Page 7 of Feral Mates (Ruthless Instinct #1)

S avannah

Softness tickled my skin, warm and inviting.

Mmm…

Shifting, I stretched out an arm, my fingers touching something hard. Stifling a yawn, I brushed a single finger back and forth. Hard and smooth. As another tickling sensation floated across my face, prickles formed on my arms, forcing me to open my eyes.

What the fuck?

The scent of damp grass, moss, and something intensely earthy startled my senses.

I blinked several times until the object nestled under my hand came into focus. A rock. Wha-at? Very slowly I lifted my head, allowing my eyes to drift across several feet. Now all I could see were trees and grass. Lots of dense foliage.

What in God’s name was going on?

Every action deliberate, I tried to collect my thoughts and the last memory I had.

I’d been at the laboratory. I’d left late.

A flat tire then…

Three. Savage. Men.

Now I jerked up taking gasping breaths, swinging my head from side to side as a noise captured my attention. The sound of running water. I tipped my head over my shoulder, catching sight of a river.

Even after swallowing several times, a lump remained in my throat.

That was no match for the twisted knot in my stomach.

I pressed my hands onto the thick grass, pushing up from the ground as the world tilted around me.

Every muscle ached and my pulse quickened to the point my heart was thudding in my chest.

As soon as I turned over, easing into a sitting position, a rush of discomfort swept across my bottom.

Images began tearing at my mind as I tried to process what I was envisioning. Hulking shadows under the moonlight. Huge hands touching me. Lips devouring my mouth. Fingers invading my…

And they’d spanked me.

Hold on. Hold the fuck on.

My fingers punched through the grass as I lifted my pelvis, twisting enough I caught a quick glimpse of a portion of my bottom.

My reddened bottom.

There were stripes; while faint, I could still see them.

Oh, this was not good at all.

Shivering, I folded my arms and as I tried to rationalize what was going on, I realized I wasn’t wearing my shirt. I dragged my tongue across my parched lips, realizing they were swollen as if they’d been ravaged for hours. That wasn’t the worst part.

A quick look confirmed I was completely naked, mud caked between my toes.

Goosebumps immediately peppered my skin as I tried to control my breathing. It was futile. Fear tore through me as more vivid imagery flitted back and forth.

Three men had… They’d taken me. It was as if they’d claimed me.

Like feral animals.

The thought was ridiculous.

Right?

I scanned the area, listening for any other sounds. Like primal beasts waiting for me to awaken.

A subtle snort pushed past my lips as I held out my arms searching for any injuries. They were covered in light scratches, but nothing too severe. I made certain I could move both legs before I tried to stand. Still wobbly, I turned in a full circle, barely able to keep myself aloft.

Seeing nothing, I breathed a sigh of relief.

But even as I did so, I had a feeling, the creepy-crawly sixth sense kind that screamed silently that I was being watched.

From all sides.

Eyes peering at me.

I turned around in another circle, searching the trees, but couldn’t see anything but shades of green and brown. Maybe I’d been dreaming.

Then why was I naked and sore?

Maybe I was losing my mind.

Whatever was going on I’d worry about later. I needed to get the hell out of here. The only trouble was that I wasn’t certain where I was.

Another memory surfaced, of being chased through the woods by primal monsters. Hair stood up on the back of my neck, which prompted me to get my ass moving. I wasn’t going to solve the mystery here. I’d need to follow my instincts.

As insane as it sounded.

There was no other choice.

With my breath labored from fear and uncertainty, I tried to recognize anything. Anything at all. Other than the river, every tree looked the same. The only thing I could do was to make a choice. I took off walking, carefully avoiding the fallen sticks and rocks.

I’d been walking for at least five minutes when another prickling sensation tickled the back of my neck. Stopping short, I pressed my hand against a huge oak tree and slowly looked over my shoulder.

Um… Were those amber eyes?

Cinching my eyes shut, I willed the near panic to fade.

And the hallucination.

Please. Please. Please be gone.

A few seconds later, I opened a single eye. The apparition had vanished.

Thank fucking God.

Still, my throat muscles suddenly tightened. I wasn’t prone to being spooked easily, but the sensation of being watched refused to go away. My fingernails were digging into the bark, but after a full minute of scanning the perimeter and seeing nothing, I scolded myself for being so silly.

As I forged on, my short laugh was truncated. I was still naked in the middle of a forest.

I kept going, refusing to look back even if it felt as if several beasts were breathing down my neck.

Coming for me.

To touch me.

Taste me.

Fuck me.

Claim me.

Christ. I really was losing my mind. I moved faster, willing myself to get the hell out of here. I needed a hot shower, a very tall glass of wine, and maybe a CAT scan.

And not necessarily in that order.

I continued glancing over my shoulder every few seconds, my skin still crawling to the point every sensation felt electric.

I wished I had a weapon just in case they decided to return.

Then again, if they’d wanted to kill me, they could have already.

Why leave me in the grass? My head ached from trying to figure out the circumstances of what I’d endured.

“Ouch,” I hissed when I tripped over something. As soon as I looked down, another confirmation hit me.

There was the tire iron I’d attempted to use to protect myself.

With the thick steel in my hand, I became even more determined to make it out alive.

Several exhausting minutes passed, my tender feet feeling every rock, twig, and sharp blade of grass, but a flash of sunlight gave me hope.

Was a stream of light reflecting off something metal?

Excitement tore through me and I took off running as fast as I could. As I zigged and zagged, I finally made out what I was seeing.

Oh, thank you, sweet Jesus.

My car.

My beautiful red car.

With… the flat tire.

Fuck.

There was a bright spot. At least I had an extra change of clothes in the car.

What if the bastards stole my clothes? As I slowed down, I also rolled my eyes. What would three gorgeous huge hunks do with my clothes? The items would barely cover their three… huge cocks.

Oh, this was bad. As I broke through the trees, I reminded myself once again I was completely naked and there was a road right in front of me.

Thank God, it was Saturday. Or at least I thought it was.

I took a few quick glances and sprinted across the road.

Everything seemed to be the way I’d left it.

With one exception.

The flat tire had been changed.

I stared down at the tire iron in my hand. Maybe whoever had performed the nice deed had used one they’d had with them. That had to be it. The lug nuts had been tight, so much so no human hand could have enough torque to break the connection.

Another even weirder cold prickle skittered down my back all the way to my toes. Who would do that? Dr. Death? No way. A security guard? Maybe. If not, that left…

Thank God, my keys were in the ignition. I was so lucky the escaped prisoners had left my car for me.

Right. As if that would happen.

And as if they were prisoners.

No, I wasn’t going down that road.

I grabbed the bag of clothes, hurrying into them. With my heart still racing, I jumped into the driver’s seat, saying a tiny prayer my car would start.

She did.

Thank God.

Just before pulling away, I glanced into the rearview mirror.

I could swear I was able to make out three sets of amber eyes, only they weren’t human.

They were canine.