Page 18

D evon attempted to stifle his cougar’s elation at her words. He attempted reasoning with his beast, trying without success to explain Sarah’s body needed to rest. His cougar was having none of it so he tried reasoning with Sarah.

“You will shift immediately after I bite you. Your body needs more time to recuperate. You’re exhausted. You don’t understand the position you’re putting me in.”

She looked him over smoothly. He could see the determination in her eyes.

So, could his cougar, it surged against its constraints, attempting to give its mate what she wanted.

Needed. Devon tensed under the strain of restricting his animal.

“Sarah, please. Just a day or two.” He would happily beg if she would consider waiting.

This was the most important thing in a shifter’s entire life.

His cougar would fight with every ounce of its strength.

Sarah’s eyes glinted amber, making her cat’s presence known. “No.”

His temper rose in conjunction with his animal’s.

“I will fuck you in the ass before I bite you. Then, after you change, although your cat will be exhausted, mine will take yours until you can no longer hold your form. You will be lying in the dirt bleeding before tonight is through,” he said harshly. She would know he wasn’t lying.

“Is that supposed to scare me?”

She appeared to be embracing her cougar, but Devon sensed she was holding something back. This was the first time he wished he could read minds. Emotions were subject to interpretation, and he didn’t like the ambiguity of hers.

A small smile creased her lips. “If you are having doubts that I’m your mate...”

He was on her with his tongue down her throat before she could say another word. He growled into her mouth, ensuring she knew what he thought of her ridiculous statement. He knew it was a ploy. Complete bullshit. His cougar, however, would never take that chance and the little minx knew it.

Devon wasn’t gentle. He slammed into her with force, swallowing her gasp. He pumped into her forcefully. His hands pushing and pulling her hips to accentuate his harsh rhythm. She was moaning.

Her fingers raked his back, marking him, inflaming his beast further.

He leaned back, leaving the haven of her mouth so he could tilt her up and penetrate her deeper.

Her hand grabbed the couch to hold her pelvis up.

The sound of their skin slapping together was his undoing. He came hard, taking her with him.

He didn’t let her rest, pulling her up, leaning her over the couch. He was licking her ass with his finger working her clit before she’d finished her last orgasm.

Devon pushed his fingers deep into her pussy, coating them with her cream before easing one slowly into the tight channel of her rear. He felt her tense up at this unfamiliar invasion. “Relax Baby. Feel how easily I slide into you.”

She relaxed as he continued his sensual invasion. When she began arching her back, he slipped another finger in, feeling the tight muscles slowly give way.

She squirmed under the overwhelming pleasure. “It’s too much.”

“You will take this and more. You wanted everything and now you’ll have it,” he removed his fingers, positioning his straining cock. He pushed into the tight opening slowly, resisting the urge to bury himself deep.

He felt her muscles part. The excruciating pleasure of her tight muscles, clenching around him, almost pushed him over the edge. He fought with every ounce of discipline to stay in control, wanting to pound into her flesh until she screamed his name.

She was panting, moving her head back and forth when he finally impaled her to the hilt. He gave her a second to adjust before starting with a slow easy stroke, watching as his cock invaded her. He felt the change in her immediately.

Sarah began to push back, clutching the back of the couch with white-knuckled fingers. “More. Harder.”

He didn’t comply. He slowed his stroke even further.

“Please Devon. Fuck me HARDER.” she pleaded.

He slammed into her, thrusting with such force his balls slapped against her. She came shouting his name. The tight milking action, pulled him with her as he bit hard into her neck.

The sharp sting of pain/pleasure set her off into another orgasm, forcing him to growl as he clamped down on her neck.

He released her as the tidal wave subsided. He licked her wounds, watching them heal instantly. He eased out of her, laying his head between her shoulder blades.

There were only a few seconds of peace before she cried out in pain.

Devon stood back as her back arched. He knew he wasn’t supposed to touch her, but the need to comfort his mate was overwhelming.

He battled through the onslaught of their combined emotions.

She put her hands back down on the cushions, screaming, as her back flexed into unnatural proportions.

A reverberating crack was the precursor to her back breaking in half before the resulting rippling started. She stopped screaming. Her body barely able to concentrate on its next breath.

Her whole body shimmered in a wave before she shifted.

She turned to Devon with cold angry eyes before swatting the air in front of him.

She wasn’t trying to hurt him. She was warning him.

She jumped through the open window and onto the ground, stumbling on her landing, before running into the night.

Devon shifted and was outside before she could make it to the trees.

He smelled the pheromones coming off her in waves.

Mates weren’t usually fertile on the first shift.

Yet Lucy had conceived and Devon was positive Sarah could as well.

The thought made his cougar take over. He felt the change in his cat.

The strength. He had always assumed that the man was dominant, now he understood the cougar was every bit as strong as its human counterpart.

It didn’t feel the need to assert itself unless its primal needs were not being met.

It was being clear, now. It was taking its mate and Devon would not be taking human form any time soon.

His cougar was determined to assert its dominance over its fleeing mate.

It approached her warily as she sat by a rotted stump.

Devon had been told that new mates liked to play.

Run. Sarah sat after barely a jog. She watched him.

She was beautiful. Her clear amber eyes held a sadness that confused and concerned his cougar.

Her cougar was not in control. She was. She turned again and jogged only a few minutes before she sat again. She was exhausted.

His cat didn’t pass up the opportunity. He slid against a fallen log and swatted leaves in the air. When his female didn’t respond he chuffed at her, waiting as her ears perked up.

His cat proceeded to roll in the leaves before sliding along the ground.

He saw the instant Sarah’s cat took over.

She pounced on a drifting leaf and called to her mate.

She jumped on a log and ran along it before jumping down.

She rolled in the leaves and before returning to her feet, his cat was on her, its jaws clamped onto her neck forcing her to submit.

She lowered her head as her mate took her.

After several hours his male wanted his female to head back. He nudged her to get off the ground.

She attempted to rise, failing before her body rippled. Sarah lay on the ground. Crying.

Shame washed over Devon as he shifted. His whole chest hurt. He should have held back. He’d known she wasn’t ready. All he could do now was pray for her forgiveness and spend the rest of his life making it up to her. “I’m sorry, Sarah. I should have waited.”

She shook her head. “Don’t be. I’m not. I felt free. Truly free. My new world looked so inviting and beautiful. I didn’t want to leave. I’m crying because I didn’t want to come back.”

He pulled her close, protecting her with the warmth of his body. “Ah, baby. I know how alluring being in cat form can be, but we are both and your cat will force that balance.” He kissed her temple.

She took a stuttered breath. “I still feel her. She says I need to rest before we can run again. I tried to hold on, but she wouldn’t let me.”

“No honey. She is part of you. If you don’t take care of your human body, you can’t take care of hers.” His hand trailed down her flaxen hair. It felt even softer than before.

“She communicates with images and emotions. It’s confusing,” Sarah admitted.

“It is at first. You will learn what her needs are very quickly and I will be here to help you every step of the way.”

She turned and looked up at him. Even with tears sliding down her face, she was the most beautiful creature in the world. He loved everything about her. He needed to ensure she felt the same. Devon had Sarah’s cat. He needed her.

Sarah wiped her face with her hand. “Your species is more beautiful than I could ever imagine. I’m sorry for what my father and the Kallans are doing to you. I promise I WILL stop it.”

Fear skittered through Devon’s heart. She was naturally emotional having just gone through the change, but he was concerned that her training and sense of responsibility for her father’s misgivings would force her to make a rash decision.

He wanted her to be protective of the shifter race. Of his lair. His family. He wanted her to feel it was hers. “None of this is your fault. Just like what happened to my mother wasn’t hers.” He had to resolve that issue soon too.

Sarah laid her head back on his chest, saying nothing. The cold remorse that emanated from her made him nervous. “Let’s go back and get some clothes from the house. I have something to give to my parents. You made me realize I have some things to straighten out with them.”

She tensed up in his arms. “Sarah?”

“What happened to your mother is personal. I think you should talk to them alone,” she said softly.