Built for Lust (3 page)

When the explosions started deep inside her, he howled, thrust deeply, and spilled his seed against her womb. Her voice joined his as the moment caught them both up and made them into one being. As they rode their lust to its final conclusion, the sun appeared on the horizon, bathing them it its first rays.

Chapter Two

The brothers showed up before Cara’s scrapes and bruises had had a chance to heal. Her pussy still tingled with the memory of that amazing fuck -- the first she’d had in her wolven form. Joe might miss the change in her, but she’d never been able to hide anything from Peter. What a curse to have one brother with enough authority to get his way with bluster and another who could cajole you into doing what he wanted.

Joe took the lead up the walk to her house, as usual, but Peter’s face held the same look of determination, if not outright anger. They’d come to get their little sister in line, no doubt. Exactly why she’d wanted a mate she could dominate -- so she didn’t have to take orders from some male.

Joe ignored the doorbell in favor of pounding on the door itself. “Open up, Cara. We know you’re in there.”

“Let us in, or we’ll go back to your lab and make them track you down,” Peter added.

She went to the door and yanked it open. “You’ve been to the lab?”

“Nice to see you, little sister.” Joe pushed past her and stalked into the living room.

Before Peter could follow his brother, Cara grabbed his arm. “Have you been to my lab?”

“You haven’t been here for days, and you don’t answer your phone,” Peter answered.

“They didn’t let you into my workspace, did they?” she asked.

“They didn’t have to,” Joe said. “Ilse told us what you’re up to.”

Cara dropped Peter’s arm. “Damned busybody.”

Joe glowered at her. “She’s your sister.”

“She’s a pain in the ass.” Cara pushed by Peter and headed toward the kitchen. Joe stopped her as she went by him, grabbed her collar, and stared at the back of her neck where Gray had bitten her as he mounted her.

“Did you come by that honestly?” he demanded.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Someone marked you,” he answered. “Who?”

“None of your business.”

“We’re concerned about you, Cara,” Peter said.

“Great. A tag team.” She sighed. “He’s the bully, and you’re concerned.”

“You want to call me a bully? Fine.” Joe crossed his arms over his broad chest. With his dark eyes and nearly black hair, he made as impressive a human as he did wolf. Somehow, he’d managed to grow into a solid beast while the rest of the family was slimmer and lighter in coloration.

“What you’re doing is sick,” he went on. “Ilse knows it, we know it, and you would, too, if you ever came out of that damned lab.”

“That’s where I work,” she answered. “That’s how I make my living.”

“Making mechanical rutting machines?” Joe demanded.

“Gray’s not like that,” she said.

Major mistake. The brothers exchanged glances as if they’d diagnosed her and only had to decide what kind of locked ward she needed.

“You gave it a name?” Peter asked softly.

“I don’t have to answer to you two,” she said.

“Sit down, Cara. We need to talk about this.” Peter took a seat on one end of the couch and stared at her until she joined him.

“You’re a skilled engineer, honey.” Peter left the “but” hanging, unspoken.

“Gee, thanks.”

“If you built something…”

“He’s a wolf,” she said. “Not a thing.”

The look shot from Peter to Joe and back again.

“I’m sure he’s very realistic,” Peter said.

Oh, for crying out loud. “Would you just cut the crap?”

“Okay, I will,” Joe answered. “What Peter’s trying to tell you is we’re not going to let our sister fuck some damned machine.”

“You’d rather I keep fucking faceless humans?” she shot back.

“Ah, shit.” Joe raised a hand as if he’d like to hit something, but then, he waved it in a helpless gesture. “You talk to her.”

“That’s what I was trying to do.” Peter turned back to her. “Honey, what you’re doing isn’t healthy.”

She didn’t answer but sat in silence, hugging herself.

“We’re social creatures. We need family around us or we don’t… well… work right.”

“You think I’m crazy,” she said.

“I think you’ve isolated yourself for too long. You’re not seeing things clearly.”

Joe assumed his issuing-orders stance, legs spread, hands on hips. “Come home to the pack and forget all this crap.”

“We all love you,” Peter added.

“I know that.” Love wasn’t the issue, though, although they probably couldn’t see that. They filled their roles well enough. Provider, protector, father -- all that sounded like a lot, but it boiled down to simple things. Life was different for a female, and she didn’t measure up. Not by a long shot.

“I’m better off doing what I do,” she said. “You guys don’t need me for anything.”

Peter put a hand on her shoulder. “That’s not true.”

“Oh, really? What is it I contribute?”

“Well…” Peter hesitated. “Yourself.”

The same lame answer she always got to that question. All three of them knew she couldn’t really fill a role in the pack until she found her own, special way of doing it. She hadn’t discovered it in childhood, when most of the females in her family did. She wasn’t about to discover it now. Her stomach sank. “Right.”

“It’s about your gift again, isn’t it?” Peter said.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have one,” she answered.

“Yet,” Peter said. “You just haven’t figured it out yet.”

“Ilse could see things when she was ten. Ruth was a healer before Joe married her.” She raised her arms in a helpless gesture. “I’m a little late to still be searching.”

Peter squeezed her shoulder, to reassure her, no doubt. “It doesn’t matter. You’re part of us. We need you.”

“That’s sweet.” She pushed his hand away. “Really. Thanks a lot.”

Peter glared at her. “No need for sarcasm.”

She glared right back. “I disagree. Sarcasm comes in handy sometimes.”

“Enough of this.” Joe reached into his pocket and pulled out his car keys. “You’re coming home with us.”

“I am home.”

“To the family,” he said. “We’ll settle the problem as a pack.”

“No.” She stood and stared back at her elder brother. He couldn’t order her around, and the more he tried, the more convinced she became that she’d selected the right kind of mate for herself.

“Don’t tell me no,” he shouted. “You’ll do as I say.”

“Or what?” she asked.

“I’ll take care of things my own way,” he answered.

“Joe…” Peter warned.

“Don’t try to shut me up,” Joe said. “You agreed to this.”

“What?” she asked. “Agreed to what?”

Joe crossed his arms over his chest. Stubborn bastard. “One way or another, we’re going to get you out of this mess you’ve made.”

“How?” she demanded.

“Never mind how. We’ll do it.”

Shit. That could mean anything. From the look in Joe’s eyes, he’d commit violence if he had to. He sure as hell wouldn’t feel squeamish about destroying what he thought was a machine. He’d destroy Gray, if he got the opportunity.

“I swear, if you touch Gray, you’ll never see me again,” she said.

Peter’s eyes widened. “You can’t mean that, Cara.”

“I do, and the same goes for you if you help him.”

Peter stood and held his arms out toward her, but she gestured him away. “Leave me alone, both of you,” she ordered.

“Cara, come back with us,” Peter said. “This obsession isn’t good for you.”

She just glared at him. How like a male, even a good one, to dictate what was good or bad for her.

“I’m fine,” she answered from between clenched teeth.

“No reasoning with her.” Joe straightened to his full height. “We’ll do it my way.”

“Go to hell,” she said.

Joe’s eyes widened in an expression she’d never seen on him before. Hurt. She’d managed to hurt him? Then, his features hardened.

“See you there,” he said quietly before going to the door and letting himself out. She hugged her ribs again and glared at Peter, daring him to say a word. He didn’t. He went off after his brother.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Shit, what had she done? Maybe she had stayed away from the pack for too long. No matter. She’d better get to the lab and bring Gray home where she could get between him and Joe if she had to.

* * *

When Cara opened the hatch of her car, Gray bounded out and trotted around the front yard, his nose lifted as he took in the scents of suburban America -- newly mown lawn and a hint of auto exhaust.

“Come here, boy,” she called. “In the house.”

His ears twitched in her direction, showing he’d heard her, but he continued his explorations. Maybe he’d taken exception to “boy,” if he understood spoken language. More likely, he didn’t feel like going in and wouldn’t cooperate until he did. He wasn’t a pet dog, after all. The neighbors had better not know that.

He stopped in front of a shrub and lifted his leg, marking his property, no doubt. He didn’t actually have urine for that purpose, but he’d go through the motions because of his programming.

“Gray, come here.” She slapped her thigh. “Now.”

He lowered his leg and stood, studying her as if he couldn’t decide whether he had to obey her or not. He’d better. The last thing anyone needed was a wolf running loose in the neighborhood.

“Gray?” she said. “Please.”

His ears perked up at that, and he trotted in front of her toward the house. The bounce in his step might have been a normal canine trot, or it could reflect his satisfaction that she’d had to ask him nicely to behave himself. They’d see about that. She hadn’t gone to all the trouble of making an android mate only to have to defer to him as if he were the flesh-and-blood version.

When he got to the front door, he stopped and looked over his shoulder at her as if to say, “This was your idea, remember?”

“Watch it, pal,” she said. “I can turn you off whenever I want.”

He huffed. So, she went to him and let them both into the house.

Gray immediately headed into the living room, and when Cara caught up with him, he’d already jumped onto the couch and lay, watching her out of his silver eyes. She’d programmed him to learn, but the sensation that he was assessing her -- weighing her strengths and searching for vulnerabilities -- sent a shiver of dread through her. Or maybe, excitement. How could she not feel pride for having created such a magnificent creature?

“You’re going to have to stay here so I can protect you,” she said.

He hardly moved a muscle -- the perfect picture of ease and confidence. Taking up almost the entire couch, his body dominated the whole room. A large wolf and a beautiful one, he could command most everyone around him. She could still control him, though, and he’d better remember that.

She went to the couch, shoved him aside, and sat down. “Pretty sure of yourself aren’t you?”

He huffed and set his head in her lap. By God, he felt real. How could a synthetic fabric so resemble fur as she burrowed her fingers in it? Where had he learned to close his eyes in what looked like pleasure when she scratched at the back of his ears?

She continued stroking him when she ought to power him down so she could rewrite the programs that made him want to run and explore. He’d have to be a house pet for a while until she figured out how to make the pack accept him. If he went into other yards, he’d get trapped and taken away or worse. She’d have to wait a while until she could run and couple with her wild wolf again.

When she reached for the switch buried in the fur at the back of his neck, he snarled and sat up abruptly.

“Easy, boy,” she said. “I only need to have you quiet for a few minutes. You’ll be back soon.”

He remained rigid, staring at her.

“It’s me, Gray,” she said. “I’m only trying to protect you.”

He snorted, a noise that could turn into a growl if he became more upset.

“Enough nonsense.” She rose and reached toward him.

Before she could get her hand on the switch, he leapt over the back of the couch and went into the kitchen. Damn it all, he was going to make her chase him. She’d better get him under control, now.

By the time she got into the kitchen, he’d propped his front paws on the sink and pulled himself upward. As she watched, he batted at the faucet and turned on the cold water.

“What in hell are you doing?” she cried.

He ignored her, put his snout into the stream, and drank.

“Fuck,” she shouted as she ran to him and turned off the water. “You can’t do that. You’ll short your circuitry.”

He hadn’t, though. He stood there, his eyes nearly at the same level as hers, and gave her a defiant glare. Slowly, she reached around him with both hands, and this time, he stayed where he was and let her explore the back of his neck.