Lover's Instinct: A Moon Shifter Novella (9 page)

“Hell yeah it’s yours, sweetheart.” He playfully tugged her bottom lip between his teeth. Letting her other wrist go, he moved lower until his face was right over her breasts.

He stared for a long moment, his breathing unsteady, until finally he unsnapped the front clasp of her bra. As it fell apart to completely expose her she had to resist the urge to cover up.

Any insecurities she had died at the look on his face. He let out a low, primal growl before sucking one of her nipples into his mouth. She gasped at the warmth surrounding her aching flesh, feeling the erotic tug all the way to her toes. Spreading her legs wider, she wrapped them around him, rubbing herself against his covered erection as he teased her sensitive flesh.

Each time he stroked one of her nipples with his tongue, he followed up by softly blowing on it. The hot air on her wet flesh made her shudder and arch into him each time.

She was already so wet she knew that once he finally got inside her it wouldn’t take long for her to come. Her inner walls clenched with the need to feel him. A raw urgency hummed through her as she imagined what it would feel like to come around his fingers again.

As if he read her thoughts, he reached down and cupped her through her skimpy covering. Using the same skilled movements he had at that club, he shoved the material to the side and slid one, then two fingers inside her. He began stroking in and out of her, slow and steady and not fast enough for her to reach climax.

Writhing against him, she rolled her hips, trying to make him move faster, to find that same rhythm he’d made her climax with before.

He just laughed softly against her breast. The sensation made her shiver.
He knows exactly how much he’s teasing me.

Continuing to slowly push inside her then withdraw with an equally frustrating rhythm, he moved away from her breasts, kissing and nipping a path down her belly until he was crouched directly between her legs.

Though her instinct was to tense up under such intense scrutiny, she let her thighs fall farther apart and watched him. Every part of her being trusted this man. He was just as entranced as she was, staring at his fingers moving in and out of her.

“I’ve fantasized about this from the
moment
I saw you.” The low-spoken words seemed to be torn from him.

She looked up to meet his gaze which had turned molten hot. His dark eyes seemed to practically glow with need. She opened her mouth to respond but no words came out because in the next instant his mouth was fully on her exposed sex.

Her hips rolled up to meet his face as pleasure swamped her senses. She heard a slight tearing sound and it registered that he’d ripped her thong off. She didn’t mind.

As his tongue delved inside her she grasped his head with her hands. Threading her fingers through his thick hair, she didn’t bite back her moans. With each long stroke he ended on her clit, circling and putting just the right amount of pressure on the sensitive area that she kept jolting off of the soft blankets.

His fingers were still moving inside her and it was all she could do to think straight. Pleasure shot through her body, firing up all her senses as a sharp climax tore through her. She’d known she was close, but it punched through her hard and fast, taking her slightly off guard.

Afraid she might claw him she grasped the blanket beneath her as he continued his delicious assault on her. As she was coming down from her high he grasped her hips and flipped her over before she could attempt to catch her breath. She heard the soft buzz of his zipper and then the sound of his jeans being shoved down.

In a long, slow thrust he pushed inside her. Her breath caught in her throat and she arched her back. He stretched her, filling her more than she’d imagined. Her fingers dug into the blankets at the sheer pleasure of knowing that Nikan was claiming her. That they would soon be linked.

Then he began moving and there was nothing steady about his movements. Nothing rhythmic. He pumped into her in jerky, uncontrolled movements. One of his hands palmed her stomach and he moved lower until he strummed her swollen clit.

She should have been too sated, but the feel of his callused finger rubbing her already sensitized bundle of nerves made her clench even tighter around him. With each stroke of his cock and each flick of his finger, her inner walls clenched, milking him until he let out a harsh cry.

As he came inside her he wrapped a strong arm around her waist and pulled her back until his mouth was on her neck. She knew what was coming and tensed in anticipation.

Yes. Do it.

His canines pierced her neck, sharp and bordering on painful, but it only increased the intensity of her orgasm. She cried out his name. More pleasure surged through her, like a never ending wave until finally her arms and legs were too limp to hold herself up anymore.

Before she collapsed, Nikan wrapped an arm around her and held her up so that her back was pressed against his chest. He flicked his tongue over where he’d bitten her, licking and nuzzling the mark with an incredible gentleness, sending little sparks of sensation cascading over her skin. “I love you, Essie.” It was a bare whisper on his lips.

She smiled, loving to hear him say it and knowing she’d never get tired of it. “I love you too.”

Rolling her over, he gently laid her down, then finished shoving the rest of his clothes off. She knew better than to laugh at the moment but it struck her as completely adorable that he hadn’t even been able to take off his clothes before making love to her.

As he stretched out next to her he gathered her close, pulling her so that she was halfway covering him. Her long hair fell down her back and over his body, covering them both and creating a little cocoon around them. In that moment she’d never felt more relaxed or at peace with the world.

His hand idly stroked down her spine, his breathing somewhat under control now. But the raw energy humming through him told her that she was in for a long, delicious night. Reaching up, she gently rubbed the tender spot where he’d marked her. Now all shifters and other supernatural beings would know she was off limits. Taken. Mated. She smiled in satisfaction.

His earthy scent twined around her and would remain there as long they were together. It was the same for him. Her scent was practically embedded in his skin. There wasn’t a science to it; it’s just the way it happened when shifters mated.

If they split up the mark would eventually fade and they’d be free to move on with someone else, but she knew there was no one else for her. He’d scared her a little with his talk of bonding, but deep in her heart she knew there would never be any other option. She wanted to eventually bond with him, to wear his mark permanently. “So what happens when we make it back to the ranch?”

He paused for a long moment but finally said, “I’d like to move in with you and your sisters. Eventually I’d like to build us a home on the ranch, but for now I don’t think your sisters could handle you moving out, and I love your family.”

Something tightened around her chest. He wasn’t just saying that because he thought she needed to hear it. He meant it. Her sisters adored him and while it would take some adjusting to having a male under their roof all the time, she didn’t think it would be that big of a difference considering how much time he’d been spending with them anyway.

“That sounds perfect.” And it did. She couldn’t wait to tell her sisters. Alicia’s death had hit them all so hard. Having Nikan close would probably go a long way in making them feel safer. But for her, the idea of waking up to him every morning was absolute perfection. There wouldn’t be a full moon for over a month and she planned to tell Nikan she wanted him for her bondmate. Not yet, but very soon. Right now the idea of talking felt highly overrated. As his hand slid down her back and cupped her behind in a possessive manner that had quickly become familiar, she grinned against the hard wall of his chest.

Talking could definitely wait.

Epilogue

Two days later

Nikan shut the front door of the cabin behind him as he stepped inside. Just as a precaution he’d been checking the direct perimeter of the house and the extended surrounding area the past couple days. There were no tracks or scents that didn’t belong.

The sweet scent of Esperanze pervaded the air, wrapping around him as he strode toward the kitchen. He paused when his cell phone buzzed in his jacket pocket. When he saw Connor’s name on the caller ID, a slight chill slid through his veins. His Alpha had agreed to give them a few days alone. He wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t important. Not after Nikan had told Connor that he and Esperanze had mated.

He flipped open his phone. “Yeah?”

“I hate to do this, but I need you back now.” There was no room for argument in his Alpha’s voice.

Nikan’s hand fisted around the phone as he entered the kitchen. Esperanze paused from making sandwiches, no doubt because of the grim look he knew was on his face. “What’s happened?”

Connor sighed. “Nothing.
Yet.
Liam’s getting more agitated watching over December. She’s ignoring him, but that hasn’t stopped him from looking out for her. I received a ‘friendly’ warning call from her brother telling me to rein Liam in.”

Everyone at the ranch knew how bad Liam had it for December, a human female. Unfortunately her brother was the sheriff of Fontana, and he wasn’t exactly a fan of shifters. And Liam wasn’t being subtle about his intentions toward the sheriff’s sister. That whole situation was just a bomb waiting to go off.

With a violent element, the Antiparanormal League, in town and targeting humans sympathetic to the shifters in Fontana, their pack had to be on high alert at all times. Especially now. Their pack couldn’t afford for any humans to get hurt because of their association with them—definitely not the sheriff’s sister.

That would cause bad blood among the rest of the town. Not to mention Liam would go insane if anything happened to the human woman he so obviously cared for.

Something Nikan understood completely.

But if Liam pissed off December’s brother bad enough, that could cause even more unnecessary problems for the pack. They definitely didn’t need to tangle with local law enforcement.

Before Nikan could respond, Connor continued. “I need more round the clock monitoring of the ranch
and
for December. Liam’s killing himself trying to watch her 24/7 and
fuck
, he needs to sleep sometime. He’s too edgy and sleep-deprived and I’m worried about him.” The sharp curse from Connor didn’t surprise Nikan. Liam might be more than a century old, but he was also Connor’s younger brother.

Nikan didn’t need to hear anymore. He might want more alone time with Essie, but his pack was his family and he knew she felt the same way. “We’re on our way.” At his words, Esperanze began gathering the foodstuff.

It didn’t take long to pack what little they’d brought and put their suitcases in the vehicle. Less than ten minutes later they were on the road, heading back to the real world.

“I wish we could stay longer,” Esperanze said as they pulled onto the main highway.

He snorted. “Me too.” Two days wasn’t nearly long enough to spend naked with her. They’d gotten a few runs in and had actually eaten a few meals, but other than that, he’d spent most of his time inside her. The more times he took her, the more he wanted her.

It was like a never-ending hunger to claim and cherish her that he wondered if he’d ever feel a sense of normalcy around her again. Or if the driving need to mate and to protect her would always be at the forefront of his brain. At the moment he didn’t really care. Not so long as she was with him.

Even though the future had a lot of unknowns—especially with the Antiparanormal League lurking around Fontana—right now he was truly happy for the first time in as long as he could remember. It was all because of the sweet woman sitting next to him. The woman he planned to bond with and spend a lifetime loving.

Unfortunately he had a feeling things were about to drastically change in Fontana. Things couldn’t keep going the way they were. The Antiparanormal League wasn’t going to stay quiet forever. Eventually they’d make a move against his pack. It was just a matter of when and how. He knew his pack and his Alpha well enough that if some radical hate group pushed them hard enough, they’d push back. And the outcome would be bloody.

Read on for an excerpt from

PRIMAL POSSESSION
,

a brand-new book in

Katie Reus’s Moon Shifter Series.

Chapter 1

December McIntyre managed to smile at her date as he pulled out her chair for her. Her cheeks hurt from all the fake smiles and forced laughter. She should never have agreed to this date when she’d rather be anywhere else. With
someone
else. But she and Liam had no future, and going out with a random guy was the only way to show
Liam
and
herself that she was serious about that.

“Have you been here before?” her date—Mike something—asked. As a tourist from the nearby ski lodge, he wasn’t a local of her smaller mountain community, so it made sense he’d never eaten at the cozy Italian restaurant.

She nodded. “The
bucatini puttanesca
is really good. So is the
pollo caprese
. Actually, everything on the menu is good.” The Russo family had settled in Fontana, North Carolina, decades ago, many years before she’d been born, and Russo Ristorante had become a staple in the mountain community. The locals loved it and so did the tourists. Occasionally they even got tourists from not just Fontana Mountain, but from their neighbors, Beech and Sugar Mountains.

Almost immediately after they ordered drinks, her date excused himself. He was a broker or something and had to take an important call. Normally that would have bothered her in a date but she didn’t really care about this one. The brief reprieve was fine with her. She wanted to get through the meal, get home and just go to bed. Going out with this guy had been a colossal mistake no matter how nice he seemed to be. She’d known it the second after she’d said yes. Regret had surged through her but it had been too late then.

All she could think about was Liam. Liam with his broad shoulders, dark hair and coffee brown, deep knowing eyes. When that man looked at her, she got shivers. The good kind. Heat bloomed between her legs when he was around. He didn’t have to do
anything
other than train that heated gaze on her and she wanted to melt into his arms. He might be built like a linebacker but his hands were gentle. At least the few times he’d caressed her face they had been.

Her image of him was so clear she could almost see him now. In front of her. As she stared into space she frowned. Then blinked. Good God, he
was
in front of her. Walking straight toward her.

“Crap,” she muttered. Tensing, she braced herself. She’d thought if he saw her leaving her bookstore—because she’d seen him watching—with another guy on a Friday night he’d get the hint and leave her alone. If it was anyone else she might think he was acting like some sort of creepy stalker but she knew him better than that. As one of the few lupine shifters who lived in their town, Liam had tried to warn her about some crazy fanatic group that wanted to hurt humans involved with shifters. At twenty-eight she’d been taking care of herself for a long time—and besides,
they
weren’t involved so there was no reason for some fanatics to come after her.

Should have known Liam wouldn’t give up so easily. The maître d’ led him and another huge guy directly to the table next to hers. There was a decent amount of space between them but for the way he was drilling his gaze into her, he might as well have been sitting at the same table.

“Hello, December.” Liam’s deep, intoxicating voice forced her to acknowledge him.

She flicked a quick look at his dark-haired friend who cracked a small, almost amused, smile until she glared at him—then she focused on Liam. “What are you doing here?” she asked through gritted teeth. It wasn’t for the damn food. That much she knew.

He shrugged as if it should be obvious. “Eating.”

She glared at him. “You know what I mean. I’m on a
date,
Liam.”

At the word “date” those espresso eyes of his got even darker. Under normal circumstances she might have thought it was the light playing tricks on her but she knew better. She’d seen him enraged once before when a man had tried to mug her. His eyes had changed then. The whites had almost disappeared and she’d found herself staring into not-quite-human eyes. He’d later explained that it sometimes happened when his inner wolf wanted to take over. It had scared her then but not now. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her. Not physically. He might be dominating and sometimes too pushy, but he cared for her. In another world she might allow herself to care for him too. But they had no chance and she wasn’t going to risk getting her heart broken and losing her only family due to involvement with Liam. Especially when anything that happened between them couldn’t last. He barely looked thirty but she knew he was over a hundred years old.

“Get rid of him.” He didn’t raise his voice but there was a razor sharp edge to it.

Maybe his tone should have made her nervous but it just infuriated her.
He
infuriated her with all his arrogance. “Or what?”

“Or I’ll do it for you.”

She balled her hands into fists under the table. “You are so . . . so . . .”

In a fluid, graceful motion that reminded her he was more than human, he stood up and slid into the chair across from her. As if he had every right to do so. He half smiled and her traitorous libido roared to life. Why did the soft candlelight have to play off his features, making him even better looking? “Charming, handsome—”

His smartass response annoyed her even more, but it also allowed her to find her voice. “Arrogant and
annoying
,” she said in a loud whisper, barely containing the need to shout at him. “Why would you think on any level of normalcy that it was okay to interrupt my date when I’ve made it perfectly clear nothing is going to happen between you and me?”

His eyes darkened. “I’m not interrupting. I’m just eating. Or don’t you think shifters should be allowed in the same restaurants as humans?”

His words were like a slap. Shocked, she jerked back. She had issues with his kind—issues he didn’t even know about—but the thought of restricting someone, anyone, access to a public place was horrifying.

Her dismay must have shown because he cursed under his breath. “I didn’t mean that, December. I know you don’t think like that.”

“Then why’d you say it?”

“Because you’re driving me crazy, woman. Why are you out with this loser?”

“He’s not a loser.”

“He’s a fu— loser for leaving you all alone. And he’s not me. He’ll never be able to give you what I can. I can smell how much you want me even now. Just give us a chance, December.” His voice dropped slightly, taking on that sensuous quality that made her legs tremble and heat spread across her lower abdomen.

“Liam, we’re—”

“Too different. Yeah, that line is getting really old, Red.”

A flush hit her cheeks. “Don’t call me that.”

“Why not?”

“It’s too . . . familiar.” Unfortunately she very much liked the intimate way the nickname rolled off his tongue. And that was bad.

“I plan to get very familiar with you soon,
Red
.” He reached out and fingered one of her bright red curls.

Her stomach muscles clenched with need as his knuckles brushed against her cheek. As his masculine, earthy scent rolled over her, she struggled to remind herself why things would never work between them. When he looked at her with those captivating eyes it was hard to remember her own name.

The sound of a man clearing his throat jerked her back to reality. Her date stood next to the table, looking between her and Liam with slightly narrowed eyes. “I didn’t think I’d been gone that long,” he said semijokingly.

“I’m sorry . . .”
Oh God, what was his name?
 “. . . Mike. This is a friend of mine. And he’s
leaving
.”

Liam snorted loudly and glared at her. “
Friend
?”

He wasn’t going to make this easy for her. Holding her breath, she waited for him to move.

After what felt like an eternity he finally stood. Completely ignoring her date, he looked at her. Anyone else would have said a few polite words or excused himself but not Liam. It wasn’t in his DNA. He wouldn’t be civil or polite if he didn’t mean it. “This isn’t over,
Red
.”

Mercifully, instead of sitting back down, Liam nodded at the guy he’d arrived with. His friend dropped a bill on the table and they left without even having touched their drinks.

As her date slid back into his seat, she blew out a shaky breath.

“Ex-boyfriend?” Mike asked.

She shook her head. “Not exactly. I’m really sorry that happened.”

He shrugged but she could see the annoyance in his expression. Not that she blamed him. In his position she’d be ticked off too. When their server came back to take their order she knew she couldn’t sit through a meal with this guy. Seeing Liam had shaken her to her core and made it clear she wasn’t interested in dating anyone else. Until she could purge him from her system she might not ever be ready. Just knowing he was out there and available made everyone else pale in comparison. After asking their server to give her a few more minutes she looked at her date. She was ready to bail but he beat her to the punch.

“You want to leave, don’t you?” he asked, his voice wry.

Embarrassment flooded her but not enough that she changed her mind. She nodded and pulled her wallet out of her purse. She dropped a twenty on the table. It would more than cover their drinks. “I’m so sorry to have ruined your evening. There’s no excuse for my behavior. I know you don’t want all the details and I’m just . . . sorry. Would you mind taking me back to my store?” She’d let him pick her up there instead of home mainly because she’d wanted Liam to see them leaving together, but also because she didn’t like giving her address out to too many people. Curse of being a cop’s sister, she supposed.

“It’s no problem and you don’t have to pay.” He placed a clammy hand over hers. His hands were soft, unlike Liam’s callused roughened ones. She didn’t know what it was, but the feel of this guy touching her made her feel ill. He slightly tightened his hold and something akin to fear jumped inside her. Which made no sense. He seemed like a nice man. He’d held open her doors and pulled out her chair and had been perfectly polite. But he wasn’t Liam.

Somehow Liam had ruined her for anyone else, and they’d never even kissed. She wanted to curse his name for that. December stood, using it as an excuse to take her hand back. “I spoiled our date. At least let me pay for the drinks.”

Mike hadn’t attempted to pull out his wallet so she figured he didn’t actually mind her paying. The walk to the parking lot was quiet. Politely, he held open the passenger door of his BMW.

As they steered out of the parking lot the need to apologize again overwhelmed her. She’d never been so rude to a date before. “I know I said it already, but I really am sorry for messing up your evening.”

Without looking at her, he pulled onto the two-lane highway that led back to the small downtown area. His shoulders hitched slightly in a casual shrug. “It’s no problem. That guy obviously upset you.”

She started to relax against the leather seat when he continued.

“I don’t know why you’d expect anything less when you’re associating with animals.” The last word dripped with disdain and there was an unexpected rise in the pitch of his voice.

It took a moment for the significance of his words to register. She’d never said anything about Liam being a shifter. And it’s not as if people could tell what they were by simply looking at them. But the way Mike said “animals,” it was obvious he
knew
what Liam was without a doubt. She frowned at the knowledge. “Excuse me—”

She jerked back toward the door when he suddenly brought his right hand up. She saw the flash of the syringe and reacted. Barely had time to think.

Adrenaline swelled through her as he swung the needle at her shoulder. Using her arm to deflect the blow, her wrist jolted as their forearms collided with a solid thud. He still held the small weapon in his strong grip but he hadn’t managed to pierce her.

A bolt of terror splintered through her veins as she stared at the needle. She wasn’t sure if it was poison or some sort of sedative, but whatever he planned to do, it wasn’t good. If he knocked her out he could do whatever he wanted. Take her anywhere. The knowledge sent another jolt of fear spiraling through her. Despite the confines of the car, she turned, pressing her back against the door. Then she lifted her leg and kicked out at him. Her winter boots were thick and sturdy and had a two-inch heel that could do some damage. They were still barreling down the highway and he had to keep his eyes on the road, putting him at a huge disadvantage.

“Bitch,” he snarled and tried to stab her leg while keeping the wheel steady.

He missed so she kicked again. This time she twisted completely and raised both legs. The roads were icy and it was obvious he wasn’t used to the snow. If he were he’d have already gotten chains on his wheels. His inexperience was probably why he’d attempted to stab her while driving.
Idiot.

The vehicle swerved across the road and the syringe flew out of his hand. While he grappled with the wheel she kicked out at him again, all fury and anger. This time her booted heel slammed against the side of his face and her other foot shoved the wheel wildly to the left. He grunted and expelled a string of nasty curses as the car bucked sideways, but she didn’t care.

All the air rushed from her lungs as they fishtailed out of control. Everything slowed. She heard the sound of a horn blaring in the distance, tires screeching, and braced herself for the impact. For the pain.

On instinct she held on tight and crouched low in her seat. Her stomach shot into her throat as they flew off the road onto a snowy, icy embankment. She felt like she was on a rollercoaster ride except she knew the ending was going to be worse. The car spun wildly out of control for what seemed like forever until it skidded to a smooth stop on a bunch of fluffy snow.

Like a miracle, they didn’t flip or ram into anything. Mike shook his head and looked around, a dazed expression on his face.

He might be in a state of shock but December knew it wouldn’t last long. She had to get out now, no matter how shaky she felt. She was twisted at an odd angle and sitting low so she slowly reached behind her with one hand and felt for the handle. As she did, she unsnapped her seatbelt with the other.