Page 9

Chapter 9

Daff

Banging on the dark window above the couch made me jerk and Prowl growl.

“It’s all good, big guy,” I said, which was half true.

I still felt like I was about to puke up my heart, but at least I hadn’t shit myself.

Which was becoming a growing concern since I’d been needing to for the last two hours, but I couldn’t figure out how that was actually going to happen.

Because even if I could close the curtain or make Prowl turn his back, he’d still be able to SMELL it.

Peeing had been fine.

I could do that easily enough while keeping decent once I could relax enough to let it out.

But pooping… ugh. I think my time putting it off was almost up.

“Is that your friend?”

I focused on the now clear window and sprang to my feet, Prowl barely hesitating before freeing my hand.

Mandy had a phone in her hand, eyes flicking between Prowl and I as she fidgeted with the cord connecting it to the wall.

I picked up the one on my side.

“You came!”

“Yup,” she said, her eyes darting behind me again.

“How’re you doing? Wait, can he hear me?”

I half spun towards Prowl, who was watching me with an intensity that if I hadn’t spent the last twenty-four hours with, would have made me nervous.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Can you?”

He raised one back, and I rolled my eyes.

“Can you hear Mandy when she talks?”

“Yes.”

Damn, that was good hearing.

“That’s a yes,” I repeated, turning back to her.

She hummed, her eyes dropping to her fingers before brightening.

“I’ve got it. Mouth the words yes or no. Okay?”

“Okay… why?”

She shot me a look that basically asked if I was stupid.

“Just do it. It’ll help me feel better.”

“Okay.”

“Good. Question one. Are you okay in there?”

My heart gave an extra thump.

Was this what it was like having a friend?

Yes.

“Question two. Do you feel safe?”

Prowl gave a low growl, as if she’d insulted him.

“She’s allowed to ask, Prowl. I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me, but she doesn’t.”

Yes, I mouthed to her with an eye roll.

“I was going to ask if he’d hurt you, but I guess it’d be pretty obvious if he had. So, question three. Are they keeping you here against your will or making you do anything you don’t want to do?”

“No, and no.”

“You were supposed to mouth that back to me, so I know you aren’t lying!”

“I’m not, and I’m fine, I promise. Prowl’s a big teddy bear—teddy lion? With me. I promise.”

“Good. I’m glad.” Her eyes slid behind me, staying longer this time.

“He isn’t like the other girls said.”

“We all look crazy when we’re extremely upset.”

“True.” She checked out the rest of our room.

“There’s really not much privacy, is there?”

“No,” I said with a snort.

“And the place would give a lot less… I’m not sure how to word this? Torture chamber vibes? If all the dry blood was cleaned off the wall.”

I hadn’t really looked at it.

I’d been too focused on Prowl, and most of that time had been spent at the bars of his door.

But now that she’d said it, all I could see were the dry, dark smears of his blood.

It looked utterly gruesome.

Prowl cleared his throat.

“If someone brings me some cleaning supplies, I’ll clean it up.”

“Thanks, big guy. I think that’s a great idea. Did you hear that?”

Mandy shook her head but looked intrigued.

“If someone can get us some cleaning supplies, Prowl will take care of it.”

Her eyes widened.

“Yeah?”

I nodded.

“He’s good, Mandy. You don’t need to worry about me being with him, I promise.”

She nodded, looking like she was starting to believe me.

“My turn for questions. What have you been up to? What have they told you about the other hybrids? I want to hear everything!”

She rocked up onto her toes, bouncing with excitement.

“No one on the outside would believe even half of it, I swear!”

I grinned.

“Tell me.”

“We went back to admin and got the rundown on the different hybrids here, and how to interact with them. There’s four of them. Lion, panther, wolf and gorilla.”

Wow.

Good to know.

“The rules are; they aren’t allowed to approach us. They have to wait until we go to them, or we clearly call them over. There are massive consequences for them if they instigate any kind of touch. Which, honestly, I’m okay with. They’ve spent the majority of their life either locked up or learning how to track and kill. It helps me feel a little safer.”

“I’m glad.”

I was also glad that I’d been the one to instigate the touching between Prowl and I.

Despite the fact I’d probably have shit myself if he’d done it first, it meant they wouldn’t ever be able to punish him for it.

“Were you there when they told us we were the second group here?” Mandy asked.

“Yeah. We’re Group B.”

“Even though we’re group B, we’ll be doing jobs where we interact with them a lot more.”

“Like what?”

“I’ll be working in their version of a school slash daycare with the cubs!”

“Whoa. The Cubs?”

“Little girls, all lion hybrids. I met them this morning. Daff, they’re amazing. And so damn cute. They’re all between four and six years old. At least that’s their best guess.” She lowered her voice, but I wasn’t sure if it’d be enough to stop Prowl from hearing.

“They’re the only females, and the only children they’ve found.”

When I looked back at Prowl, his head was bowed forward, firmly pressed against his bars, but he was still watching me.

“We’ve toured all the shared spaces, got our fingerprints into the system so we don’t need keys, synced our base-issued watches,” she said, flashing me her wrist, “and settled into our apartments.

“Is your room nice?

”

“Nicer than anything I’ve rented before. There’s two people to an apartment, and we’re roomies. I made sure they put us together. We have our own rooms and a functional kitchen we can use if we don’t feel like eating in the dining hall.”

“Nice.”

She wiggled a little, then stilled, eyes flashing behind me before pulling the mouthpiece closer to her lips.

“They called us into another information session before lunch. I got the impression it wasn’t one they’d had before.”

“Yeah? Why?”

“Because it looked like every female on the base was there.”

Now she had me curious.

This time, she whispered.

“They wanted to warn us about their cocks, and what to expect if we ever… you know… had any sexy time with them below the waist.”

So they had listened to me this morning.

And acted fast on it.

There was a sizeable chunk of satisfaction in that knowledge.

“And?”

“They’re different.”

I rolled my eyes, but the confirmation made me squeeze my thighs.

“That’s not the slightest bit helpful.”

She smirked at me.

“Some have spines on them, Daff. Spines!”

Sweet baby Jesus.

Who the hell would want that inside them?

No wonder they’d been worried about us being unprepared for their cocks.

“Like, sharp ones?”

“God, no! They said they’re firm, but soft. Like what you feel when you push the tip of your nose.” She did it like she needed to show me.

My fingers itched, wanting to copy her and remind myself what it felt like.

And what it would feel like, attached to a cock and moving inside me.

And if that cock happened to be Prowls?

I barely suppressed my shiver.

“How did they take it?”

Had the women been terrified like the doctor predicted, or had they reacted like I’d expected?

“Some of them looked stressed, but most of us, I think, were more than okay with it.”

She leaned closer, like she was about to share a secret with me despite the window between us.

“I think we shocked them with our interest in trying the different ones out.”

If different hybrids wielded different cocks, which ones had the firm but soft spines that would feel like the tip of my nose when I pressed on it?

I cleared my throat, doing my best not to rub my thighs together, as Prowl started purring behind me.

I spared him a glance, wondering what had set him off since the only other times he’d done it was when he thought I was stressed or upset.

“I wonder if the hybrids have had the safe sex talk.”

Yeah, I highly doubted it, considering they fully believed no one would ever even want to touch them.

“Can you imagine what their condoms must look like?” She continued.

“Or how they worked out the right shape in the first place?”

“I’m sure it’s something they’ll figure out real quick if they haven’t yet.”

Prowl’s purr went up a notch, enough for Mandy to hear on her end of the line.

“Is he… purring?”

“He doesn’t like me being anxious or upset.”

“Are you?”

“Not right now, no,” I said with a frown, shooting him another look.

Mandy checked her watch.

“I gotta go. I’m spending time with the cubs this afternoon and I don’t want to be late.” She placed her free hand on the window.

“I’m really glad you’re okay. And that he’s not like how he was when we got here.”

“Me too. Thanks for coming, Mandy.”

“All good. I’ll stop by again tomorrow. Bye!”

She hung up her receiver, and must have pressed something else because the window fell dark.

I returned my phone to its cradle, then turned to face Prowl.

“Wanna tell me why you’re purring?”

His lips lifted into the closest thing I’d seen to smile from him.

“You.”

“I’m not sad or stressed,” I said, taking measured steps towards him.

“So, how can it be for me?”

“ Because of ,” he said, closing his eyes as he inhaled me into his lungs.

He looked so damn good doing it.

“Not for .”

“Oh?” I asked, feeling a little breathless.

The gold in his eyes sparked hotter.

“Your scent changed.”

“My scent?”

“Mmm,” he rumbled, the sound begging for a whimper from me.

“That,” he growled, his lips parting as if he was trying to taste, not just smell the air.

Shit.

The only thing that’d changed was me being seriously turned on.

Could he actually scent that?

I stopped just beyond his reach, my heart pounding and pussy aching as I took in the physical size of him.

Sure, he wasn’t as big as King, but he’d been wasting away for months.

Despite that, he was still a giant wall of muscle, his abs rippling with every breath, and whatever kind of cock he was packing, straining against his pants.

“You’re killing me, sweetheart.”

“At least it’s a better death than the one chasing you before.” I clapped a hand over my mouth, meeting his eyes in horror.

“I am so freaking sorry I said that. I shouldn’t have?—”

He pressed his chest to the bars, forcing himself as close as physically possible without reaching for me, his purr rumbling louder, wrapping me in its vibrations.

“I’d choose this end every time.”

“Fuck,” I whispered, grabbing hold of the bars next to his white-knuckled hands.

Still, he didn’t reach for me.

“Prowl—”

The buzzer sounded, and I sprang back, spinning towards whoever was about to come in.

Henry entered with a bucket, a limp rag hanging over its edge.

“Cleaning supplies. Do you need anything else?”

Besides new underwear and a less frustrated clit?

“We’re good,” Prowl confirmed.

The guard ditched the bucket and left.

I cleared my throat.

“You should clean your wall.”

Which was actually pretty awful.

It was a visual history of the damage done to his body.

It was also a great idea, in theory, to give us some time, if not space, to cool off.

Until he reached through the bars and took the cloth, and I realised, I’d be watching him in all his upper naked glory, abdominals shuddering, biceps flexing, the look of steady concentration on his face as he sprayed the wall down and followed it in smooth, circular strokes.

God, to be on the receiving end of that kind of attention.

Of those movements focused solely on my body.

Said movements slowed, the gorgeous bastard smirking at me as I realised he’d finished, and was waiting to see how long it took me to stop drooling over him and notice.

Damn him.

“That clean enough for you?”

“Yep. Yes. It looks much better.”

He tossed the dirty cloth back through the bars and into the bucket.

“My turn.”

“Yours?” I squeaked.

“To get clean.”

I popped to my feet, grabbing my shampoo and conditioner, and passing it through to him.

“Two shampoos, one condition. Work the conditioner through as best as you can with your fingers, then let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing it out.”

“And you’ll brush it for me?”

“Yeah, big guy. I’ll brush it for you.”

Between one blink and the next, he’d turned on the water and was undoing the top button of his pants.

“Stay where I can see you.”

I nodded, not trusting my voice as he turned around and dropped his pants.

I doubt I could peel myself away if I wanted to.

His head tipped back, the hot water dragging a satisfied groan from him.

I closed my eyes, but he was already etched into the back of my eyelids, his perfect ass clenching and releasing along with the rest of his muscles as the heat of the water worked its magic.

I focused on my breathing as I listened to him move.

Opening and closing bottle lids.

The water falling harder and softer, depending on how much of his skin it was hitting as he moved around.

Washing his hair. His body.

“Look at me.”

The command made my clit throb.

“You need to be able to see me. I don’t have the same excuse.”

“Look. At. Me.”

He stood like a god, legs spread, eyes hooded, his right hand mapping the muscles of his abdomen as it slid lower.

I watched, thighs clenched, clit throbbing, as his fingers finally stopped, wrapping around the base of his cock.

He was too far away, the spray of water misting the view of his thick fingers stroking in a slow, steady twist, blocking the details I was on the verge of begging for.

He inhaled like his life depended on it, his loud purr following, his hand picking up speed.

“Daff.”

It was half warning, half plea, and there was no stopping the whimper that escaped.

“Fuck.”

Another deep inhale and he came, the guttural sound he made sending shivers through me.

Is that what he’d sound like, coming inside me?

Or would it sound even better, knowing it was my body that had wrung it from him, my muscles that had gripped and stroked him, and not just his hand and the fantasy of it?

I forced myself to look away, punishing my bottom lip, as he washed himself off and turned off the water.

He cleared his throat, snapping my head back in his direction.

He was already dressed, wearing joggers that sat low on his hips; the odd drip falling from his hair, landing on his shoulder before sliding down the indents of his chest.

My lips ached to trace their path.

I’d give almost anything to crawl through those bars and catch them with my tongue.

I blinked at the mental image.

How the hell had I gotten in so deep, so fast with him?

No guy had ever pushed my buttons like this.

Or had me wanting him to push my buttons like this, so to speak.

“You alright, Angel?”

Was that regret in his voice?

Or worry?

“Yeah.” I licked my drips lips, forcing myself to swallow.

“I’m good. You?”

His shoulders dropped, replaced by a much more confident-looking smirk.

“Much better.”

I picked up my brush, my rolling eyes hard to miss as I met him at the bars.

His nervousness was back.

“How do we do this?”

“Turn around and sit close to the bars. I’ll slip my hands through and brush it that way.”

A nod and he settled in place.

I followed him down, my legs crossing as I wriggled as close as I could.

My knees stopped me from getting close enough to be comfortable.

“Hang on.”

I slipped one foot between the bars, then the other, then slid forward as far as my thighs would let me.

Prowl’s back was a tense wall until I stilled.

“Are you okay like this? I couldn’t get close enough and still be comfortable the other way, which is a biggy since I’ll be here a while.”

He cleared his throat, his fingers gently wrapping around my right ankle, suffusing it with warmth I felt all the way to my belly.

“I’ll always be okay with whatever you want to do with me.”

My hand replacing his, wrapping around his cock, stroking him, flashed through my mind, forcing a chuckle from me.

“I bet you say that to all the girls.”

His fingers tightened a fraction.

“Only ever you, Daff.”

I gathered his hair, so much longer now that it was wet, and sectioned off a tangled chunk at the base of his neck.

The hair tie from my wrist held the rest up in a man bun.

Anyone seeing us right now would think we were nuts.

Or rather, I was. I was pushed up against the bars, my thighs squished between them, my legs resting on either side of a giant lion hybrid.

Said hybrid, sat with his head tipped back, a content rumble vibrating from him, despite the amount of knots I snagged, and slowly teased free.

We’d been there a while, not that I was making any effort to get through his hair that fast, not with how much he was enjoying it, and if I was being completely honest with myself, how much I was, too, when I broke our silence.

“Do you think they’ll ever let you out of there?”

“I need you more than I need to be out from behind this wall.”

What if he could have both?

Was I crazy for thinking it?

For risking it?

“What if they let you out—” his body tensed, his fingers still looped around my ankle tightening, “—with me still here with you. Do you think they’d let us try?”

“I would never hurt you, Daff. I’d hurt myself before I ever did that. But I don’t want you doing something you’re not comfortable with or ready for. Having you here is enough for me.”

“I’m not sure it’s enough for me.”

A genuine groan escaped him.

“I’d cut off my left nut to be on the other side with you.”

“I—”

The door buzzed.

Prowl’s back tensed, but I didn’t stop.

We weren’t doing anything wrong, and I’d just point-blank told him I trusted him enough that they could remove his damn wall from between us, and I’d be fine with it.

The only real trust issue I had was with myself, and whether I could keep my hands and mouth—and I might as well add the rest of my body parts—to myself.

The shift must have changed, because a different guard followed Kara in with her dinner trolley, along with Jean, who took a moment to collect himself at the sight of us.

I spoke before he could.

“Prowl washed his hair. I’m getting his knots out.”

“I can see that.”

I nodded as I continued with my brush strokes, making sure none had slipped past me.

“Who do we need to talk to about letting Prowl out of there?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to remove you from his presence yet. It might be a substantial amount of time still, before you can?—”

“I didn’t say anything about me leaving him.”

Clearly, I’d surprised him.

And Prowl, if his shallow breathing and grip on my ankle was anything to go by.

I know we’d only just broached the subject, but if it took a while to convince the higher-ups, we should get the ball rolling now.

I paused, resting one hand on Prowl’s shoulder, the other pointing at Jean with my brush.

“Obviously, I’m comfortable with him. He’s had more than enough opportunities to harm me?—”

Prowl’s angry growl cut through the room.

I patted him where I touched him.

“I know you wouldn’t; I’m just pointing out the obvious.” I looked back at Jean.

“What do we need to do to let him out?”

“My job is your safety, Daff, I don’t know if?—”

“Nope. I’m asking what we need to do, not your opinion on it. At the end of the day, it’s my choice, and I want to know the steps we need to take to make it happen. Can you help us figure them out or not?”

He sighed, a hand scrubbing over his head as he glanced at the guard and back again.

“I’ll bring it up with Lara and medical tonight, so we have time to think on it before tomorrow morning’s check in. We’ll see what everyone thinks and if there’s an agreeable plan we can put in motion. IF all parties are on board with the plan, including me, about the measures put in place to keep you safe.”

“Thank you, Jean. Was there anything else?”

Another shake of his head.

“I just wanted to check in with you. I’ll leave you both to your dinner.”

“Jean?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for sending Mandy by. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.”

The door closed behind them, and Prowl lifted my leg, making me squawk in surprise as he pressed a kiss to the inside of my ankle.