Animal Instincts (5 page)

“Really?” Ann Marie bent over to stack the dishwasher, not wanting the other woman to see the blush she felt creeping over her. “We just met last night.”

“You don’t need me to tell you that shifters connect with the right mate immediately.”

Ann Marie looked at her curiously. “May I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Sierra wiped her hands on a dish towel and leaned against the counter. “Ask away.”

“This is probably none of my business, but how did you, as a human, know you had that connection with Luke? And how soon after you met him did you know he was a shifter?”

“That’s easy,” Sierra laughed. “I knew five seconds after I laid eyes on him that I wanted him. Luke says he felt the same way. And within twenty four hours, I knew everything about them there was to know.” She gave Ann Marie an impulsive hug. “I feel the chemistry between you and Drew. Let it happen. You won’t be sorry.”

“Y’all about done in here?” Drew was standing in the doorway.

Ann Marie wondered if he’d heard the conversation, but his face gave nothing away.

“We’re done,” Sierra told him.

“Okay. Ann Marie, you and I will work together tonight. It’s nearly dark so we should shift pretty soon.”

“Regan and I are holding down the fort,” Sierra reminded him. “Do you think any of those men will come by again?”

Drew shook his head. “Whatever they’re up to, they’ll be too busy to pester me again.”

He held out his hand to Ann Marie. “I think you and I will shift in my room. I don’t think you’re quite ready to take off your clothes in front of this crowd.”

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She felt the blush suffusing her face again. “Thank you.”

Later, when they were alone in Drew’s bedroom, Ann Marie took one of Drew’s hands in both of her small ones and smiled up at him. “Your friends-partners-whatever are being very nice to me.”

“They’d better be,” he growled. “Come here.”

He reached out and pulled her against his muscular body. He radiated heat, tendrils of it wrapping around her like a cocoon. One hand slid down her back to cup her buttocks, pressing her against him firmly enough that she could feel every inch of his long, thick erection. She wrapped her arms around him, wondering if he wanted to rip off her clothes as badly as she wanted to take his off.

She didn’t have long to wonder. His head lowered so his lips were close to her ear.

“I know this isn’t the time, and the others will be waiting for us,” he murmured. “But I can’t go out of here tonight without being inside you. Feeling all that wonderful, wet warmth grabbing my dick. Without tasting you and drinking your silky liquid.”

“I want it, too,” she told him breathlessly. “Oh, please.”

That seemed to be all the signal he needed. He grabbed the bottom of her shirt and yanked it over her head, tossing it to one side. His head moved lower, and his lips closed over one taut nipple. When he sucked it into his mouth, running his tongue over the tip, arrows of flame shot straight to her cunt. She arched into him and moaned with pleasure.

Her fingers threaded through his hair, holding him in place, When he shifted to the other nipple, his hands moved to unfasten the jeans, pushing them down her hips and out of the way. Impatiently, she shimmied her legs until the jeans were all the way down to her ankles and she could step out of them and kick them away.

Drew bit her nipple as his hands roamed over her body, and she groaned with the sensual feel of it.

“You have too many clothes on,” she managed to gasp out, reaching for the snaps on his shirt.

Impatiently he pushed her hands away, shucking his clothes in seconds. His big hands cupped her buttocks and lifted her, carrying her to the bed. Placing her on her back, he spread her legs wide, dropped to his knees and opened her labia with his thumbs.

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“Jesus, Ann Marie,” he breathed. “I could look at this gorgeous pussy all night long, if we had time.”

She knew she was gushing fluid, her sensual juices dripping from her body. When Drew licked the length of her slit she jerked and tried to wrap her legs around his neck. Draw him closer. Impale herself on that clever tongue. But despite the shortage of time, Drew lapped at her as if he had all night long. His teeth grazed her clit, then bit gently on it.

“Oh, please,” she groaned, trying to push herself hard against him.

One long finger slid into her cunt, then two, his tongue teasing her now throbbing clit.

When the tip of his pinkie pushed against her anus and inserted itself just past the tight ring of muscle she climaxed, fists gripping the sheet, a low wail drifting from her throat. She shuddered over and over, pouring into his mouth. He sucked the opening of her pussy, drinking in her nectar, his little finger pushing harder into her rectum.

When the spasms had subsided to tiny aftershocks, Drew rose and pushed her further back on the bed. One long arm reached to the night stand, pulled open the drawer and yanked out a condom.

“You don’t know how much I wish we had all night.” His voice was rough with need and hunger as he ripped open the foil packet and rolled on the latex sheath. “I want to enjoy your body. Suck your cunt. I want to feel those silky lips around my cock, feel your tongue licking me. I want to come in your mouth, your pussy, your ass.”

The head of his cock pressed against the opening of her vagina, pushed in a little. A little more. A little more. Ann Marie felt her vaginal muscles quiver and clench.

Drew planted his hands on her thighs and spread them wide apart.

“I want you to suck me dry, lick my balls.”

Oh, god, just his words were driving her up the spiral again.

As he talked he pushed further into her, a little at a time.

“I want to squeeze those beautiful breasts together and rub my cock between them.” He drew in a deep breath. “Oh, Jesus, I can’t hold back.”

He drove into her, his balls slapping the curve of her buttocks. His thick shaft filled every inch of her, her body responding. Her liquid drenched him, easing his path inside her.

She raked her fingernails over his shoulder and down his hard muscles, thrusting her hips ANIMAL INSTINCTS

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up to him, trying to take him deeper. Her second orgasm crawled up her back and through her womb, radiating into her clutching pussy.

“Do it,” she urged. “Do it now. Now, Drew.”

“Now,” he repeated.

As her orgasm took over, shaking her like a gale force wind, she felt Drew’s climax grab him. His big body tensed, his arms, braced on either side of her became rigid, and he drove into her hard one last time. Even through the thin latex sheath she could feel him spurting, again, again, again. His mouth sought hers, taking it in a greedy, hungry kiss, tongue thrusting inside and tangling with hers.

Her heart thundered against her ribs, and she couldn’t get enough air in her lungs.

Their joining had been quick but fierce. When finally the spasms subsided, leaving them both weak and gasping for air, he breathed one word into her open mouth.

“Mine.”

It was now full dark, and the moon was only a sliver in the sky. When Drew and Ann Marie, in wolf form, joined the others in the kitchen, they too had shifted, and the room was filled with wolves of every colour pelt. They all exchanged looks, amber eyes giving signals.

Everyone had their assignments. Sierra turned out the lights in the kitchen, and Regan opened the back door. One by one they padded onto the rear porch and headed out. The wide open space behind the house offered little concealment, but there was no one to see them right now. Shortly they entered the large copse of trees and began to branch off in different directions.

Ann Marie followed Drew, who set a steady pace through his property. Even in the wide open pastures he led her from one area of concealment to another, until they reached the fence defining the back end of Hawk’s Run Ranch. She followed him as he gracefully leapt over the barrier and into a stand of oak trees. She knew from the discussion at the table that this was the furthest corner of the ranch owned by Bo Sheridan, a ranch five times the size of Drew’s. Like the other areas being scoped out tonight, it had enough heavily wooded areas in additional to the pastures, to create an illegal game preserve and keep it well hidden.

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Once they were over the fence and into the trees, Drew stopped, waiting until Ann Marie padded up along side of him. He turned his head, his amber eyes staring into hers. She knew he was sending her a message.

Remember what we discussed in the meeting. Stay close to me, and keep your ears tuned for
animal sounds.

Believe me, I know what to listen for. I’ve heard them, remember?

He brushed his snout against hers as if reassuring her, then turned and moved slowly through the trees and undergrowth. Because they didn’t dare move too fast, just in case humans were on the area, it took a long time for them to cover the Sheridan ranch. Ann Marie calculated it was at least one in the morning when they reached the far side of the property and dropped into a small clearing to rest.

They hadn’t been lying there for more than a minute when they heard a high keening sound followed by shots. Immediately after that, came the screaming wails of animals in pain. Both wolves leapt to a standing position, ears perked and straining for sound. In seconds, they heard it again, only weaker. Ann Marie nudged Drew to look at her. Now she was the one sending the message.

Shift so we can talk.

In seconds, they were standing in the woods stark naked, staring at each other.

“That noise came from the other side of this fence,” she pointed out. “It’s the sound of wounded animals.”

“I know.” Drew bit off the words.

“Whose property is that?”

Drew shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m trying to remember who shared perimeters with Sheridan but I don’t think it’s anyone I know.” He looked around. “We’re way the hell away from everything here.”

“I thought you knew who owned every piece of property around her?”

“I know the big spreads and those about the size of mine,” he told her. He pointed to some
No Trespassing
signs, “See those? Everyone around here buys theirs at Weston Hardware, and they all look alike. Same size lettering. Same black background. Same reflecting paint. But not those.”

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Ann Marie looked at them. “Those letters are very big,” she agreed. There’s almost no blank space on the signs. And they hit you right in the face.”

“I need to find out who the owner is,” Drew said.

“We need to go in there and find John,” she protested.

Jake pointed at the fence. “Do you see that? Watch this.” He picked up a piece of dead wood lying at his feet and tossed it at the fence. Immediately sparks flew, and the wood hissed as it ignited. “Electrified. With razor wire. We’d fry ourselves. We need to be smart about this.”

She blinked away the tears in her eyes. “But—”

“We can’t help your brother if we get killed ourselves, right?”

Ann Marie scrubbed at her face. “I know, but—”

Drew cupped her cheeks and gave her a hard, brief kiss. “We need to get the hell out of here. We’re stark naked, and we sure don’t want anyone to catch us this way. Nor do we want them to see us shift.”

“You’re right,” she agreed with reluctance.

“Let’s go back and report this to the others. Brian can do his computer magic and see who the owner is. Come on.”

Back in wolf form, they raced across the rear perimeter of the Sheridan ranch until they reached the common fence with Hawk’s Run. Clearing the fence together, they kept running until they reached the ranch house. The kitchen was still dark, but Regan had apparently been watching because she opened the back door at once.

“Come in.” She motioned with her hand. “You two are the last ones back. I didn’t want to turn on the light before.”

Drew butted her with his head to thank her, then padded down the hallway with Ann Marie at his heels.

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When they had shifted in Drew’s bedroom and were naked, facing each other, Ann Marie saw Drew curl his hands into fists as his hot gaze raked over her.

“There’s nothing I’d rather do right now,” he told her, “then drop you to the floor, press you up against the wall or carry you to that bed and fuck you senseless.” His mouth twisted in a rueful grin. “Too bad we have important business to take care of.”

She dropped her gaze to his very obvious erection, swollen and thick, then looked back up at him. “We’ll have time…afterwards. Right?”

Hiss hand cupped her cheek. “You’d better believe it.” He pressed a quick, hard kiss on her mouth. “Meanwhile, we’d better get dressed and get back to the others. We need to trace the ownership of that piece of land we found.”

Everyone was seated around the table again, and to Ann Marie it seemed as if they were all talking at once. Except for Regan who had obviously just brewed a fresh pot of coffee. Drew put two fingers to his lips and let out an ear-splitting whistle. Conversation stopped as if someone had pressed a mute button, and all heads turned towards Drew.

“That’s better.” He looked at Regan. “How about two mugs of that coffee?” Then he led Ann Marie to the two chairs still vacant.

“We nearly got caught,” Cale told him. “Mounted horsemen were pounding through the forested areas, and they weren’t being any too quiet about it.”

“Do you think it was your friends?” Sierra wanted to know.

Drew swallowed some coffee. “First of all, they aren’t my friends. Far from it. However, I’d hate to think people I’ve known for so long, even casually, would do something this vicious.”

“They were definitely hunting,” Cale said. “What’s wild around here besides coyotes and deer?”

“Not much. And deer season is tightly regulated. Are you sure they were on the hunt?”