Leopard Born

STORY EXCERPT

Her head hurt, Aurora thought as she moved her head. She opened her eyes. The moonlight filtered through the leaves of the tree. She felt the damp wetness of the grass beneath her, the cold starting to seep into her body. As she struggled to sit up, a hand came across her chest.

“You need to stay still so I can check you over and make sure nothing’s broken.” She turned her head to the voice that spoke to her. Half of his face was shadowed even though there was a full moon. His chiseled jaw was covered by dark stubble, his hair thick, a blend of blond and brown, and his whiskey-gold eyes stared at her.

Something soft and warm was placed over her. His hands roamed over her body checking for other injuries. She winced when his hands came in contact with the bruises she received several days ago. “Nothing seems to be broken. Do you think you could sit up?”

“Yes.” Her voice wobbled. She felt something wet trickle down the side of her face, as she wiped the liquid with her fingers. Blood was stained across them.

“You have a nasty cut on your forehead,” he said as his hand went into his pocket to pull out a cloth of some kind, placing it into her hand. “Place this over it and apply pressure to help stop the bleeding.”

He placed his hands gently on her back easing her into a sitting position against the trunk of the tree. “What’s your name?”

“Aurora.”

“I’m Mattias. I am going to pick you up and take you to my truck.” He curved one of his muscular arms around her back, the other he slid under her legs as he picked her up. She held on to his shoulders while he carried her, the pickup door still open as he placed her on the seat.

“I called my pack for some help. They should be here soon.” Mattias softly stroked her hair as she reclined against the seat. She turned her head to look at him. His hands moved down to pull the blanket to her shoulders.

“Your pack?”

“Yes. Wind River.”

Her eyes widened. She had heard of the pack of shifters who had moved into the Rocky Mountain territory of Colorado over fifty years ago to claim it as their own. The range stretched more than three thousand miles from the northernmost part of British Columbia, western Canada to New Mexico. Mattias felt her body tense and put his hand softly against her cheek. “There’s no reason to be frightened, no one will harm you.”

He rubbed his palm across her, as she closed her eyes to the warmth of his hands. Her body relaxed against the seat. Aurora knew some of the pain she felt was from diving out the motel window to escape the man her stepbrother sent after her.

She gave a startled shriek as Mattias picked her up and placed her on his lap. “It’s all right,” he murmured as he stroked a hand over the fall of her hair, her body stiff on his lap. Her body slowly reclined into his as Mattias gently stroked her hair whispering reassurances to her. Her head relaxed on his shoulder.

She should not relax. He was still after her. She should get in her car and drive away while she had the chance. But, she was worn out and hurt, and he was so warm and gentle. Mattias assured her everything would be fine. Aurora was confused as to why she felt safe within his arms. He was more dangerous than the man after her. He was a shifter able to turn from a man to a deadly predator with just a thought. He didn’t seem dangerous maybe because he was gentle with her. His fingers lightly caressed her neck to send tingles of heat through her body. She felt warm inside. This was the closest she came near any man in years.

She hadn’t realized her stepbrother’s obsession with her until the night he attacked her. Her father and stepmother were killed in a car accident several months before. She had gotten away from him partly because he was half-drunk. She made it to her apartment, packed a bag, and ran.

 The memories of that night made her tremble with prickles of dread that ran down her spine. Aurora lifted her head from his shoulder to look into his face. His head turned to the window of the door. “The others are here.”

Aurora tried to slide her body from his lap when she saw a white-blond-haired shifter regard her through the windshield.

“Is she okay?” the blond asked Mattias as he came over to the side.

“Yeah.” I think so. She has a cut on the side of her forehead,” Mattias replied.

“Lyssa came with me. She will be able to see if she is hurt more than you think.”

Mattias turned to her. “Aurora this is my brother Damian, the Alpha.”

“Hello, Aurora,” he said, accompanied by a nod of his head.

“Hi.” Aurora flinched as she nodded back.

A tall willowy dark-haired woman joined them. Damian drew her close to him. His arm came around her shoulders. “This is Lyssa, my mate, and one of our healers.

 Lyssa took the place vacated by Mattias next to her. “Hello. Let’s take a look at you.” Aurora gave a slight wince as Lyssa touched her head to examine her wound.

“Oooh, that’s a nasty cut. You will have to have some stitches for it,” Lyssa remarked as she started to clean the area around the gash. Mattias and Damian turned to go to the back of the truck as Lyssa began to examine her.

 

ADULT EXCERPT

 

The dawn approached, bringing light to the darkness of the early morning. The lace curtains fluttered from the mountain breeze coming through the open window. Aurora opened her eyes as she rolled onto her side, snuggling her pillow closer, still in the state between sleep and wakefulness.

Squinting into the semidarkness of the room, she looked around and could just make out the shapes of the dressers and chairs. The brown oak dresser seemed a lighter color, the carving a different shape. The rocking chair had been moved to the corner. This was not her room.

The close sound of someone breathing startled her into motion. She began to get up, hurriedly struggling to remove the covers and the weight that kept her pinned to the bed. It was then she noticed a man’s arm wrapped tightly around her waist, binding her to his body.

All at once, her memories began to flood back into her brain. The dead body. Henry must have hired him to take her back. The night he attacked her, he admitted he hired someone to cause their parents’ car to go off the road.

Biting her lip, she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to come. Strong arms wrapped around her as he pulled her tighter into his embrace. Heat radiated from his massive body, and she snuggled close to him, needing his warmth and comfort. He said nothing, but his chest rumbled as he made low comforting sounds.

Mattias brushed his chin against the silk of her hair, hugging her closer to his body. He had buried his fury last night concentrating on her. Nothing mattered beyond her comfort and well-being. He took her to him, holding her, his front to her back. Aurora shivered in his arms, and he held her tighter. Anger rolled over him, the beast clawing at his control to hunt down her tormentor. His anger grew like a tidal wave at the thought of the fear and terror she’d been through.

 Aurora’s sigh brought him back to the present. Mattias’s fingers sifted through her hair as he pulled her head back gently to kiss her. His lips were soft against hers. He traced his tongue over the seam of her lips, and she sighed shakily, letting him push his tongue inside her mouth. A rough groan rumbled out of his chest, the vibration of it tightening her nipples and making her belly clench. Aurora lost herself in Mattias’s mouth, her arms stretching to hold him. The palms of her hands smoothed over the broad, deep shoulders, lifting her arms to wind around his neck. He raised his head a moment, holding her tightly against him. “Mine,” he said hoarsely, and she shivered at the possessive, ravenous look in his eyes. As he removed her gown his breath caught when he grazed at her breast.

Mattias’s mouth traveled down her neck and to her breast. Aurora shuddered as she felt his mouth open over her. The light touch on her breast, his mouth on her nipple, excited her almost beyond bearing. She could feel how hard her nipples were. Each tug of his mouth was met with a contraction deep inside her.

Mattias’s fingers slid into the front of her panties. The back of his hand was warm on her lower stomach. One good pull and the silky material was gone. His hands gripped her hips. He drew her forward, his body between her thighs. “Your scent is so sweet when you are aroused. I want to lick you and feast on your desire.”

His hair flowed over his shoulders as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on the inside of her knee. Mattias’s hair brushed against her skin even as his moist lips touched her flesh. She shivered at the identical sensations.

Mattias’s hands pushed her thighs wider. His mouth moved closer to her pulsing core.

Her legs moved impatiently against the sheets as his warm breath skidded across the sensitive flesh of her sex. Aurora didn’t feel shy with him staring at her in such a familiar fashion. Instead, she felt beautiful and very aroused.

Aurora arched her hips, rocking them closer to his face, inviting him to taste her. A low growl radiated through his throat, sounding more like beast than man.

Mattias’s tongue stroked her swollen labia. The gentleness of his caress sent shivers racing up and down her spine. He slipped his arms beneath her thighs, pushing his hands over her torso. He covered her breasts with his palms. Aurora felt her nipples pucker to stab the center of his hands.

Mattias’s tongue tasted every crevice of her sex. He rolled her nipples between his fingers, pinching them gently. Her muscles clenched in anticipation.

Mattias removed his hands from her breasts to wrap around her upper thighs, spreading them wide. He released one thigh and thrust two fingers deep into her core, at the same time seizing her swollen clitoris between his lips and sucking.

Aurora exploded. Her entire body convulsed as she came. The pleasure was so intense she thought she might pass out. Her heart pounded as she shook with release. Gradually, as his movements slowed, her body was reduced to the occasional tremor.

Aurora felt boneless as she lay there on the bed, completely sated. She’d never experienced anything like that in her life. With a wistful smile on her face, she opened her eyes and gazed up at the man who had given her such pleasure.

 

Jaguar Born

STORY EXCERPT

The jaguar trotted up the steps to the backdoor of the cottage, the scent of the forest still clinging to his sleek black coat. A hand touched the knob of the door instead of a paw, and silky dark fur had changed to brawny muscles and glistening skin, scented sweat rolling down his body from the vigorous track through the woodlands. His breathing returned to normal as he walked through the house, going straight to the bathroom.

He pressed both hands against the sink, raising his head to look in the mirror. The pupils of his eyes were the last to change shape from cat to human. The color remained the same moss green in both forms. As Nathan stepped into the shower, the streaming water created the illusion of morning mist.

Nathan heaved a sigh when he heard the ring of his cell. He grabbed a towel as he stepped out of the shower to answer his phone.

“Hello.”

“Nate. We need you at the council house. Someone tried to hack into Kael.”

Kael, a changeling owned computer company which also employed human scientists, was developing a new missile-targeting system.

“On my way.”

Nathan walked through the open council doors. Killian, Alexi, and Dylan, three of his lieutenants, were already seated at the table. Malachi, his second, was recovering from the wounds he’d sustained in an attack to free the rogue leader, Seth. The assault happened on the way back to the council headquarters when Seth had tried to take over his pack, Wind River, by kidnapping the mate of the pack enforcer, who was also Seth’s cousin, and leading him into a trap. It was a shock to all of them to find out she was one of the chosen; the descendant of female humans who could shift if mated to a changeling.

Nathan’s gaze moved to his father, Daniel, Prime of the Council Elders as he walked over to the other end of the council table to sit. He acknowledged the members of his team with a nod.

“Sorry about the late hour, but we received a phone call from Ethan, CEO of Kael. A group tried to break into the lab to steal the missile-targeting logic chip. The project is classified Top Secret. A team of scientists and computer experts, in conjunction with the Department of Defense, have developed a smart chip. The details of the project are in the report, along with the names and bios of the people who knew about it.” Daniel described the details of the break-in as they received copies of the report and the file on the project.

“Nathan, you’re going to San Diego to find out who is behind this and why. Only Ethan and key board members know who you are. You’ll be going in as the new security expert.”

“How did they get into the building?” Nathan asked. “From the looks of it, the lab is in a restricted area which no one gets through without a security ID.”

“They are renovating some of the offices on the same floor. Somehow they got false ID badges from the construction company we were using.” Daniel frowned as he looked down at the papers in front of him. “They took out the guards and disabled the cameras and monitors.” He frowned again at the papers. “Information about the project was confined to the people on the teams, Ethan, and the board members.”

 “So we have a conspirator.” Nathan growled. “Either someone on the team or a board member has turned traitor. Ethan, have any ideas who would have betrayed us?”

“No.” He confirmed with a shake of his head. “Most of the group working on this are shifters, except a small handful of human scientists, and before you ask,” Daniel held up his hand. “They all cleared the security and background checks we conducted.”

“When do you want me to leave?” Nathan asked.

“Tonight, the jet will be ready in an hour.”

Nathan gathered the files and report, and gave a nod to the rest of his team as he rose from the chair to leave. As he walked into the hall, he stopped, seeing his mother. “Mom, why are you awake so late?”

“I wanted to talk to you before you leave about Cinna.”

“What about her?” Nathan asked.

“Her parents came by today to talk to your father and me about a bond ceremony between the two of you.”

His brow lifted at her comment.

“There’s nothing to discuss.” The words came out as an angry snarl.

“They seem to think differently.” She said, lightly touching his arms.

“They think wrong. There will be no bonding between us.” Nathan growled, his beast rising at the manipulation of Cinna and her parents. “She knew from the beginning that nothing would come from our relationship and she agreed. It’s a non-issue anyway. I ended things last night.”

“Good, now come give me a hug before you leave.” Nathan enveloped his mother in a tight embrace.

 

ADULT EXCERPT

 

It was just after one in the morning when Nathan opened the door to Kyra’s house for the second time. Kyra had been giving him one syllable answers since they left the office. She walked past him straight to her kitchen.

“Are you going to give me anything other than one-word answers?”

“Maybe.”

He leaned against the doorframe, watching her. “You know this is for your own safety.”

Kyra turned to him as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I can protect myself. I don’t need you or anyone else guarding me.”

Kyra frowned at him, a look of annoyance on her face. Nathan didn’t move from his spot as she glared at him. With a frustrated sigh, she walked past him heading for the stairs. “I’m going to bed. The guest room is to the left of the stairs,” Kyra said, not turning around as she made her way up the stairs. She gasped as she turned to shut her bedroom door to see Nathan there in the door way.

Kyra started to protest but was cut off by Nathan.

“This is not up for debate. Your safety is more important. These people want this new technology and since they have made two tries to get it and failed, the next option would be to get to you.” He held her close and, rubbed his hand up and down her back until she relaxed against him once more. “You can fight me about this once it’s over.” Nathan moved his hand to her neck and caressed her cheek with his thumb.

“Okay, but after this is over, we are going to talk about this domineering complex you have,” Kyra said, looking straight into his eyes.

 He covered her lips with his finger as she was about to speak. “I will be with you until we catch the people after you. From now on, wherever you go, I go.” He started undressing her, his eyes not moving from hers as their clothes fell away. Nathan lowered her to the bed and  spread her thighs slowly, moving his hands up to remove her panties, staring in wonder at the light pink and cream of her flesh at the junction of her sex. He had never seen anything as arousing as the silken lips of her pussy parted for him.

 He stretched out between her outstretched thighs, sliding his fingers over the thick layer of juices that gathered there. As he licked his fingers, he lowered his head. She jerked, a whimper escaping her lips as he swiped his tongue through the glistening cream that lay heavy on her swollen cunt. He licked and lapped, circled her little clit, and sucked at it strongly as her cries began to rise in volume. Her hips twisted, writhing against the pleasure, and soon his own sex was tightening in his raging need as he heard her crying out his name.

He moved lower, plunging his tongue into the velvet recess of her pussy as her cries escalated. Her knees were bent now, thighs spread wide, her hands on his head as she held him to her, her hips undulating, pressing her pussy against his devouring mouth as she fought for her orgasm. He gave her pussy one last lick as he moved up her body. She moaned in protest.

“Not yet. I want to be inside you when you come.” She moved her hands to his shoulders, sliding her palms over the flexing muscles there, and watching as his lips opened. He drew one desperate nipple into the suctioning heat of his mouth. His teeth rasped over her swollen nipple, his tongue licked, his mouth suckled. Sensation after sensation crashed into her womb, convulsing her stomach as she fought for control. She could feel her cunt growing wetter, her clit swelling hard and tight. “You taste so sweet,” he growled as he moved to her other breast. He repeated the action there, growling as his beast wanted to be set free to claim his mate.

 Nathan’s eyes glowed with his desire and hunger. His beast needed to be satisfied. He would not be able to hold off much longer. He lifted her legs, spreading them wide, sliding his hand up the inside of her thigh as he cupped her pussy, moving his fingers up the narrow slit and coating his finger yet again with her juices.

“Are you ready for me?” He started to ease his tense flesh into her. “God, you are so tight.” Nathan had never felt anything as good as what he was feeling as he sank deep into her heat. As he continued to go deeper, he felt the barrier of her innocence. He stiffened. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

 “Don’t stop.” A strangled moan echoed from her as she lifted to him and his flesh again started to impale her.

Kyra writhed against him in desperation. She screamed, her clit swelling further as he lunged inside her. She lost her breath, as her clit exploded and her pussy began to ripple around his cock. She felt the thick head nudging against her and the hard jets of his semen begin to pulse inside her.

 “Ah, Kyra,” he moaned as his body collapsed against her, holding her as he spilled semen into her convulsing womb. Afterward, Nathan rolled over to the side so as to not crush her with his weight.

She moaned and rolled over to follow him. She reached out and gently scraped her fingers down his chest. He pulled her closer, caressing her lower back. Nathan started tracing the outline of her birthmark. He traced the pattern again. Shock raced through him and he rose to stare at the symbol. “You have the mark of Isis.”