The next sound that erupted from her throat was the whine of a frightened animal. And then a growl of fear.

49

CHAPTER 6.

The bedroom door rocked back on its hinges as Carson slammed his flattened palm against it. And then he skidded to a halt just inside the doorway. A female silver wolf crouched in the center of the bed. Carson could see it was trembling, a low growl emanating from its throat, eyes glittering as though filled with fear and confusion.

The metal handcuffs swung from the bed frame. No woman in sight. It couldn't be. There was nothing in the file to indicate Petra Thornton was a shifter. Not of any variety.

There was absolutely no information to indicate she had any kind of unique powers. But Petra's scent was on the animal.

There was no doubt who the she-wolf was. And something told him by the look and stance of the wolf crouched in front of him, he wasn't the only one confused by the situation.

Suddenly, Petra whirled away from him and launched herself off the bed. Before Carson knew it, she had crashed through the paned window sending slivers of gla.s.s and broken wood flying in all directions.

Dammit. Crazed as she was and not knowing what she was doing or where she was headed, he couldn't just let her take off like that. Quickly, he shifted to his wolf form and shot off after her out the window, picking her scent up quickly. He tracked Petra hoping he'd be able to catch up with her before something terrible happened. She didn't have the self- preservation instincts ingrained in Carson and his brothers from long years of battling the PIA. He suspected she was50 literally a babe in the woods with no hope of survival if he didn't find her in time.

She moved swiftly, faster than he'd antic.i.p.ated. Her confusion should have slowed her down, but apparently it didn't. Her scent took them farther into the dense woods and, truthfully, that was probably not a bad thing. At least they were headed away from civilization where the worst danger threatened for their kind. At this time of night there was little likelihood they would encounter humans in this part of the woods.

Long, heart-stopping hours later, he spotted the she-wolf.

When he caught up with her, she stood in the center of a clearing, every bit of her quivering as she heaved for breath.

His instincts kicked in and he sensed danger far too close for his comfort. Looking past Petra, he stiffened when he saw another wolf, black and deadly, watching her intently from the other side of the clearing. From his smell he wasn't a shifter. He was pure, lone alpha wolf ... and he had his eye on Petra.

Carson's animal instinct kicked in with a vengeance. Male protective instincts notched to the max, Carson made his way to Petra, who seemed too terrified to move and completely unable to shift back to human form. Although now could be the worst time for her to revert to her human form, he hoped she would stay in her wolf form until he'd diverted the predator's attention.

Carson watched the black step forward, fur standing straight up, a rumble of challenge deep in his throat. The51 gauntlet was thrown down to Carson. Give up the she-wolf or fight for her.

The oddest sense of primal possessiveness overtook Carson. The ingrained intuition that the she-wolf belonged to him, was part of his pack, and that the black would get to her only over his dead body was first and foremost in his mind.

There was nothing human about the savage confrontation that was about to take place. He accepted the black's challenge and bared his fangs. His snarl and the answering challenge of the black echoed through the silent clearing.

Carson would do whatever it took to protect what belonged to him. The law of the wild was about to be enforced. Survival of the fittest would play itself out here.

His eyes connected with the eerie bottomless stare of the black as the two males circled each other, fangs bared, snarls and growls emanating. Carson felt the fur on his back stand up straight, preparing for battle. The black was not going to back down. And neither was he.

He heard the change in pitch, he knew it was coming, and he readied himself as he sprang at the wolf. At the same time the black launched himself at Carson, jaws open, fangs bared.

Carson twisted. The black missed Carson's throat and landed on the ground, scrambling for purchase. Carson wasted no time, whirled around and dove for the black's throat while the animal was still off balance. Carson was bigger than the black and using his weight to advantage, he drove the other wolf to the ground with little effort. They grappled, rolling over and over, a ma.s.s of growls and snapping teeth. Carson managed52 to get a mouth full of fur, and a few bits of flesh as he lunged at the black again and again.

The black was big and powerful and caught a lucky snap when Carson lost his footing. The wolf wasted no time and sank his teeth past the thick fur barrier and into Carson's flesh, coming away with sc.r.a.pings of fur and skin, but little else. It stung like h.e.l.l, but didn't deter Carson. Gaining his foothold, Carson was faster and there was an element to Carson's strategy that the wolf didn't possess...

Carson had one focus in his anger-crazed mind and one thing only. The she-wolf was his mate and he would not give her up. It wasn't a human understanding, it was primal recognition. And the wolf in him was determined to protect what belonged to him.

He felt the black tiring after what seemed like hours of battle, but probably was no more than a few minutes at most.

He managed to get his sharp teeth into a particularly tender spot and the black yelped and jumped back.

Carson hung on and pressed his advantage. He'd tasted blood, he'd scented the black's defeat and he wouldn't back down now. He growled a warning, run now and live, or stay and die. The black finally freed himself and backed away, teeth bared, blood oozing from the ravages of Carson's repeated successful attacks.

Bravado. Carson knew he already had the black beaten.

The wolf's sides heaved as he tried to draw breath. But life preservation did not seem to be paramount in the black's mindset at the moment. He wanted Petra. Carson saw him look at Petra, who stood to the side of the clearing, trembling53 with fear. Carson was concerned she'd turn and run and end up getting caught in another dangerous situation and he might not be there to avert it.

He growled at the black, forcing his attention back to Carson. Carson stalked the wolf, forcing him to make a decision. Carson wanted this finished. He couldn't take the time to check on Petra again, to make sure she didn't run.

That was something that could prove mortal-for both of them.

He kept his attention on the glittering anger in the black's eyes. Carson was ready. He knew it wouldn't take much to kill the black, not now. He was beaten. He just needed to recognize the fact. The black growled and snarled and then halted his backward retreat.

s.h.i.t. Carson had hoped it wouldn't come to this. He launched himself at the black, driving him to the ground. The black struggled beneath him, but his strength was diminished.

He wouldn't be able to fight Carson off. Carson fastened his iron jaws onto the black's vulnerable throat. The black whimpered and fought for breath. Carson clamped down harder, and with one last powerful grip, ripped the wolf's throat open. He tasted the black's blood, hot and thick. He tasted victory. He went for him one last time, knowing the black would not survive, left so mortally wounded. Carson ended it as quickly and cleanly as he could. One more instant and the black was dead.

Carson saw the life bleed from the black's eyes. He lay there with his mouth gaping, tongue hanging to the side, eyes flat black, his throat shredded. There was no humanity inside54 Carson to regret the death. He was triumphant. He turned away from the scene of battle and death to find his mate.

Only she was no longer in she-wolf form. Somehow she had transformed to her human form and knelt next to a tree, arms crossed, shivering and watching him with a glazed expression on her face.

He trotted closer, watching her intently. She rose unsteadily to her feet, retreating until her back was pressed against the rough bark and she could retreat no further. G.o.d, she was beautiful. Every curve gleamed like pale lilies in the light of the full moon. Her gaze was imprisoned by his. She belonged to him. All of her, and he would claim her. Nothing else mattered.

She must have seen something in his eyes because she whirled around and ran for the woods. He bolted after her.

Her scent was easy to follow. He brought her down quickly, her human speed no match for the alpha wolf who tracked her. She rolled onto her back, fear glazing her eyes. They stared at each other for long moments. Dilated, frightened eyes, flared nostrils, lush, soft body. He shifted back to his human form. Hands imprisoned hers to the ground. The low rumble vibrated though his chest.

For long moments they just stared at each other. Fast, hot breaths escaped through her lips, and her nostrils flared. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s rose and fell as she tried to drag in oxygen. His gaze tracked down the rising swell of her sensual body.

He wedged a knee between her thighs, separating them.

He pressed his rigid c.o.c.k to her entrance. He scented her arousal. It wasn't what he expected. He heard an answering55 soft growl purring from within her chest. It surprised him. And pleased him.

She tried to lift up, but he forced her back to the earth.

She bared her teeth and snapped at him. He knew in that moment that she was as much caught between human and animal as he was. And right now animal heat is what drove them both toward the precipice. Humanity had nothing to do with it. In the animal mind, he was the victor, the alpha male, and he would claim his prize.

56

CHAPTER 7.

Petra's mind was a ma.s.s of emotion and confusion. Filled with animal l.u.s.t. She couldn't get her bearings. But none of it mattered because her body was burning. The man ... no, the shifter ... holding her down was streaked in blood-the black wolf's blood. Somehow she had recognized Carson's unique scent. And through the whole confrontation, something inside her screamed for this man to win because she was his mate.

And she knew inside her that he would fight to the death to protect her and claim her for himself.

It didn't make sense, but making sense wasn't important.

She had to be with him. She needed to feel him inside her.

Her body reacted to the scent of the man, steamy arousal that she could not find the strength to deny. She spread her legs wider and lifted her hips, pressing his shaft deeper into her v.a.g.i.n.a, eager to be possessed by him. There was no reasoning to what she did or her response to the man who was a perfect stranger. And her captor. But the heat flared and consumed her entire body, the ache to be claimed by him was too strong to resist. She had to mate with him; there was simply no other choice. If she didn't, she would die.

"Now," she said in a low voice that she didn't even recognize as her own. "Mate me now." And she thrust her pelvis against him again.

He pressed her back to the ground, the streaks of crimson making him look more pagan primitive than civilized human.

He dropped closer and her aching nipples rubbed against his57 muscular chest. He licked around her areola, and she couldn't halt the whimper that escaped from between her lips and the pleasure his mouth aroused. He tugged the sensitive nipple with his teeth. She gasped at the sensation as he drove his c.o.c.k into her and yanked on her nipple in a seamless, primal act that urged her into a frenzy of pleasure. She screamed as her body rocked with ecstasy. His p.r.i.c.k plunged into her hot core like a searing stake being driven through the heart of her soul. She arched her body against him, trying to mold herself closer and closer, merging them as one.

"More," she cried.

He pulled back and slammed into her again. His mouth turned to her other breast. She felt his teeth, marking her, twisting her nipple, his c.o.c.k pistoning hard and fast, forcing her higher and higher, raking a trail of fire across her flesh.

His hips ground powerfully against her, locking her to him.

She felt him pulse deep inside her c.u.n.t, like lightning pouring into her womb. She plummeted over the edge into her own climax. Shattering, she thought she would die from the rapture. She dropped back onto the earth, her eyelids fluttered closed, her lips trembling.

He lifted her, flipped her over, and dropped her to her hands and knees. Her eyelids snapped open. Pressing a firm hand between her shoulder blades, he forced her upper torso to the ground, back bowed, hips raised. He spread her legs wider, and the cold night air feathered across her overheated p.u.s.s.y. Once again, she felt the broad head of his c.o.c.k at her entrance, separating her engorged lips. His hands clamped onto her hips and he sank his c.o.c.k into her slick p.u.s.s.y,58 burying himself to the root, making her howl as he pressed against her cervix, wedging himself deeper inside her.

Petra couldn't catch her breath. Emotion swept her away on the tides of primal possession. She yielded to her mate's dominance, accepting his fierce possession, reveling in her submission. He must have sensed her acceptance. He began to move inside her, faster and faster, powerful thrusts that stroked her sheath like fire scorching her, cleansing her, and reshaping her. He yanked her upward, wrapped his strong arms around her, welding her to his chest. Then she felt him plunge to her soul, an ache that pierced right through her.

She screamed as she came. It was animalistic, it was primal, and he claimed her so completely, linking them together in ways that could never be severed.

His hands cupped her throbbing b.r.e.a.s.t.s, fingers kneading her nipples. Hands that smeared droplets of blood over her engorged b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Baptizing her with the blood of his victory.

"My mate," he growled in her ear. "Mine."

She shuddered as his steel-hard c.o.c.k pierced between her lips and again plunged deep inside her molten center. A hot friction that branded her for all time.

"Say it," he said. "My mate."

He thrust inside her again and she cried out at the intense pleasure that permeated her whole being. In a way that went soul-deep, she was now connected to this man in a way she had never been touched by another human being. There was nothing civilized about this claiming. Little that could be called human. Petra fused with him, beneath the glare of the full59 moon above. They were wedded by the night, united in combustible, animalistic pa.s.sion, and still she wanted more.

She inhaled sharply when he brought the flat of his hand down across her a.s.s cheek. Petra felt the spread of the stinging heat imprint on her a.s.s as he lifted his hand away.

"Answer me. Tell me you understand what's happened.

That there can be no going back. That you know what you are."

Her wet p.u.s.s.y grasped at his swollen c.o.c.k, almost as though recognizing his claim, demanding her answer. She dropped forward, a sob caught in her throat. Tears coursed down her face. What was she? He was wrong; she didn't know. She didn't understand. Not the shifting part. But there was one thing she did know.

The heat wafted through her, imprisoning her still. That was something she was growing very familiar with. The unquenchable drive that had grown inside her so quickly for this man. The recognition she didn't understand. The dream confused her. But she did accept one thing.

"Your mate," she affirmed, unable to deny him.

He pulled out until the tip teased at her entrance and then drove into her again and again. She pushed back and met him measure for measure, groaning and screaming, clawing at the earth. Arching her back as he rode her, wanting more of him. And wanting to give him everything. She didn't understand it, but she accepted him and his claim. She wanted to be bound to him. It didn't matter that he'd kidnapped her, it didn't matter that he'd handcuffed her to the bed and then brought her to ground to mate her.60 She wanted it more than anything in her life. This was who she was. It was as though she had searched all her life for a place to belong and someone with whom she belonged.

Her climax ripped through her, and then another, mingling and blending together. She shuddered beneath him, this man who was shifter. An alpha who claimed her as his own. Her heart thundered in her chest, powerful, surging beats.

"Oh, G.o.d," she screamed as another climax quaked through her. Too much and not enough. He f.u.c.ked her and f.u.c.ked her, and she answered with her own wolf call for more and more and more.

Finally, he exploded inside her, bathing her womb with his s.e.m.e.n. She welcomed the heat of him filling her, sealing her to him. There was no thought for past, present, or future. For human or shifter. There was only him and the night and his c.o.c.k pulsing inside her.

It seemed a long time later that he finally pulled out, and she collapsed to the ground gasping for breath, overcome with the enormity of what had just occurred. He gathered her up into his arms and lifted her chin so she was looking up at him. His eyes were dark, his face shadowed.

"There's no going back-you realize that."

She didn't understand everything, but she knew enough.

She nodded. "I know."

He leaned against the tree and chained her to him, spread across his lap, her arms curled around his neck. She closed her eyes, exhausted by everything that had happened. She doubted she could have moved if she wanted to. The haze of the animal heat was slowly dissipating.61 There were so many questions, but right now she was just too tired to ask them, her brain too fogged. She was sated and sore, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s throbbing, her p.u.s.s.y empty. One of Carson's fingers brushed over her swollen nipple and she shuddered at the exquisite sensations produced by his touch.

She swore in that instant that no man's touch had ever affected her, or most likely would ever affect her, so deeply as this one man.

Certainly not her fiance's.

62

CHAPTER 8.

It was a good thing the ground was soft, Carson thought the next morning as he dug the black wolf's grave with his bare hands. The animal deserved proper respect for the fearless battle he had fought. Carson picked up the lifeless body and placed it into the grave. He stood looking down at the animal who had such a fierce heart. It could have been him. Carson knew he would have fought to the death for Petra.

It was in their nature to fight to possess. Only the fittest survived. And that included the world of shifters as well. After a moment, Carson dropped to his knees and began pushing the moist earth into the makeshift grave. He'd dug it deep and, although much less than six feet down, it should remain protected from most marauders, or humans looking for an easy pelt to add to their collection.

He stopped as he saw a pair of delicate arms, long fingers buried in the earth next to his, pushing the dirt, helping him to fill the grave.

"You don't have to do that. I can finish it," he said.

He sat back on his heels to look at her. Her curves seemed to go on endlessly, lush and beautiful. He noticed the vivid marks of his fierce pa.s.sion littering her body. Her nipples were still engorged, teeth marks visible around the deep crimson of the areola surrounding the dusky buds. It was the way of the animal heat at full throttle. During the full moon there was no stopping it. There was no denying it. The fact63 that she had embraced the heat so completely told him that shifter was in her blood. But it still didn't make sense.

His eyes swept over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s as they swayed with her movements. His c.o.c.k swelled quickly, and his arousal was something he wasn't going to be able to hide.

She fit him, her body bending to his will, her p.u.s.s.y wrapping so tightly around him the night before. Again and again she accepted his possession, yielded so sweetly to his demands. So pa.s.sionately. He wanted to take her right here in the moist, dark earth. To spread her and sink into her succulent, wet channel.