Page 19 of Savage Mates (Ruthless Instinct #2)

Zeus

Mate.

Making the claim didn’t make it so.

I refused to believe the human belonged to us even though my cock ached and a strange yet powerful rush of electricity continued to tear through my system.

Lauren.

Her name slickened my tongue and while I refused to believe she was fated in any way other than her obvious desire to perform a new group of experiments, I couldn’t deny the obvious attraction.

She was beautiful and I’d never looked at another human female that way. Not that I’d been privileged at seeing but so many of them since being turned into a creature not from this world.

Yes, her scent remained warm, even intoxicating, the fragrance floral with hints of citrus and something even wilder. A will to live. A determination to have her way.

Perhaps even ignorance at the dangers she faced by just being here. With strong, unmerciful predators.

Even though a wave of desire brought a powerful jolt of lightning, scalding my blood, I used every ounce of willpower to shove it aside. The last thing I needed was for either the man or the lion to succumb to carnal needs.

She glared at Thor, even jamming her hand against his chest.

“A feisty one,” Titus said. He was amused.

I remained annoyed. She had no understanding that in this world, we were kings.

“Let go of me!” she insisted.

“That’s not going to happen. Little human.

” The disdain in my voice was obvious, at least to the others.

There was far too much unrest within the pride, the members furious that we’d brought a human into our camp.

We’d finally managed to fortify the area surrounding and even with our smaller numbers, we had an excellent system in place.

No one could come close without us knowing it.

Now, here she was in our midst. I was angry. Furious.

She needed to be punished for destroying what little serenity we’d discovered.

And the little human would never be allowed to touch us with any idea of experimentation.

My lion remained just below the surface, also furious with the outcome of today. It hadn’t been our business to interfere, even when the other lions had been determined to feast on human flesh.

I studied her, somewhat enthralled by how the sunlight streaming in through the window kissed her skin with a warm glow. There was a quiet resolve deep within although even now she was attempting to highlight how tough she could be.

Her shoulders were held back expressing her toughness.

She was indeed fierce. Much like a warrior. A quality found in a regal lioness.

Yet she was human.

And she could be very dangerous to our existence.

Just reminding myself of who and what she was and why she was here brought another wave of anger.

“Chain her inside until we know what she and those she brought with her are doing here.” My words were met with a glare from Thor, a lifting of Titus’ eyebrows, and something unexpected from the human.

She shoved Thor hard enough she managed to pitch him back. Then with a sharp glare thrown in my direction, she bolted away from us, managing to scramble out the door.

I sighed. It was a moment shared between the three of us that had both frustration and amusement.

“She thinks she can run from us,” Thor said as if not bothered in the least.

“Maybe we should let her think it’s possible.” Titus leaned against the wall, yawning.

I certainly wasn’t as keen on allowing her to play given I had zero patience. “I’ll get her.”

“Don’t hurt her, Zeus. We need to discover what she knows and why she’s here.”

Her challenge had kept my lion at the surface. Somehow, I’d need to find a release. Perhaps punishing her would calm the beast within.

“I will find out. Trust me.” I stormed from the building, issuing an intense growl.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Alexander confronted me. “You obviously can’t handle a single human. Maybe I need to do so myself. I’ll break her.” His smile was more like a leer. The lion constantly pushed hard against us, refusing to accept our authority.

His reaction had a strange effect on me.

Jealousy.

It swept through me like a tidal wave the same way the longing for a taste of her had earlier.

The rush of need so intense, I threw a single brutal punch, releasing enough of my lion Alexander was pitched against the well casing. Blood trickled from a gash in his head.

The others gasped, inching closer, eager to encourage a fight.

When he scrambled to his feet, I cocked my head. “Don’t try that again, Alexander. You won’t like what happens if you do. The human is off limits. Touch her and face my wrath.”

Without waiting for a response, I turned and headed in the direction where she’d gone.

“Be careful, Zeus. If you want to play leader, then you need to act like it. She just defied all three of you.”

I stopped long enough to issue a keening snarl.

Although his comment held some merit.

But no other lion was allowed to touch her.

She wasn’t difficult to find even though she’d managed to run far by the time I caught up with her. As soon as she heard me, she spun around, her eyes wide. For a split second, I caught fear in them.

I’d be damned if my mouth didn’t water, the ache in my loins intensifying. She was wild, her long hair once pinned in a ponytail was loose, tangled by the trees she’d run through.

In her hand was a massive stick that she was holding like a weapon. She even lunged forward onto my foot, throwing out the tip as if it were a sharp, poisonous spear.

Her breathing was ragged, her face streaked with dirt, and her clothes were completely disheveled. But even I had to admit she was a gorgeous specimen.

When I did nothing but remain where I was, curious as to what she would do, she repeated the ridiculous action.

As if putting the fear of God into me.

Sighing, I took a single step toward her.

“Don’t come any closer. I will use this.”

“I’m certain you’ll try. And you’ll fail.”

I felt a smirk twitch across my lips from the defiance in her eyes. In the almost two years of being a monstrous beast, I’d found little could amuse me.

Her actions brought a hint of something I’d also tried not to allow. Emotions. Up until now, I’d been dead inside.

I took another step just to see how she’d react.

As I’d expected, but I was even more amused and surprised when she managed to snap the stick against my neck. This time she wasn’t horrified at her actions, instead her eyes flashing as if thrilled with managing to hit the big, bad beast.

When I kept my head to the side as if she’d inflicted pain, I sensed a hint of satisfaction in her. But there was more.

She was afraid, but her emotions and desires were also catching her off guard.

The little human was even more surprised with my quick actions when I snapped my hand around the stick, yanking her forward.

And directly into my arms.

Her gasp was subtle, lilting in a way that enticed my lion more than the man. She tried to push me away with her other hand, groaning when I didn’t budge.

I couldn’t lie to myself. Everything about her was fascinating. However, her being on this island could in no way be coincidental or for good intentions.

The reason she was here would remain a significant concern.

Her body fit against me perfectly and when she arched her back, the tiny moan was a clear indication she was aware of my animal attraction for her. She even rewarded me with a drag of her pink tongue across her bottom lip.

My mind shifted from the look of her succulent lips to thoughts of what her pretty pink pussy would look like. She was wet, that much I already knew by the raging scent of her desire. As a flush swept across her cheeks from embarrassment, the beast within me grew even more restless.

“Just let me go,” she said, her defiance still burning deep within.

“That’s not going to happen, little human.”

“Why do you call me that?”

Leaning forward, I took a deep and exaggerated whiff, huffing afterwards. “Because that’s what you are.”

“What does that make you?” Was she really asking me to tell her? I sensed she already knew the answer but was as unwilling to accept the idea as I was to accept any concept she was our mate.

Impossible.

“Bring her back, Zeus.” Thor’s mental link was as annoying as being forced to deal with her. My patience had worn thin.

After issuing a deep exhale, I ripped it from her hand, smashing it against the closest tree. When a piece broke off, it gave me a decent idea.

Yes, I would take her back. In doing so, I’d also give the pride what they needed to accept my authority as well as that of Thor and Titus.

With the thin stick remaining in my hand, I tossed her over my shoulder.

“We’re not doing this again!” she yelled, immediately pummeling her fists against my back. If she honestly believed that her tiny hands could cause any harm, she had no clue what kind of beast she was dealing with.

But her actions did bring another round of amusement while also keeping my cock throbbing. Maybe there was something about being in human form that I could consider pleasing after all.

While she cursed the ground I was walking on, swearing she’d get me for this, I kept a half smile on my face. A few seconds later, I was back inside the camp.

With her struggling in my arms, her commotion drew the attention of the others, including the two female lions that had been brought to the island with us. Neither of the two were shifters.

The why didn’t matter, although it would to the little human.

The scientist.

They were all eager to see what I had planned. When I put her down, she immediately began to struggle, cursing at me as if that would ultimately make a difference.

I dropped the little human onto her feet. Her face was pinched, her thoughts rambling as she continued to try to process what was happening.

“You fucking horrible beast. You let me go or you will not like what happens.”

There was a rumble with a few members of the pride. By this point, I felt Thor’s and Titus’ presence. They were as amused as I’d become.