Page 4 of Feral Mates (Ruthless Instinct #1)

Intense growls permeated the darkness coming from all sides.

Seconds later they appeared, instantly creating a tight circle. How in the hell had they gotten to the other side of the river before me? I spun around three times as they closed the distance.

“Stay back!” I threw my arms out, willing them to disappear, but no amount of wishing would change what was about to happen. Every movement they made was predatory, the wild looks on their faces showing their pure need.

With every step closer, I was pulled into a dark place in my mind where sanity and reality were being eroded by a hunger so powerful I was crazed with desire.

I spun around again, catching every man in the eyes. They never blinked. Every move seemed calculated.

“Just… stay away from me.” My voice was no longer my own, the deep and throaty sound a tone I didn’t recognize. Up close, they were even more powerful in appearance. I’d never felt so small or vulnerable.

When they were only inches away, I tried with everything I had to fight them again, but it was no use. Exhaustion tore through me. Within seconds, the clothes were ripped from me. They weren’t gentle, their huge hands grasping at me like wild animals.

I punched and kicked even as the blond rubbed his hands down my sides, peering at me as if I was his next morsel. I managed to get in a brutal punch to his gut, but without hesitation he yanked me off my feet, tossing me over his broad shoulder as if I weighed nothing.

“Let me go. You’re not taking me.” No amount of pummeling against his back did anything.

His long strides and heavy feet on the ground brought another set of vibrations.

Even as he lowered me to my feet, I tried to scramble away only to be tossed over a gigantic fallen log.

As the bark dug into my skin, I clawed at the surface, kicking my feet out.

What in the hell were they doing?

I found out seconds later when the blond beast brought his palm down against my bottom. What the hell? I was so jarred I squeaked, the sound so weak I was disgusted. This fucking son of a bitch was spanking me? Was he kidding?

As soon as I tried to push up from the wood, the dark-haired monster drove me down, placing his massive hand against the small of my back.

I fought to arch my back, hissing as the whiskey-haired man planted his foot on the log, peering down at me with the same hungered leer.

His jaw was clenched tightly, the look of amusement replaced with a stronger gaze of lust.

The blond brought his hand down several times, moving from side to side.

The pain was intense, roaring through me like a firestorm, yet I was hypnotized by the other beasts’ eyes.

They were reflective in the moonlight, darkness surrounded by a ring of shimmering gold.

In the right light, they could appear to be glowing in an eerie shade of yellow.

I should be terrified, but another wave of arousal caught me off guard.

The blond cracked his hand against my heated skin again and again, the force driving me into the log.

Even though every part of my mind told me to continue fighting, the adrenaline continued to ebb away.

I was drained and almost incoherent in my thoughts.

Nothing made any sense, especially the way my body was reacting.

As if I wanted this.

No, that wasn’t possible.

The beast behind me took a deep breath, his exhale a scattered growl. When he brushed his hand between my legs, I was thankful my body reacted involuntarily. I clamped my legs shut and he grunted his dissatisfaction, yanking them apart until I was as exposed as I’d ever been.

Whatever sound he was making didn’t seem human, but when he clamped his hand against my pussy, all thoughts were lost. A tingle of desire trickled up my legs and suddenly, my core was molten lava.

There was no controlling my breathing, the raggedness and soft whimpers defying me.

With a dark chuckle, the blond swirled his finger around my clit and I bucked against him, instantly hating myself.

“Get off!” My cries were unheeded.

The monsters weren’t finished punishing me. The dark god thumped down on the log, instantly yanking me over his lap. With one hand wrapped around my waist, he held me in place as he resumed the horrible round of discipline.

I cried and squirmed as he developed a rhythm, the beat matching the rapid beating of my heart. As a single tear formed in my right eye, I closed both and frantically tried to shove aside anything but hate and anger.

There was no tenderness to the man even as his cock pressed against my stomach.

I lifted my head, trying to push up from the log.

That’s when I noticed the whiskey-haired brute had disappeared.

I searched the forest although I wasn’t certain why.

Maybe he’d grown bored. Maybe he’d come to his senses.

Yeah, right.

This was just the beginning of a horrible nightmare. The sharpness of my longing continued even though I did everything I could to push it way. I was panting, squirming against his shaft until I created a wave of friction that reduced the effects of anguish.

Yet the cracks of his hand continued. I finally lay limp, doing nothing more than breathing.

Another whimper escaped. Slowly, deliberately he pressed his hand between my legs.

I stiffened, now holding my breath as another unwanted yet exciting wave of sensations crisscrossed my entire body.

He took a deep breath, rolling his thumb around my clit. Teasing me. Driving me crazy.

When he shoved two fingers in me, his sudden brutal penetration forced me to arch my back.

Shit. Shit. I was so wet, the sound as he thrust long and deep boosting the crazed desire sweeping through me.

I squirmed and tried to pitch myself free, but there was no getting away from him.

My vision blurred and for a few seconds, I enjoyed the pleasure, falling into a sweet haze.

Then I pounded my fist on his leg. My actions were met with yet another growl.

The bastard was trying to scare me. To hell with him.

Gentler than before, he eased me onto my feet, peering up at me as I tried to focus.

The fighter in me came out and I cracked my hand across his face.

In his surprise, he let me go. I bolted once again, but a rushing breeze brought the face and hard body of the whiskey-kissed man directly in front of me. Where had he come from?

He shook his head as if telling me I’d behaved badly.

Well, fuck him.

“Back away and you won’t be hurt.” The words just erupted from my mouth. I was shocked when he smiled as if sensing a joke. In response, he held up the reason he’d disappeared.

A twig.

It appeared as if he’d found something to cut into a switch, although the bark remained on half the slender piece of wood.

I lifted my head, studying the hardness of his eyes, shocked to the very depths of my being as he pulled the stick into his mouth.

He ripped at the bark with razor-sharp teeth, stripping away the pieces as if chewing on a hunk of beef jerky.

Swallowing, I realized the other two men were close behind, either watching or determined to keep me in line.

When he was finished with his horrible task, he took a single stride forward, fisting my hair and tugging me toward a huge tree.

There was so little energy left in me I could no longer fight.

When I was pitched face first against the solid maple, I gritted my teeth.

They could spank me all they wanted, but I refused to give them the satisfaction of crying.

That just wasn’t what I was made of.

He dragged one arm over my head then the other until all I could do was hug the tree for comfort.

The sun-kissed brute moved from side to side as if determined to keep me on edge as the anticipation grew.

I closed my eyes, ignoring him. Even feeling the weight of their stares, I had no clue what they really wanted other than to fuck me.

Maybe they were escapees from a prison, although I didn’t remember there being one close by.

My thoughts were jumbled again as he cracked the switch across my backside. I jumped, biting my lower lip to keep from crying out. He didn’t waste any time, the snap of his wrist catching my attention as he added another welt to my buttocks and my upper thighs.

He also created more throbbing between my legs. I had to be delirious for my body to hunger for something so horrific.

The agony lingered as he continued the switching, yet the building heat was deep within my pussy even more than across my aching bottom.

There was a moment I was certain the spanking would go on forever, but he pulled away seconds later.

Another wave of silence forced me to open my eyes.

His scowl of arrogance drove away the fear, replacing it with another rush of pure rage.

As if sensing what I was feeling and planning, he shook his head.

Was he kidding me? Did he honestly believe I’d surrender so easily?

He moved behind me, his chest rising and falling. I shuddered once again and tilted my head over my shoulder. What was he going to do?

He rolled his fingers down my spine, taking his time while his head dropped to match his slowly wandering fingers.

When he pressed the switch between my legs, I stiffened, a whimper unavoidable.

He rubbed the piece of wood back and forth, pressing it between my swollen folds.

I threw my head back, gritting my teeth, completely embarrassed I was so wet.

Every breath he took was labored. Several seconds passed, the quietness settling between them much worse than having them chase after me.

The weight of their stares was heavy. I also sensed their rush of thoughts and wants, carnal needs that were overwhelming.

Why was it possible I could almost read their minds?

That wasn’t possible and something I’d never experienced before.

The moment of humiliation was over and he turned me around to face them. I remained against the tree, shifting my hate-filled gaze from one to the other. The awkwardness was palpable. I lowered my arms while fisting my hands.

“You can’t keep me here.” There was utter defiance in my voice, the tone unable to mask the anger scorching every nerve ending.

I watched as the three of them looked from one to the other without saying a word. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were communicating with each other in utter silence. The brute holding the switch pulled it under his nose, inhaling deeply. His eyes never left mine.

He handed it off to the blond who brought the switch closer, giving a short sniff before dragging his long tongue down the length by several inches.

I wasn’t certain whether to be shocked or appalled.

Cringing, I waited as the dark-haired man with eyes darker than the others yanked the twig into his hand. He snapped it into two pieces, tossing one aside then shoving the other few inches into his mouth. As he crunched down on the wood, I felt my mouth dropping open.

What the fuck was he doing? Were these savage creatures men or beasts?

When he was finished chewing, he nodded to the other two and took determined steps toward me. I wasn’t certain what to expect and held my breath, waiting like a good little girl.

Perhaps my patience was rewarded because he spoke a single word in a deep, gruff, and overtly sexual tone.

“Ours.”