Therian Prey Read online

  Quinn closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting her scent soothe him. He had to slow down. If he frightened her now, she’d never trust him again. He skimmed his fingers along her sides and across her tense belly, watching her squirm beneath his teasing touch.

  When he finally unbuttoned the top of her jeans, she lifted her hips so he could peel them down and then tug them off. All that remained were her flower-printed panties. The garment was designed for comfort, not seduction, but somehow she made cotton look sexy.

  He traced the waistband with his index finger, watching carefully for her response. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and her abdomen tensed as his fingertip skated over her soft skin. Then he ran both hands down the back side of her thighs and slipped his fingers inside her panties, cupping her ass cheeks.

  She gasped and wiggled and he smiled. “Another perfect fit.” He squeezed as he lifted her hips, bringing her sex closer to his face, his mouth. “Your scent makes me dizzy. And hungry.”

  “You’re killing me,” she whispered, arching up until her panties brushed his lips.

  He breathed over the damp material, savoring the unmistakable scent of her arousal. As long as the mist had worn off, her cream would ease his hunger and give him enough control to make the rest good for her. Besides, he wanted to feel her undulate against his mouth and hear her cries of pleasure echo off the walls of his cabin.

  Lowering her back to the floor, he eased his hands out from under her and grasped the sides of her panties. She raised her hips as he gently dragged the underwear down and tossed it aside. Her blush deepened with each article he removed until she lay before him wearing only a bright red flush.

  Starting with her lovely face, he admired each individual asset, her smooth brow and small nose, sculpted cheeks and lush, kissable lips. The elegant length of her neck led him to her slender shoulders and those pert, perfect breasts. He paused for a gentle squeeze, unable to move on without feeling the soft resilience within the cup of his hand.

  “You. Are. Perfect.” He leaned down and silenced her reply with his kiss. “And not just because I’m lust crazed. I thought you were perfect when I first saw you.”

  Doubt still clouded her gaze, but she didn’t argue. He reached for her leg, but she grabbed his wrist. “Not a chance. You get naked or this ends now.”

  He wasn’t sure the mist was completely out of her system, but his clothes weren’t going to make that obstacle any easier to hurdle. “I guess that’s only fair.”

  Hating to move away from her, even temporarily, he rocked back onto his ass and pulled off his boots. She propped herself up on her elbows and watched, an appreciative smile curving her kiss-swollen lips. Her gaze followed his hands, caressing each new inch of flesh he exposed. The physical demands of his life had shaped his body into something females enjoyed. And he’d never been so glad for his muscular physique. She sat then knelt as desire flared within her eyes.

  He returned to her, kneeling as she knelt, his cock arching toward her, nearly spanning the distance between their bodies. “Touch me, hellion. I need your hands on me.”

  Carissa’s hand trembled as she reached out and touched Quinn’s chest. As always, his skin was incredibly hot yet soft beneath her fingers. The muscles beneath his skin were hard as stone, but the skin itself was smooth and inviting. She grew bolder, using both hands as she stroked over his shoulders and down his arms.

  He didn’t rush her, but his hips jerked each time she ventured near his erection or down the front of his thigh. She leaned in so she could grip his ass and his sex brushed against her belly. They gasped in unison and she looked into his eyes.

  Without breaking eye contact, he guided one of her hands to his cock and curved her fingers around the shaft. She moved her other hand between his thighs, cupping his balls as she began to stroke him. “Should we make sure the mist is out of my system before we… I don’t want to get really into this and find out you can’t finish.”

  He dragged her hands away from his sex then wrapped his arms around her. “I have a better idea.” He swept her up in his arms and placed her on her back. “Ladies first.” He grinned as he moved between her legs then stretched out on his stomach.

  “How will this help us determine if I’m still under the influence of the mist?” She wasn’t objecting to his plan. She just thought his ability to climax was the problem, not hers.

  “If it takes you longer than two minutes to come, I’ll know we’re in trouble.”

  She slapped at him playfully. “That’s incredibly arrogant! Maybe I just don’t like you.”

  Bending her knees, he pushed her legs wide. “Let’s find out.”

  He kissed his way down her inner thigh. Carissa tried not to tense, tried to enjoy the simple brush of his lips against her sensitive skin. He paused with his face directly over her sex and inhaled deeply. Then he kissed his way up the other side. It was a cruel sort of pleasure. Her skin tingled and her core tightened, primed and ready to ignite.

  His breath caressed her first, warm and moist against her cleft. She trembled, tormented by anticipation, needing his kiss, the knowing sweep of his tongue. “Please.” She turned her head to the side, hating how easily he made her desperate.

  “Say my name.” His whispered demand sent another current of moist breath curling across her folds.

  “Quinn. Stop teasing me.”

  He gently parted her with his fingers and she could hear the grin in his voice as he said, “I like teasing you.” His tongue stroked from back to front, slowly blazing a path from her needful core to her ultrasensitive nub. He circled her clit, dragging his tongue across the bundle of nerves before flicking his tongue against it.

  She gasped and jerked as sensations radiated through her abdomen. Already tension built within her, rippling along her inner walls. “We’re clear.” She gasped. “The mist is…gone.”

  His lips closed around her clit, tugging with slow yet firm pulls. Her hips came off the floor and his lips let go. The pleasure burst within her and Carissa cried out. She shook, both hands grasping his head as the orgasm tore through her.

  He pushed two fingers into her tense passage, drawing out her pleasure as she shuddered and moaned. “That’s right. Don’t hold back.”

  Then he slowly slid his fingers out and draped her legs over his shoulders. Too dazed to question his intentions, she relaxed into the new position and waited for the next wave of sensation. His mouth moved against her, tongue delving deeper. He made soft, appreciative murmurs as he lapped up the proof of her pleasure. It was as if he not only enjoyed her taste but…needed it.

  The thought made her tremble. He wasn’t just giving her pleasure. He was sustaining himself with her essence. It was so primal, almost vampiric in its savagery, and she had never found anything so arousing. Tingles spread across her skin and heat melted through her body, providing him with more of what he needed. He growled, the sound decidedly feline, and his tongue thrust deep into her body. She canted her hips, offering him a better angle for his feast.

  Sensations swirled through her and flowed out of her. Another orgasm formed deep inside her, throbbing with its own distinct rhythm. His hands tightened on her hips and his mouth became more demanding, his lips sucking, drawing her cream directly into his mouth.

  She tossed her head and fought back a scream as pleasure erupted inside her. The wave crashed over her, flowed into him, then returned like a tingling tide. Lights danced before her eyes and she seemed to float above the floor.

  He rose to his knees and her legs slid to the bend of his elbows. Then his cock pressed against her entrance and his gaze locked with hers. He advanced slowly, filling her inch by tantalizing inch.

  Her body stretched around him, wet and willing yet snug from disuse. When he was buried to the hilt, he moved his hands to the floor, freeing her legs as he arched over her body.

  His mouth came down and covered hers, lips warm and soft, tongue bold and playful. The taste of her passion was ine
scapable, but she found it thrilling, a not very subtle reminder of how well he had pleasured her.

  She waited for him to move, anticipation heightening her arousal. He kissed her and kissed her, his groin flush with hers. With their bodies joined, she could feel the link connecting their minds growing stronger. A trickle of energy flowed into her mind, bringing his desire for her with it, revealing the control it took for him to go slow.

  Tightening her inner muscles, she squeezed him as hard as she could. He wasn’t the only one craving motion. He groaned against her open mouth and pulled back his hips. His length slid outward as slowly as it had glided in. As usual, his patience was driving her crazy.

  Rocking back onto his knees, he tilted her pelvis toward him and found a steady rhythm. His tempo was slow but smooth, filling her deeply with each rotation.

  She’d known it would be sweet, but there was a depth to their joining that she’d never experienced before. Their psychic link vibrated and more emotions flowed into her mind—lust, determination and a liberal dose of tenderness. The stronger emotions were clearly written on his tense features, but she hadn’t expected the tenderness.

  His fingers dug into her hips and he moved faster. She bent her knees but kept her legs open, not wanting to hinder his range of motion. He took advantage of her position and drove deep, a fresh rush of desire accompanying each thrust.

  His lips pulled back from his teeth and she tensed. His canines had formed distinct peaks, elongating into fangs. His pace sped, and then sped again, spine arched, head thrown back. An animalistic growl emanated from his throat and she trembled with a heady mixture of pleasure and uncertainty.

  As long as she didn’t swallow his blood, her Therian nature would remain undefined. If he lost control, it was up to her to keep this from ending badly.

  Blinding hunger poured across their link, saturating her mind. Rational thought was consumed by the fire, but protective instincts guided her next move. She grabbed his hair and jerked his head to the side while twisting her shoulder out of range of his mouth.

  With one final thrust, he came deep inside her, the rhythmic spurt of his hot seed triggering her orgasm. She let go of his hair and clung to him as sensations swept through her body.

  Threaded through her pleasure, she felt emotions that were clearly not hers. Fierce protectiveness, elemental longing and…hope. When Quinn looked at her, he felt hope for the first time in many years.

  “Damn,” he whispered. “That was close.”

  She looked up in time to see a flash of gold gleaming in his eyes. “Don’t I have to swallow your blood for it to trigger my definition?”

  “Yes.” He rocked back onto his knees, taking his weight off her without separating their bodies.

  “Then it wouldn’t have mattered if you had bitten me, as long as I kept my mouth closed.”

  He looked startled by her attitude. “It would have mattered to me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You would never hurt me. I know that now.” She reached up and ran the backs of her fingers across his cheek.

  “If you were so sure of me,” he leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose, “then why did you yank on my hair?”

  “Instinct took over, I admit. But at the very end, I felt what you feel for me.”

  Before he could respond to her admission, the most annoying sound doused their simmering desire.

  “Shit!” Quinn disentangled their bodies and rushed to the computer desk, he was still mostly erect, as if he were ready to go again. “At least they waited until we finished.” He winked at her and added, “Round one.”

  “What’s wrong?” She sat up, too shaky yet to stand.

  “Something tripped a proximity sensor.” He snatched his jeans off the floor and dug out his phone. “Landon, what—” Landon’s curt response cut off the rest of Quinn’s question. He ended the call, tossed Carissa the phone then jumped down from the loft. “Lock the door behind me and do not leave the cabin for any reason!”

  He didn’t bother dressing, so she followed suit, though she used the ladder on her way down. A familiar feline cry split the night moments after she bolted the door. She intended to stay inside as he’d directed, but she needed to get dressed and find a weapon. She had no idea what, or who, had tripped the alarm, or how serious the danger was, but she was not going to be standing here naked if the fight made it back to the cabin.

  * * * * *

  Releasing his human form in a violent surge of Therian power, Quinn leapt from the porch and arched through the darkness. He channeled energy through his body, commanding his bones to reshape, muscles to re-form and cells to reorder. One moment of blinding pain drove reality from his mind. Then the shift passed along his body in a controlled cascade.

  His strangled cry of agony erupted in a feline roar and his sturdy front legs absorbed the impact as he landed on the hard-packed ground. He shook off the momentary jumble, scrambling for understanding within his new perspective.

  Quinn still existed within the jaguar, but the cat was in control. Instinct rather than logic guided his actions. Raising his head, he sniffed the air, assessing the danger and locating the threat. Cool, pine-scented air hung heavy with the promise of rain and—

  Wolves! Their scent was unmistakable.

  He bounded through the trees, following their scent, fueled by fury and possessiveness. This was his territory. His mate was nearby, which meant his mate was in danger.

  Twigs snapped beneath his paws as he ran up a slope and skirted a rock formation. Growls and yelps reached his ears, drawing him in a slightly different direction. A shot echoed through the trees, an angry voice, and then another shot.

  Quinn sped his pace, heart hammering in his chest. He saw figures up ahead and heard the voice more clearly.

  “The next shot goes through your stubborn head,” Landon shouted. “Is that really how you want this to end?”

  Pausing at the edge of the scene, Quinn quickly assessed the situation. Two naked men knelt on the ground with their hands clasped behind their heads. Their chests heaved and they glared at the three wolf-shifters circling and snapping at them. Apparently, Landon’s men had motivated the intruders to revert to their human form.

  Landon, who hadn’t bothered to shift, had a pistol trained on the final intruder. Still in wolf form, the final intruder snarled and paced, his compact body low to the ground, ready to attack.

  “Back down,” Landon ordered. “There doesn’t need to be blood between us.”

  “You’re the one on the wrong side of the fight,” one of the other intruders muttered.

  Landon tensed but didn’t let his focus drift from the stubborn wolf.

  The wolf lifted its head and bared its teeth, looking as if it would leap for Landon’s throat.

  Quinn started forward, but with a feral growl, the wolf darted to the side and ran into the darkness. Coward. The thought was still echoing through Quinn’s mind when he realized the direction of the wolf’s “retreat”. He was headed straight for the cabin!

  Pivoting sharply to the side, Quinn ran as fast as his feline legs would carry him. He crashed through underbrush and leapt over boulders, fear driving him faster than he’d ever gone before. Carissa was safe inside the cabin. As long as her curiosity didn’t compromise the situation, she’d be okay.

  Light spilled out of the front window, silhouetting her body as she stood in plain sight, holding back one side of the curtains. He hadn’t told her to stay away from the windows, just to stay inside the cabin. His jaguar roared in frustration, shoving Quinn’s thoughts deeper into the background as he focused on his prey.

  The wolf zigzagged through the trees, approaching from a different angle. Quinn spotted him slinking toward the porch from the opposite side of the front yard. The wolf used the yard’s natural slope to help him build up speed as he ran toward the front of the house.

  Quinn leapt onto the porch, ready to block the wolf’s path, but the fool veered at the last minute and launch
ed himself at the window. Carissa screamed and scrambled back, the curtain swinging back into place, muting the light.

  The glow of Therian energy illuminated the wolf’s predicament. He’d thrown all his strength into the daring move, triggering a shift as he sailed through the air. His shoulder hit the bulletproof pane and his momentum rebounded. He twisted, miraculously landing on his hands and knees rather than his side.

  Quinn pounced, knocking him over onto his back and pinning him to the porch with his massive paws. The wolf-shifter shrieked, blocking his face with his forearms. Quinn’s consciousness surged through his jaguar’s bloodlust. The wolf was young, hardly more than a boy. Quinn bared his teeth and growled. The wolf-shifter trembled beneath him, obviously terrified.

  “Jenaro! As much as I hate to admit it, Dhane’s my brother.” Swinging his head to the side, Quinn looked at Landon. He stood on the ground on the other side of the porch rail, his pistol still in hand. “I’d rather not have his blood on my hands.”

  After pausing for another warning snarl, Quinn moved off the boy and released his shift. Energy shot up his spine and spread over his body, facilitating the transformation. It only took a moment for his body to reshape, but for that moment he was vulnerable. If Landon hadn’t been standing there, he never would have taken the chance.

  The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and he glanced toward the window. Carissa peeked out, holding back the curtain only far enough to provide a discreet opening.

  Dhane struggled to his feet, bruised and winded. “What’s that window made of?” He rubbed his shoulder as he backed away.

  “Don’t make me chase you.” Landon’s voice snapped with authority and annoyance. He tucked the pistol into the back of his pants, but his gaze gleamed with golden light. “I’m not in the mood for games.”

  Dhane squared his shoulders and indignation hardened his features. “No, you’re in the mood to betray your pack. Father told me you’d joined the rebels, but I refused to believe him.”