle being a shifter. Or sorry for the fact that your obviously beta and not alpha. I still don’t know what your crew sees in you,” Leza replied.

She sucked in a deep breath of air and took Tane’s hand one last time squeezing it tight. “I love you.”

Every eye turned to look at Rim as he began to tighten his finger on the trigger. Leza turned her face to look at Tane because she wanted him to be the last person she saw.

The loud noise of something hitting the ground caused her to look in Rim’s direction. The gun was on the ground in front of him and he was on his knees. His body had sagged but his shoulders were shaking. Was he crying?

“Rim?” She made to slide off the hood but Tane’s hands pulled her back.

“Rim, are you all right?” She couldn’t just ignore him crying. Turning her head, she looked at Tane imploring.

He gave a deep sigh and let her go. She slid off the SUV and walked over to him taking her time. Maybe this was all an act to kill her and hopefully live through it. It’s not like she had a reason to trust him. Her feet acted as traitors as they continued to take her to him.