LILY’S LONER
Romance on the Go ®
T. Lee Garland
Copyright © 2017
Lily
The truck bounces and weaves its way up the dusty, deserted country road that leads straight up the side of the mountain. I glance my brother’s way. Ben’s mouth is set in a hard line, his forehead wrinkled as he concentrates on the curves ahead. His alert eyes constantly shift from side to side, seeing nothing. There is nothing to see on this desolate piece of land, nothing except trees, brush, and an occasional skittish rabbit. For the first time ever, I feel closer to the rabbit than the cougar shifter I am.
Ben must have noticed my anxious glances, because he reaches his hand across to snag mine and gives it a squeeze before saying, “It’ll be okay, Lil. Everything will be okay.”
“I’m sorry,” I say again. I must have said it at least fifty times over the past two days.
“It’s not your fault. What happened is not your fault. I’m just sorry you can’t stay with Amber and me, but with the baby due any day now I need my focus to be on them. I can’t protect you like you need—like a big brother should.”
I hear the regret and the stress. I have put a lot on him in the past couple of days. At twenty-two, I need to do a better job of taking care of myself. So far that plan is not working out so well.
“So this guy Max that you’re taking me to, you trust him?” I ask.
“Yes,” he answers simply. When he doesn’t elaborate I push further.
“Do you trust him with my life, Ben?” I whisper. I am almost afraid to say such a thing out loud for fear that the gods that be may see fit to test the theory. I am scared, terrified actually, and I have good reason to be. As a result, I am apparently having some trust issues as well.
Ben takes his eyes off the road for just a moment, but it was long enough to give me “the look”. The look that said if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be taking you to him. He turns back to the road before answering.
“Yes, I trust him with your life, my life, and Amber’s life. He’s the best there is. He will keep you safe, Lily, I promise. He was my CO, until his injury. He never asked one of us to do something he wouldn’t do first. He’s good, real good.”
I turn away from Ben and look out the window. The landscape flies past. Ben is speeding, and the road conditions are sketchy at best. I didn’t admonish him because I know he is in a hurry to get back home to Amber. His wife was due to have their first child any day now, and he hated leaving her. Amber isn’t a shifter like us. She is human, which makes her more vulnerable. Fragile, like the two humans I had witnessed torn to shreds days ago.
I close my eyes, but within seconds they pop back open. A scene of blood and horror plays over and over again in my head every time I close them. Like a damn horror movie stuck on repeat in the scary parts. A scene I know I will never be able to wash from my memory.
But Lord, I am tired, weary to the bone. Sleep, though, means nightmares in which I wake up screaming, even in the daylight. I had terrified Ben and Amber my first night with them. It is best to just keep my eyes open. Ben, my Special Ops older brother, was taking me to the woods at the top of this mountain, to stay in a cabin with a retired Special Ops buddy of his. A stranger, a fellow shifter, Ben said he had become somewhat of a loner since an accident had left him disfigured.
“I just wish he knew we are coming.” I am so exhausted I don’t even realize I have spoken the words out loud until Ben answers.
“Yeah, Max’s phone service out here is almost non-existent. He likes it that way. He’s not much into chit-chatting. It will be okay though. He won’t let us down. I promise.”
“A man who lives so far removed from civilization is doing so for a reason,” I point out.
“Okay, yeah you’re right. Listen, Max was injured in Afghanistan, an IED explosion that took out a couple of guys in our unit. Max has some scarring and he lost an eye, and because of it he just prefers his solitude. He’s the best, though, make no mistake about that. One of the strongest cougar-shifters I’ve ever seen. You will be safe with him, even safer than if you were to stay with me. You just have to trust me on this, Lily, okay?”
He has told me all of this earlier and he is my only brother. Of course I trust him, but still I have my doubts about this guy letting me stay. I know Ben has to do this, so for his sake and Amber’s, I let him. Their lives depend on me being as far from them as possible. I hope this friend of Ben’s can live up to his hype. Both of our lives will depend on it.
At my nod, Ben gives me a reassuring smile, “Good girl, because we’re here.”
We’ve come through a clump of trees into a clearing in which sits a small log cabin with a hunter green metal roof. The place looks neat, but deserted, empty … lonely. Much like the man who lives there, I imagine. Cougar shifters are normally loners, but this seems extreme even for us. I only hope he won’t be so much of a loner that he refuses to let me stay. He doesn’t know it yet, but he is my last hope.
****
Max
I step out on the front porch as Ben’s truck comes to a stop. Normally I would have gone out and met my old buddy, and communications sergeant, but I can see he is not alone and that it is not Amber who sits in the passenger side of the truck. So I hang back on the porch and wait for Ben to come to me. The girl, I note, stays in the truck. She casts nervous looks my way and glances down when she realizes I am watching her. Even from this distance I can see she is a beauty, and I can’t help but wonder what she’s doing with Ben.
“How ya doing, man?” Ben asks as he walks toward me stretching out his hand. We shake.
“I’m good, Ben, and you? How’s Amber? Has she had the baby yet?”
“No, not yet, man, but any day now. I still can’t believe I’m going to be a dad. It seems so surreal.”
I wait, knowing Ben has something else on his mind. I don’t have to wait long.
“Listen, I need to talk to you. That’s my baby sister, Lily,” he says, nodding toward the truck, “and she’s in trouble. It’s bad, real bad, and I need your help.”
I eye the woman in the truck with renewed interest. Even from this distance I can feel the heat of her gaze on me when she thinks I’m not watching, and I turn to make sure my scarred right side faces away. Doing so has become almost second nature to me. The scars don’t bother me. I’ve made peace with them. What I haven’t made peace with are the two men who didn’t come home when I did. I turn away because most people are uncomfortable with my scars. I can feel Lily’s curious gaze, and it heats me from the inside out.
Of course I know Ben has a younger sister, but I’ve never really thought much about her. My mind always went to some kid in pigtails, not a full grown woman. A woman who even from this distance has my heart racing and the cat in me yearning to pounce.
“You know I will help if I can. What’s going on?”
“She needs a place to hide out, just for a short time.” Ben sighs and runs his hands through his golden hair, sending the ends standing on up. I recognize the stress I see on his face. It’s the same look we all had in the big sandbox overseas. “Okay this is the short version of the story. Lily can fill you in on the rest herself. She graduated in May from college, and unknown to me and the rest of the family, she took a job with a local news station, which promptly sent her undercover to investigate a reported cult run by this fucking nut job named Vincent Flint. He calls himself a prophet of God and has been recruiting young people in the area. Lily infiltrated the damn cult!” Ben is pacing now, growling his frustration, and I fear he may shift out of control.
“She has spent the past two months with them. Lily says that bastard, Flint, tried to recruit her as one of his wives, but she was able to hold him at bay by telling him she had had a recent abortion and was still ‘unclean’. He bought the lie and thankfully never touched her. At least that’s what she says. I hope to God she isn’t lying about it. Anyway, four days ago she witnessed the ritualistic murder of two young people who were accused of being ‘unbelievers’ and possible spies. The cops caught wind of the murders, thanks to Lily, and they raided the compound. They were able to round up everyone except for two hard-core followers, and of course Flint himself. Lily’s exposé aired yesterday, and now Flint and his henchmen are looking for her. Man, with Amber and the baby coming I just don’t have the ability to focus on her and the protection she needs right now.”
“What about the police?” I ask. “Aren’t they willing to give her some protection? After all, she is the star witness to their case.”
Ben shakes his head. “They just don’t have the manpower, said the best they could do would be to step up patrols in the area around my house. Fuck, man! We are talking about my baby sister here! I just feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. I want to protect her, but right now but, there is so much going on—I need help, she needs some help. That’s why I’ve come to you. You’re the best, Max, and I wouldn’t trust her with anyone else, man. Your place is so isolated. They would never find her up here.” Ben turns and looks over his shoulder at his sister. His face softens as he turns back to me. “Listen, Max, I know this is really sudden and a lot to ask, but can you protect her? Can Lily please stay with you? ”
I reach up and adjust the eye patch that hides my non-seeing right eye. I am isolated for a reason. Taking in a young woman in trouble, a civilian to boot? It wasn’t an ideal situation, but I owe my life to Ben, my second in command. He had saved my life by pulling me from the fire after the IED that had left me scarred, but alive. Unlike the two soldiers in our unit that had paid the ultimate price. How could I tell him no?
The answer is easy. I can’t.
“Okay, sure. She can stay.”
The look that comes over Ben’s face is instant, both relief and gratitude mixed with a touch of joy. He clasps me in a rib crushing, back-thumping embrace. “Thank you, man. I owe you.”
“You owe me nothing, Ben. Listen, I know it goes without asking, but she doesn’t have a cellphone or other traceable electronic device on her, does she?”
“No, I took care of that.”
“And you’re sure you weren’t followed?”
“No. I kept an eye out on the way up here. Come meet Lily. She’s a sweetheart. I promise she won’t give you any trouble.”
She is going to be so much trouble. When she climbs from the truck, I feel a growl start low in my chest. The wind catches her scent and blows it my way, and I feel my blood heat up. The cat in me lifts its head and scents the air, smelling the female. She is tall and leggy, with golden hair that falls around her slender shoulders and a sweet, heart-shaped ass that is made for nibbling. Her eyes, when they land on me, are a pale green mixed with flecks of gold. I watch those amazing eyes widen with awareness and darken with heat and interest. She is perfection. She doesn’t turn her face away or look at me with pity or disgust. When Ben introduces us, she shakes my hand and boldly looks me in the eye and gives me a small, strained smile.
“Thank you for letting me stay.”
Her voice is sexy as fuck. It is a low purr from deep in her throat, and it goes straight to my cock. I watch her slowly lick her bottom lip as she looks up at me from beneath golden lashes. I have a sudden desire to slide my tongue along those lips while I bury myself balls deep inside her. I wonder what color her eyes would go when she comes.
Get a grip, man. She is here to be guarded and protected by you, not fucked.
She turns to her brother. “Ben, I love you. Thank you for everything. Now get home and take care of Amber. I can’t wait to meet my new niece or nephew.”
Ben engulfs his sister in a hug. “You’re in good hands with Max. I’ll come to you when I can.” I watch him kiss her on the cheek, and I tap down a sudden desire to punch my friend for touching what I already know is mine. Ben pulls her bag from the back of his truck and hands it to me. “Take care of her.”
I nod and take the bag, and we shake hands before he climbs back in the truck. The two of us stand silently and watch until we can’t see the truck any longer.
“We should get in the cabin and out of the open,” I point out.
Lily nods, and I place my hand on the small of her back to lead her in. The contact sends an aching from my fingers to my chest. I glance at her to see if she feels it, too, but if she does she keeps her face neutral.
It’s just me then. I’ve just been too long without a woman.
The cabin is small and efficient. A couch, a fireplace, a table with two chairs, a shelf stuffed to overflowing with books, and a ladder leading up to a half loft make up the main part of the cabin. To the left a kitchenette and a door that leads to the bathroom. I don’t need much.
Except her, my mind screams.
“You take the loft. I’ll grab the couch.” I start up the ladder hauling her bag with ease.
“I’m good with the couch. I don’t want to put you out,” she states, freezing me in my tracks.
I turn half way up the ladder and look at her. “You’ll take the loft. It’s not debatable. If someone kicks in the door they will have to go through me to get to you. Make no mistake, Lily, they won’t get past me.”
“Right,” she replies, drawing the word out. I feel her eyes watching me as I climb up the ladder. I place her bag on the quilt covered bed and start back down. She is still standing there, her eyes following me. I hop down from the last three rungs, and land lightly on my feet. My gaze seeks out Lily, and something unspoken passes between us. The cat in me recognizes the feeling for what it is. Lily is my mate. I don’t want it to be true. She is young and the sister to one of my best friends. I’m scarred and damaged, while she is whole and perfection. I like my loner life, don’t I?
“Do you want something to eat?”
“No, thank you.” She shoves her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, and my gaze moves to her breasts, which are forced forward. Her nipples pucker beneath my heated scrutiny. The feline in her stretches and purrs. She no doubt can see the desire in my gaze, but I rein it in and turn away from her, before she notices my rapidly hardening cock. “I haven’t been sleeping very well. Would you mind if maybe I lay down for a few minutes?”
The thought of her on my bed already has me hot and bothered. “You should eat something first,” I reply stepping into the kitchenette and beginning to make sandwiches. “Ham and cheese or PB and J?” Maybe keeping my hands busy and my mind off her will keep my cat caged.
Yeah, right.
****
Lily
Max may be medically retired, but the man is no slouch. His ass is swoon-worthy. The worn and tattered jeans he wears fit him like they have been custom made for optimum viewing of his muscular ass. His wide shoulders stretch to its limits the black t-shirt he wears. His massive biceps and forearms are tatted up with various designs and sayings. His hair is tawny in color and long, pulled back in a low ponytail, yet part of it has come loose from the band holding it and now hangs limp, covering part of his scarred face. The jagged scar and the eye-patch make him look dangerous and mysterious. His one remaining eye is a gold flecked amber color that looks at me with such need and desire that it almost takes my breath each and every time. The reporter in me is curious. I want to know more about him. The woman in me just wants him.
“So, you and my brother were in the same unit?” I take a bite of the sandwich and chew slowly as I await his answer.
That one eye pierces me with a look that seems to tell me not to go there, but I’m a reporter. I go there. I don’t back down, and I hold his gaze until he answers. Despite his aloofness I feel his desire, and it gives me power over him.
“Yes.”
I swig a drink from the bottle of water he has given me, and I am aware that he watches when a drop slips past my lips, and slides off my chin, and down my throat. I wipe it off with the back of my hand. “Your injuries, my brother said it was an IED?”
He blinks, surprised perhaps that I have brought up the elephant in the room instead of tiptoeing around it.
He drops his sandwich to the plate and sighs. “The vehicle I was riding in ran over one. The two guys in the front seat were killed instantly. It caught fire, and Ben pulled me out.”
“They made you retire?”
“The army prefers its soldiers with two eyes,” he says with a shrug, but I’m not fooled by his nonchalant attitude. I can feel it’s a touchy subject for him. He was one of the best, yet the military had still kicked him out, even after he had paid such a high price for his country.
“Yet my brother, who loves me, still trusts your ability to protect me and keep me safe. Why is that?” I push.
“I’m not a fucking invalid, Lily.”
I allow my eyes to roam his body, letting him know that I find him attractive, scars and all. A hitch catches in my throat. “I can see that for myself, Max.”
****
Max
The screams had me dropping the book I was reading and racing up the ladder. I fought off the urge to shift, my body wanting to do what came naturally when possible danger is near. My mind intervenes telling me it is implausible that they could have got to Lily. Her screams, though, are of terror and panic. I recognize the sounds from my own tortured nights.
She is having a nightmare. That much is obvious when I reach the loft. Her beautiful body thrashes on the bed. She twists back and forth, lost in a horror only she can see. A low growl comes from deep in her chest. She’s going to shift if I don’t wake her and soon.
“Lily, baby, wake up.” I gently cup her beautiful face in my hands, brush her hair back from her damp eyes, and move down to her shoulders carefully shaking her.
She wakes with a gasp, sits up suddenly in the bed, and scoots away from me. I feel my heart break for her. I keep my voice low and soothing. “It’s okay, Kitten. It’s just me, Max, remember? You’re safe here.”
Her green eyes blink, and she begins to shake her head back and forth. “No … no, I’m not safe. I will never be safe until Vincent is dead.”
The fear on her beautiful face is almost my undoing. All I want to do is gather her up in my arms and hold her until that fear is gone. “Baby, he’s probably thousands of miles away by now. If I were him I would hit the border, Mexico or maybe even Canada. He’ll get caught eventually and brought to justice. He will never hurt you. I won’t let him.”
Lily continues to shake her head, sending golden tendrils of hair falling around her thin shoulders, tears roll down her cheeks. “You don’t understand. He will never stop looking for me. He and his two generals will hunt me until their death … or mine.”
I stare at her. How could she be so sure, so convinced that Flint would come after her? Sure she is a witness to his murders and she has wrote an article telling the world that he was nothing but a fraud and a murderer, but wouldn’t he want to just disappear? Hide away? Coming after Lily would only expose him.
I am starting to get a sick feeling in my stomach. My gut screams that there is something she isn’t telling me. Lily is a good ten years younger than I am, but I need to trust her female instincts. To dismiss them as just fear could be a deadly mistake. “Tell me, Lily, how can you be so sure he will come for you?”
Lily drops her head, her eyes not meeting mine when she whispers. “Flint’s my husband.”
“That son of a bitch! I will find him, hunt him down myself, and rip his throat out! Fuck, Lily!” I scrub my hand down my face, stopping to adjust the damn eye patch. I see her wince at my words, and I take a deep breath and try to get my breathing under control. “Does Ben know?”
She shakes her head, “No, if I had told him he would have gone after them, and he needs to be with Amber. I kept quiet to protect them.” A tear slips from one of her eyes, and she angrily wipes it away. “Vincent had one of his henchmen, Drake, hold a gun to my head. He forced me to marry him or he would have killed me and then gone after my family.”
I desperately need to shift, need to pace, need to fucking kill something, or better yet someone. I try, and I’m able to get control of my cat. Usually my control is spot on, coming naturally easily for me, but being around Lily definitely has my cat ready to prowl. I don’t want to frighten her.
“You did what you had to do to survive and to keep your family safe.” I let out a deep breath and know I have to ask the hard question, but it has to be done. “Was the marriage consummated?” I manage to sound calm, clinical even, but I hold my breath while my heart pounds with the need to shift, and hunt, and kill, while I wait her answer.
“No, he wanted to, but I thought fast and came up with a story. I announced to the council that I had recently had an abortion. Of course, it was a total lie, and I don’t think Vincent believed me at all. However, the council would never let him take me while there was a possibility that I was ‘unclean’. As leader, Vincent was required to take his ‘wives’ for the first time in front of the council. I had bought myself a month, a reprieve if you will, but my time was running out. The night of the murders…” she stops and wipes at her tears and shivers, “that was to be my ‘taking’, but the council got wind that there were two spies and they had to be dealt with first. In all the mayhem, I managed to shift and get out of there and call the police, but not in time to save Jacob and Nora. They were just kids, Max. They were barely nineteen.” She hangs her head, and fresh tears slid down her face.
I know all about survivor’s guilt and how it can eat you alive if you allow it to. “Lily, baby, you did what you had to do to survive. What happened to Jacob and Nora is not your fault. You are, however, the answer to getting justice for them. Because of you and your testimony, Flint and his men will pay for what they did. Stay strong and focused like the reporter I know you are. Keep your eye on the ultimate goal, which is justice for Jacob and Nora. It will happen. We will see that it does. I promise.”
Lily nods. “You’re right of course.” She sits up in the bed, and wipes at her face, and runs her fingers through her tangled hair. I watch her pull herself together. Strong, brave, intelligent, and resilient, qualities I had always admired and had desired in a mate. I had long ago given up on finding her. What woman would want a man so damaged? So scarred and full of regrets? I had been alone for so long, it had become second nature. Yet, Lily is my mate. I am becoming more and more convinced of that every minute that passes. She is young and just hasn’t realized it yet, but she will … eventually. I will make damn sure of it. I will also make damn sure Flint never gets to her again. She is mine now, and I always protect what is mine.
****
Lily
I pace the small confines of his cabin like the caged animal I am. I feel restless and anxious. I’m not sure why, except for the fact my instincts are telling me that Flint is near. I have always known he would come for me. There has never been any doubt in my mind. The way he had always looked at me, his beady eyes studying every move I made, had terrified me. He wanted me as his possession. There is still one secret I’m keeping. Something I haven’t told anyone, but I will have to when the time is right. I just need more time.
I have to admit Max intrigues me. He has been very kind, but I feel the cat in him wanting to come out. I can all but smell his desire for me, yet he has managed to control it and keep it locked inside … for now. His heated gaze follows me when I move around the room. I’m feeling the mouse to his cat, except the cat in me wants to be caught by him.
He looks up from the fishing line he is untangling as if he knows I have been thinking of him, and I feel him watching me. That one golden eye is alert and too knowing. “Do you want to go for a run? Maybe stretch your legs.” His eye scans down my body to land on my legs, as I pace. My legs are long, slim, yet muscular in the jeans I’m wearing.
I stop so abruptly I almost topple over. “Can we?” I desperately need to burn off some nervous energy and possibly clear my head from thoughts of Flint and his obsession with me.
Max nods. “Yeah, it has gotten dark now, and we’re pretty isolated. No neighbors for miles. There is a lake not far from here that I like to run around.” He surprises me by standing and taking my hand. The shock of skin on skin contact sends waves of electricity up my arm. His hand is warm and strong, and I have a sudden flash of seeing those same hands moving across my naked body, warm and slightly rough as they tweak my hard nipples and move leisurely between my legs.
He turns and looks back at me, and his eye color darkens. Is it possible that he could read my mind in human form? More than likely he can smell the desire emitting from my body.
“Coming?” he asks innocently, yet there is something in the lift of his lips, the turn of his head.
Yeah, he knows.
I feel my cheeks burn. Max surely doesn’t know how close his question was to being true. I swallow and nod. He pulls the door open and sniffs the night air when he looks out. It is a moonless, starless night, and I can only make out the shadow of trees as I peek out over his broad shoulder.
Should I tell him that I feel Flint is near? No, because he wouldn’t let me go out. He would keep us locked up in this cabin where I am going stir crazy with my own thoughts and memories. I will keep the knowledge to myself for now.
“We’ll jog to the tree line to my right. Stay beside me, and if there is any trouble, shift and run like hell for the forest. When we get to the cover of the trees we’ll stop, undress, and shift.” Max is all business now, barking orders like the former soldier he is. I nod my understanding, and hand in hand we jump off the porch and head to the trees. With Max keeping his body between me and the road, we sprint for the cover of foliage. My nocturnal eyesight slowly adjusts to the darkness that surrounds us. Once behind the trees, Max drops my hand, and pulls his shirt over his head. For a moment I forget to breathe, and my mouth drops open.
Wow! Max is in amazing shape.
I reach a hand out to touch some scarring along his right side. Scars that in no way hide the beautiful man he is. He captures my hand and holds it, keeping me from touching him.
“You shouldn’t be ashamed of them, Max. We all have scars. Yours just happen to be more visible than most.”
“You misunderstand. I’m not ashamed of them. They’re proof that I’m a survivor. Not that I could ever forget, but the scars are a reminder of the sacrifice my brothers made.” His hand gently drops mine before he continues. “You touching me now, Lily, just isn’t a good idea.” His voice is low and gravelly, and so male that it causes goosebumps to spread up my spine.
“I see.”
Max smiles. “I doubt that you do, but you will soon enough, Kitten.” He proceeds to unbuckle his pants, his gaze hot on my face, daring me to look away. In the end I whirl, presenting him with my back, and I, too, begin to undress. Max chuckles, but those chuckles soon turn into low growls. I am aware that he is watching me. The scope of his desire is something I can feel. It warms me and encompasses me in earnest feelings of need and safety.
My shift is quick and efficient. One moment I’m standing as a woman, the next a golden cougar. It never ceases to amaze me.
“You are beautiful in both forms, my Kitten,” Max whispers.
I watch from my green cat eyes, and he stretches and shifts. The cougar he becomes is much like the man, big, powerful, and sleek. He is easily twice my size, and his very presence is both commanding and majestic. His scars are still visible even on his cougar coat. They are thin, white and hairless lines that bisect his back and side. His right eye is scarred and closed, and his one good eye golden and alert.
“Follow me.” He takes off at an easy, graceful pace, and I am right behind him. He leads us to a lake, the water dark and still. There is a worn trail around the lake, and he indicates with his head that I should take the lead. Max matches his pace to my slower one, and around the lake we run. I relish in the feel of getting to stretch my legs. I can feel my muscles grow stronger and my mind relax as we pound the path with our paws. After about an hour I signal that I have had enough, and the two of us cool off by wordlessly padding back to the tree line where we have left our clothes.
We shift at the same time, and the two of us stand facing each other. Our heavy breathing has little to do with the long run we have just had. I reach out and touch his chest, and this time he doesn’t stop me. Max stands still as I run my fingers lightly over his scars, across his pecs, and lower still to his rippled stomach. His cock stands out from his body, long, thick, and throbbing in anticipation of my touch.
“It’s not easy for me to hide the fact I want you, Lily,” Max hisses.
****
Max
I feel a burning need to make her mine. I know if I don’t touch her, take her, I will explode. It has been months, no, years, since I have had a woman. Lily isn’t just any woman though, and I know that. I’ve always been able to control that part of me and not have my animal desires control me. This is different and I know it, and she knows it, too. There will be no controlling this need between us. Lily is my mate.
I reach out with one hand to cup her neck and pull her towards me. Damp, steaming skin meets wet, searing skin. Her soft breasts press against my hard chest. My tongue comes out, and I lean forward licking at her full bottom lip, until she opens for me. I slip my tongue past her lips and into the warmth of her mouth. The kiss quickly goes from soft and gentle to something fierce and demanding. I claim her as mine. The two of us cling to each other, only forced apart to draw air into our lungs. My hands roam up and down the smooth skin of her bare back. I want her, here and now, but I refuse to take her against a tree or on the wet grass. “Let’s go back to the cabin.”
The two of us quickly snap up our clothes, and I slip my eye patch back on before we make a naked dash to the cabin door.
Once inside we drop our clothes to the floor, and I back her up against the now closed door. My hands drop to her heart-shaped ass, cupping and kneading each rounded sphere before I lift her up. She instantly wraps her legs around my middle. My cock is trapped between our heated bodies. I rain kisses across her face and down her silky throat, my hands holding her ass on both sides. I suck at her ear and lick at her lips, before I take her mouth in a crushing kiss that sends my heart racing.
“We’re not going to make it up to the bed, are we?” she purrs.
“Fuck no, Kitten, unless that’s what you really want.” The rumbling growl comes from deep in my chest.
“I just want you, Max … now.”
I turn with Lily wrapped around me and lay her across the kitchen table. Her body on full display, I look my fill of her. She takes away my breath with her beauty. I look so long she starts to squirm like a worm on my hook. I reach down, and my hands take a slow path across her rosy-tipped tits and down to the soft clipped curls that cover her sex. I have to taste her. As I drop to my knees, my tongue licks at the honeyed cream her body is producing in readiness for me. I part her and gently suck in her clit, teasing her with my tongue and mouth, before lapping at her sweetness.
“Max, please,” she pants. “Please, I can’t wait any longer.” Her body twists back and forth on the table with need.
Standing, I take my erection in my hand and give it a couple of pumps, before positioning myself between her long legs. I give one quick heave and surge forward.
I freeze. Lily heaves upward and gives a sharp yowl of pain. My gaze meets hers in surprise. “What the hell, Lily?” Looking down where our bodies are now joined I see it, blood. “Why didn’t you tell me? Fuck, baby, I just assumed at your age … I mean you have been in heat before … right?”
“Yes, yes, but not like this, Max, never like this. Please don’t stop.” She begins to move beneath me, and I growl.
Stopping now is not an option. Had I known beforehand that she was still a virgin I would have taken more time to ready her, been gentler as I entered her, but now, now it is too late. I grip her hips and move slowly in and out, giving her body time to adjust. My body wants more, and I pump harder and longer with every stroke. Lily whimpers beneath me, urging me on with her hands and mouth. She easily matches my brutal pace. She is mine. Lily is my mate and I know it, and it is time to let her know it, too.
“You’re mine, Lily. Say it,” I demand. My voice sounds dark and demanding even to my own ears. There will be no denying me or my cougar.
“Yes, yes, I’m yours, Max,” she hisses.
A low growl sounds from deep within my chest. The cat in me needs to mark her as mine so all will know. Leaning down toward where her slender neck meets her shoulder, I bite down, marking the delicate skin with my teeth. I raise her hips up and push deep inside. The sharp pain combined with the intense pleasure pushes Lily instantly over the edge, and she cries out her satisfaction. I rear upward and shout, my seed releasing inside my mate. Lily is mine now, and forever, and I will fucking kill anyone who tries to take her from me.
****
Lily
“You don’t have any ice cream?”
Max sits up from his position on the couch and grins at me. I’m totally naked, and my hand rest on my hip as I stare into the freezer. “It’s midnight and you’re wanting ice cream?” he calls back. His gaze is feasting on my body, heating me up again. He has a way of looking at me that makes me feel wanted, and loved, and hot all over. I am amazingly comfortable with this man whom I have known less than twelve hours.
I turn to him and give him my sass. “Who doesn’t want ice cream at midnight?” I notice the interest on his face, and it’s not for ice cream. I close the fridge door. I’m finding out that there are some things better than midnight ice cream. I smile and slowly walk toward Max with an exaggerated swagger, my tits bouncing provocatively. “It happens to be an aphrodisiac for me,” I purr.
“Is that a fact? Baby, the only aphrodisiac I need is you. Come here.” When I don’t move fast enough toward him, he sings out, “Here kitty, kitty, kitty.”
“Oh you’re funny, real funny.” I round the couch and stop. Max is flat on his back, his cock stiff and hard and so big. I lick my lips, and Max growls. Perhaps I could be persuaded to put aside my desire for ice cream, because right now all I want is a lick of him.
“Who’s laughing now?” he teases.
“Max, you don’t play fair,” I point out.
“That’s because I don’t play. Come here … now.” Max sits up on the couch and beckons me forward, but instead of taking the seat on the cushion beside him I drop to my knees in front of him.
“That’s a shame, because playing can be so much fun.” I wrap my hand around the base of his erection and hold it vertical and ever so slowly slide my tongue up and down like I am licking an ice cream cone of my favorite flavor. My eyes look up into his face to see his eye is glazed and lost in ecstasy. I open wider and take him into my mouth, sliding my lips past the head and swallowing, sending him down my throat.
Max tangles his hands into my hair and groans as I move my mouth up and down his hard shaft. “Oh baby”, he moans, letting his head drop to the back of the couch giving me a view of his strong throat.
I work him in and out of my greedy mouth, until he begins to groan somewhere deep in his chest. His hips start to rise up and down on the seat cushion in rhythm to my movements.
“I need to be inside you when I come. I need to bury myself inside you and feel you come around me. That’s enough. Get on all fours,” he orders.
I am only too happy to comply. I feel him as he maneuvers himself between my legs and my heart pounds with anticipation of what is to come. “Stick that sweet ass out for me.” Max nips at my ass cheeks before lapping at my opening from behind. My knees almost buckle from the sheer pleasure of his touch. He spreads me and flicks his tongue at my clit, until I’m whimpering from need.
“Please, Max.”
“Please what, baby?” he growls near my ear. “Say it. Tell me what you want.”
“I want you inside of me … now.”
“Whatever my mate wants, she gets.” He guides his cock inside of me gently, no doubt being mindful of the fact I am a little sore still from our lovemaking earlier. Inch by inch he slides inside of my heated wetness. The combination of pain and pleasure is the most delicious sensation I have ever felt. Slowly he allows my body time to adjust to his size, before he grips my hips and begins to pump in and out at a steady pace.
I don’t want him gentle. I want him to give it all to me. “Faster, fuck me faster, Max,” I beg, pushing my ass back towards him at every pump. I want him deeper inside of me, balls deep. I want him to touch that place inside of me that no one has ever touched. I want him until it hurts, until the pain turns to pleasure. Until I can no longer tell where I stop and he begins.
I glance back at him over my shoulder. Max’s face is a thing of manly beauty, wrought with concentration. A heavy sheen of perspiration glosses his face and chest, and still he pumps. I’m amazed at how deep he is inside of me, yet I’m wanting more, needing more. I’m also amazed at how quickly he has become part of my life. I can’t picture myself without him. My future is now clear, and its name is Max.
I cry out when my pussy constricts in on him to the point of almost being painful and lights flash behind my eyes. I feel his load burst and bounce against my inner walls. He comes inside of me so hard, and the two of us collapse on the rug.
Max quickly pulls me into his arms and kisses my forehead. “Lily, are you okay?”
I look up and smile as I curl up on my side, my head on his massive bicep. “Yes, that was amazing, but you still owe me ice cream.”
****
Max
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” I grumble as my jeep bounces down the mountain road.
Lily smiles and reaches over and squeezes my thigh. “I can’t believe you’ve never made a two AM ice cream run before. I mean what are you, like thirty?”
Getting lost inside of Lily is my new favorite thing. After tasting her, ice cream has no appeal to me. How quickly she has turned me from a loner, almost feral cat into a domesticated one who just wants to be home with her. Hell, I just want to be lost inside of her, bringing her pleasure and taking my own from her beautiful body.
Secretly I know I would do whatever the hell she wants me to do, or maybe it isn’t really a secret. Women have a way of knowing that shit and using it against you. Like right now, when she is sinking her claws into my leg just a mere heartbeat away from my quickly hardening dick. Not that I really care. I will give her whatever she wants, when she wants it. Seeing her smile is worth the world to me.
“Unless you want this thirty-two year old to stop this damn jeep in the middle of the road and take your sweet little ass again, in the fucking back seat of this jeep, I would watch where you are squeezing, babe.”
She laughs, and it is a sound that causes my heart to skip a beat. Instead of stopping, though, she continues to rub my thigh making it almost impossible for me to keep my foot on the gas and my mind on the road. Closer and closer to my cock she is coming, and it has grown so hard it just may split my damn jeans.
“That’s it! I’m stopping.” I do, mashing the brake and coming to a jerking, sliding stop in the middle of the narrow, country road.
Lily snatches her hand off my thigh and laughs louder, shaking her head at me. “Nope, you promised me ice cream, mister, and I want it. I’ll be good and keep my hands to myself.” She coyly looks at me from underneath her lashes. She can look sweet and innocent when she wants to, but I know the passionate cat underneath that innocence and I know I’m one lucky man. The day will come when I will have to answer to Ben for mating with his sister when I was supposed to be protecting her, but I will deal with that when it happens. She is mine, and not even her brother can take her from me. All I want to do is protect her. That need is burning through my every thought. I am still getting the feeling there is something she isn’t telling me.
I can wait. Patience is a virtue that has always served me well.
She shoots me another sweet look, and I almost lose my load then and there. Damn! I sigh because I’m smart enough to know when I’ve been beat. I hit the gas, and we are moving once again. I need to keep my mind on the task at hand and off the temptress sitting beside me.
“This town only has a couple of places open twenty-four hours, and neither one of them are ice cream parlors. We’ll just have to run into a grocery store and get a gallon or two. We get in and out quickly. Pull your hair up, keep your head down, wear the hat I gave you, and stay next to me.”
Lily salutes smartly. “Yes, sir!”
I frown. “I’m serious, Lily. No one can recognize you. As a reporter, I’m sure you are aware that there are cameras everywhere.”
Fuck, the girl doesn’t have a clue how unforgettable she is. Those damn green eyes and that long, golden hair are dead giveaways, even if her impossibly, long legs and tight ass don’t get noticed. Yeah, who the fuck am I trying to kid? Of course they would get noticed. I couldn’t exactly leave her at the cabin by herself though. Shit! I’m screwed either way.
“I know, I will abide by your rules, and believe me, I am taking this very seriously.” Lily turns to look out the window and grows quiet. I am sad for a moment that it seems I have dampened her joy, but she needs to understand I’m in charge here. I have every intention of seeing she stays safe and we have a life together.
I pull into a well-lit parking lot with only a handful of other vehicles nearby. I give the whole place a quick scan before I decide to pull to the side of the building where it’s a little darker and less likely to have a camera. I watch as Lily tucks her hair up and pulls on the baseball cap that I’ve given her.
She still looks too fucking beautiful to not garner notice. I reach over and pull the hat down lower hiding her eyes. “Don’t forget, head down.”
****
Lily
“Got it,” I say, jumping from the jeep. Max comes around the vehicle, his eye hitting every shadow, every corner, and as he pulls me to his side, his arm wraps around my waist joining us. If he held on to me any tighter he would snap me in two. I, however, welcome his presence. Flint is near. I can both feel and smell his stench. I make a vow to tell Max everything when we get back to the cabin.
Max doesn’t say anything, but he speeds us quickly into the brightly lit store. I need a moment to blink and catch my bearings, but he rushes us down the frozen food aisle and stops in front of the huge refrigerated section that holds the ice cream and popsicles.
“Get whatever you want,” Max whispers in my ear.
I step forward and peruse the selection. I love all ice cream, so picking just a couple is a little hard. I decide on four half gallon containers, one each of Rocky Road, Cherry Vanilla, Praline Pecan, and my all-time favorite, Cookies and Cream.
“Are you sure four will be enough?” he asks, and I can hear the amusement in his voice.
“Well I don’t know. Are you planning on eating any?”
“I told you, Kitten. The only aphrodisiac I need is you. Now let’s get back to the cabin, and I bet I can make you make your own sweet cream.”
“Shh, Max, someone might hear you,” I gasp. To my further embarrassment I can feel my cheeks heat up and probably change to bright pink.
We had noticed two obviously sleep deprived workers shuffle along like walking zombies, but the employees don’t even acknowledge us, so apparently Max isn’t too concerned. Teasing me until I blush and turn red like a lobster seems to have become one of his favorite pastimes.
I glare my disapproval at him.
He gives me a lopsided grin and pulls me in for a quick kiss before we head to a self-checkout line and quickly pay. An older man is watching us, but Max gives him a nod and hustles us back out the door.
He pulls me even closer as we round the corner to the side of the building and the wind suddenly changes direction. Our cats smell it … wolf. Off to the side we can see two yellow glowing eyes. I know by the sudden stiffness of Max’s body that if I wasn’t with him he would shift and confront the wolf, but he is concerned with getting me to safety. I can feel it by the way he angles his body, trying to shield me from the danger. His arm tightens around me when my steps falter, and my breath catches, but he doesn’t miss a beat.
“Get in the jeep.” He hurries me into the vehicle and slams the door, then jumps in the other side and starts the vehicle. We have barely pulled out of the parking lot when Max’s gaze quickly moves from the rearview mirror to the road ahead, and then to me. “Is there something you forgot to tell me, Kitten?”
****
Max
Of course I had smelled the wolf shifters earlier. The wolves had been nearby when we went for our run around the lake. Wolf and cougar shifters are natural enemies and always stay well away from each other’s territories. I was somewhat surprised that they would venture close enough that I could catch their scent. If Lily had noticed she had kept that knowledge to herself, but she was still young. Perhaps she didn’t have much experience with wolves or the trouble they could bring. I had just assumed the wolves were passing thorough, looking for new territory to mark as their own. Lily’s reaction to them changed that theory.
We had come out of the store and the wind had blown our way and the scent had made Lily stumble. I had been holding on to her and had felt her heart rate speed up. I heard her gasp at the sharp, pungent smell. I trust my gut. It seldom ever fails me, and right now it was screaming that something was wrong and my mate knew more than she was telling.
“Are they following us?” Lily sounds breathless and fearful.
“They don’t need to follow us. They already know where we’re staying. I smelled them earlier outside the cabin.” I turn to her and frown. “Do you know why we have wolf shifters hanging around us, Kitten?”
Lily nervously chews her bottom lip before answering, and then it all comes tumbling out in a rush of words. “It’s Flint and his two generals, Drake and Sirius. They’re all wolf shifters. That’s how they were able to control the cult, with fear and violence.” She shakes her head and turns pleading eyes to me. “I promise, I had no idea. I had never been around wolves so I didn’t recognize the scent. I knew something was different about them, different from other humans, but I didn’t know until the night I watched as the three of them shifted and ripped Jacob and Nora apart in a frenzy of blood and gore.”
I take the right turn that takes us back up to the cabin. That’s where I will make my stand. I know the area. It is my home turf, and no humans are anywhere nearby. There would be no one to see or report the pending kills. “Why haven’t you said something before now? Why didn’t you tell Ben or me earlier? You had to know they would track your location by scent.”
Lily’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Yes. I knew. It’s why I let Ben bring me here. It was important that I lead them away from Amber and the baby.” She sighs, and I can hear the regret in her voice. “Also I was ashamed. I know Ben is so disappointed in me. He’s disappointed that I put myself in a position of danger, and I didn’t want you to feel the same way.”
“Did Ben say he was disappointed in you? Have I?”
Lily shakes her head. “He doesn’t have to, and neither do you. Besides, if I had told Ben he would have immediately shifted and gone on the hunt for Flint. It was too dangerous, and then there’s Amber, and the situation with the baby. I was planning on telling you. I just thought I would have more time. I wanted us to get to know each other, trust one another. I realize we are mates. I wasn’t expecting that, Max. My head was just full of you … of us. I want to be with you. I was living in this fantasy. I wanted the situation with Flint to just go away. I thought I could hide, but yesterday I could feel Flint was near and I realized he would always be able to find me. He isn’t going to give up until he gets me back.”
I scrub my hand down my face, and it’s a habit I barely realize I have until I have to adjust the eye patch. I take a deep breath and remind myself how young she is, and that she was only trying to protect her family. Something I would have done myself. “You may not have recognized his scent, but I can guarantee he knows yours. It would have been a huge feather in his cap to have a female cougar under his control.”
“I’m sorry, Max. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid that you would send me away, but I’ll leave if you want me to. I know I’ve put you in terrible danger. The only way I will be safe is to kill him. I’m going to have to kill my husband.”
I pull the jeep to a screeching stop in front of the cabin before turning to Lily. The cat in me wants to make sure that that bastard, Flint, never gets anywhere near her again. “You’re not going anywhere. Flint isn’t your husband, and he never will be. You’re not going to kill anyone. I’ll kill the son of a bitch myself.”
“It’s three against two, Max. We can do this together.”
“Not going to happen, Lily. Have you ever been in a fight? Killed something before?”
She hesitates before answering, but I don’t need her to. I already know the answer. My heart tells me she is incapable of doing harm to anyone or anything. Lily is good and light and everything kind in the world. I am not. I have killed more than I care to remember. I have seen the ugly in man and beast, the dark and the evil, and part of that lived in me. I don’t want it anywhere near Lily.
“No, but I’ve never had sex before until this evening and I think I learned that pretty quickly.”
“You’re equating sex with fighting and killing?” If that is true I’ve definitely done something wrong. I stare at her in utter disbelief. “Just get in the cabin. Go, and go quickly. They know we are on to them now and they will be here soon.”
We jump from the vehicle and head inside before Lily turns to me. I close and lock the cabin door.
“Of course I don’t equate sex and killing. Don’t be silly. I’m just saying I’m a quick study. We can do this, Max. The two of us, we just have to stick together.”
I have had enough. Just the thought of her in a fight terrifies me. I can’t stop myself as I grip her upper arms and stop just short of shaking some sense in her. I have to remind myself again, just how young she is, how innocent. Lily hasn’t seen the shit I have seen or done. Up to a few days ago she had known no violence in her life.
“Make no mistake about what I’m saying. There is no we when it comes to this fight. You will keep your sweet ass in the cabin and let me deal with them. I promised Ben I would protect you, and I will. I don’t need any help. I need to know right now, is there anything else you’re keeping secret? Anything else I need to know, Lily?”
Tears shimmer in her green eyes. “I’m afraid for you. Flint and his generals won’t fight fair, Max. They will gang up on you. You need me.”
Hell yes, I need her. I need her to bring me from the dark hole I’ve been living in for the past few years. I need her in my life. I need her light and her goodness… I need her safe. “I wouldn’t expect him to fight fair, but what he doesn’t know is … I never fight fair either. I fight to win. Trust me, Kitten. I’ve got this.” I push a strand of golden hair behind her ear. My fingers linger on the soft shell and the silky texture of her hair. Doesn’t she know? I will do whatever I had to do to keep her from harm and to insure our future together. She is mine. My life mate and no one can change that. Especially some whack job gray wolf who thinks he can take her from me. “I’m fighting for my mate, Kitten. There’s no way in hell Flint’s getting past me to get at you. Just know that.”
Lily sighs and then visibly stiffens in my arms, before whispering, “That’s good to know, Max, because he’s here.”
****
Lily
Max steps out on the porch. Dawn is just starting to lighten the sky, but thunder can be heard rumbling in the distance. A storm is coming. Perfect.
I look down at the car keys Max gave me. His instructions still ring in my head. “If things look like they are going their way and not mine, promise me that you won’t hesitate. Get in the damn jeep and get out of here. Get back to Ben or to the police, but don’t stay here. Promise me, Lily.”
So I had promised him, but it’s a promise I won’t keep. If he needs help I will help. He can be mad at me later. I would rather he be mad than dead.
As if he can read my thoughts he looks back over his shoulder at me. I’m standing in the doorway. I pray he can feel my love. “Max,” I mouth.
He gives me a reassuring smile before turning back toward the tree line. His yell catches me off guard, and I flinch. “Your stench is stinking up my property, dogs. Come forward and show yourselves.”
There is a rustling, and two gray wolves step forward with a growl, Drake and Sirius. Flint, still in man form, stands between them. “I’ve come for my wife,” he calls out. “Send her out to me and you won’t be harmed. You have my word.”
I know fear like I’ve never known. I can feel how much he wants me. Wants to possess and own me. Control me. Dominate me and when he is done, when he has used me up, he would literally throw me to the wolves and give me to Sirius and Drake. I would have long wished and prayed for my own life to end before then. I fear this tall, thin, balding man with his long, pointed nose and dark, dead eyes that do a poor job of hiding his madness, like I have never feared anyone before.
Max stands still, facing him, seemingly fearless. He makes me so proud. He hollers back. “As if I would take your word for anything, Flint, you have no wife here. My mate does not claim you. You are nothing to her. Lily will remain my mate and at my side. You and your disgusting dog-self will never touch her.”
Flint’s eyes glow with anger and lunacy. “You dare to stand between a man and his chosen one? Lily is my wife. Ordained mine by a higher power than you. How dare you corrupt her innocence with your ugly, scarred filth? She is coming with me. Her betrayal shall not be forgiven and she will be punished. You will pay for this with your life!” The man is frothing at the mouth, spittle flying as he screams. Clearly, he is consumed with insanity. I can feel myself shaking, and I pray Flint can’t see it. I have to stay strong.
I know what Max is doing, but it doesn’t make it any easier to witness. He’s playing on Flint’s madness. A man so angry that he could lose control isn’t thinking clearly and could make mistakes. Max, however, still looks calm and patient. Like he has all day and can wait them out. I have never admired anyone more. He faces a brutal death, but looks like he is waiting on a pizza delivery. In face of his courage I feel an inner calmness take over my body. If Max can fearlessly fight for us, I can, too. I will not be afraid, not with my mate by my side. Time is on our side, I realize. Flint and his men are being hunted by the police. They could even be hot on their trail and literally minutes away. They have more to lose here than we do. They are just too stupid to know it.
****
Max
Behind me I can feel Lily’s presence. Her fear is a palpable thing. She obviously has no intention of staying in the cabin as I had ordered. Somehow I really didn’t think she would. Flint, I notice, has yet to take his eyes from her, which pisses me off and I will make him pay for that later, but it also means his eyes are off me. I will continue to taunt him. Force his hand, push him to lose control.
“A so-called wife gained at the end of a gun? A wedding not consummated? Are you not man enough to take her yourself? Is this sweet, little kitty too much for a foul dog like you to handle? If you think you can take her, come at me. I will make your wife a widow, before the end of the day.”
Behind me I hear Lily’s sharp gasp, but I keep my focus on the three in front of me. She has to trust me. She has to trust that I know how to get us out of this situation alive.
Lightning flashes around us, and the thunder that claps vibrates throughout my body. I draw my power from it. The noise reminds me of the explosion that took the sight from one of my eyes and the lives of two of my fellow soldiers. The sound reminds me of what I was fighting for then and what I’m going to fight for now, those that I love.
“You’ve made your choice. You will die, cat. Get him, but leave the girl for me,” screams Flint.
Everything seems to happen at once, in slow motion. The heavens open up and rain pours down on all of us, drenching us in seconds. In the blinding flash of lightning, the wolves, Drake and Sirius charge. I shift quickly. My strong cougar body surprises the wolves by lunging at both of them. We come together in a clash that competes with the thunder above. I feel a bite along my shoulder and whirl around to bite back.
Out of the corner of my eye I see the flash of Lily shifting and a piece of me dies a little. I know she will come to the fight if she feels I’m in trouble, and I don’t want her to. I need her to stay safely on the sidelines. My adrenaline has long kicked in, but with the thought that she may join the battle, I fight harder. I’m a frenzy of teeth and claws, ripping and biting and barely feeling the bites I receive in return.
I manage to get one of the wolves by the throat and the other one gnaws at me from the back along my shoulder, trying to get me to release him, but I taste blood. I bite down harder and turn my head from side to side. A low growl comes from deep in the wolf’s chest. The bites along my shoulder are painful, but I push through and hold on. I won’t let go until he is dead.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Lily charge forward and swipe her claws at the wolf biting me. He howls loudly and turns to her, baring his teeth. The wolf begins to slowly move toward Lily, and Flint is advancing as well. Sometime during our fight he has shifted and his yellow eyes glow as he moves toward Lily. He is stalking her from the side at the same time the other wolf is approaching her from her front.
Fuck!
Fear for her has my cougar clamping down harder. I give a vicious shake from side to side of my head and I’m satisfied to hear the sound of breaking bones. The wolf drops to the ground, his neck bent at an odd angle and blood oozing from the wound. The blood mixes with the rain and runs in a steady stream down toward the driveway. The lifeless body jerks a couple of times, before it finally lies motionless. His yellow eyes are open and staring blankly.
I whirl, and my gaze instantly meets Lily’s. I communicate for her to get back in the cabin, and she begins to slowly back up toward the cabin door. With every step she takes, the two remaining wolves advance closer, snapping and growling. I’m pleased to see that she shows no fear and faces them down. Her sharp teeth bared, she hisses her anger toward them.
While their focus is on the female cougar, I pounce and land between Lily and the wolves. I swipe one of my paws and knock the last remaining henchman to the ground. The wolf lands hard on his back with a sharp yelp of pain. Before he can scrabble back up to his feet, I catch him under the neck with my claws and push downward. I rip his stomach open with one quick digging move. His guts pour out into the wet grass.
Flint’s wolf, realizing that he no longer has his back up, and like the coward that he is, turns to run toward the tree line. There is no way in hell I am letting him get away. We will not spend our lives looking over our shoulders, wondering when he may show up again in our lives. I will not have Lily living in fear. I leap onto the wolf’s retreating back, and opening wide, bite into the wolf’s head. I hear and feel the cracking of bones, and I bite down harder, quickly crushing his skull with my powerful jaws. The wolf jerks and drops to the ground. I watch as his breathing slows and then stops. It is done. Vincent Flint is dead. Lily, my love, my mate, is safe.
****
Lily
I pace the confines of the cabin. Outside Max is working to dispose of the wolf carcasses. Stubborn man that he is he refuses my help, insisting on doing the grim, messy job alone. Instead he has me drive down off the mountain and send a text to Ben. I keep it short and to the point.
Flint and his men are dead. Max killed them. We are safe.
I’m having a hard time believing that it’s finally over and that Flint is dead. I close my eyes and say a prayer for Nora and Jacob. They didn’t deserve what happened to them. They had just been kids who had been looking for a better way of life. Flint had promised that to them, but in the end, they had paid with their lives. My heart aches for them and their families. However, I am free. For whatever reason, I have lived. It seems unfair and I don’t understand it, but I am so grateful. I have Max.
The door opens, and the object of my thoughts walks in. He is wet and looks exhausted. I start toward him, and he holds up his hand to halt me. “The rain has washed a lot of the blood off, but I still carry the stench of the wolf. Let me shower. Did you call Ben?”
“No, I just sent him a text. I’ll talk to him later. Are you injured?” My eyes scan him looking for wounds.
He shrugs and winces. “I have some bite marks on my back and shoulders, nothing major. Cougars are quick healers, remember?”
My eyes fill with tears. “Max…”
“It’s okay, Lily. I’m okay.”
I ignore the smell, and his dampness, and wrap my arms around his middle, hugging him to me gently. He sighs and runs his hands up and down my back.
“It’s over. It’s all over.” Max keeps repeating that, and he lets my tears mix with the rain that has soaked his shirt.
After a couple of minutes I raise my head and wrinkle my nose. I frown at him. “You’re right, you do stink.”
Max surprises me by throwing his head back and laughing, “Well guess what, Kitten? Now you do, too. Come on we’re hitting the shower … together.”
“But, but I should dress your wounds.” I try in vain to protest.
“Later.” He scoops me up in his arms and carries me to the bathroom.
****
I cry out when Max enters me. He’s holding me, and I’m up against the tiled shower wall. The steamy water is beating down on both of us. It’s a sensuous feeling, and I know I will never look at a shower the same way again. The mixture of the water and the soap makes our bodies slip and slide as we move against each other. Max has found my special spot and is working it to perfection. His body is moving in and out of mine, his tongue in my mouth setting up the rhythm of our lovemaking. I tighten my legs around his waist and moan when the movement causes him to go even deeper. He quickens his pace and growls against my neck. My release sneaks up on me, and I come quickly and hard. Max follows me, and together we loudly cry out our pleasure.
My legs feel like noodles, so I let Max take control of cleaning us both. He helps me from the shower and kisses me tenderly between pats of a towel on my wet body. He doesn’t know it, but he’s replacing the ugly images of Flint with the beauty of his love. I feel it, and I wonder how I ever lived without it.
“I should dress those bite marks now,” I say fighting down a yawn.
Max leans forward and kisses me on the forehead. “Later, we need to get some sleep. Then we will ride to Ben’s, and let him know everything that has happened. I’m sure he’ll have questions.”
****
Max
In my opinion that had been too quick and a little rough. I am already thinking about how slow and easy I will take her next time, maybe even coax her on top. I could watch her riding my cock and take my pleasure by letting my hands roam her perfect little body.
Fuck yeah, next time.
Hell, my cock is already getting hard again just thinking about watching her perky tits bounce above my mouth. We will have years together, and I can hardly wait to show Lily all the different ways I can please her. She pleases me by just breathing and being Lily. It has been a long time since I’ve had something to look forward to. Having Lily as my mate and in my life is giving me a new purpose and for the first time in a long time I feel lighter … happy. My survivor’s guilt will always be there, and part of me will always think that I don’t deserve Lily. If she only knew half the shit that I’ve done, the people I’ve had to kill…
But she is here. She is in my life, she is my mate, and nothing or no one is ever going to change that.
We are laughing when we come out of the bathroom. Lily has wrapped a towel around herself, and I’m doing my best to pull it free from the little tuck between her breasts. I’ve slipped on a pair of pajama pants that I had hanging in the bathroom. We are so focused on each other that for a moment we fail to notice the man sitting on the couch. When Lily spots him she squeals and launches herself at her brother. Ben catches her easily and hugs her to him. Over the top of Lily’s head our eyes meet. Ben’s face is like stone, and I know the time of my reckoning has come.
Lily holds the towel to her breasts with one hand and jumps up and down on her toes. “Wow! You made really good time. We were just going to take a quick nap and then we were going to head your way. If you’re here does that mean Amber had the baby?”
Ben has yet to take his eyes from me. “Yes, she went into labor late last night. It’s a girl. Catalina Marie. She’s healthy, and she and Amber are doing well. They will come home from the hospital tomorrow.”
“I’m an aunt!” yells Lily, whirling with a smile on her face to announce it to me, as if I hadn’t heard her standing just six feet away.
“Congratulations,” I say, but I’m looking at Ben still. He’s my friend, and he saved my life. I owe him, but I don’t owe him Lily. She’s mine, and I won’t give her up, not even for him, not even for our friendship.
“Can I speak to you outside?” asks Ben. His voice is low, but the request comes out more like an order instead of a question.
“Lead the way.”
Lily finally realizes something is up. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing for you to worry about, Kitten,” I say, leaning down to kiss the top of her head as we walk past. I don’t miss the growl that emits from Ben.
“Stay in the cabin, Lily,” Ben orders.
I snort. Fat chance of that.
“Like hell I will!” She follows us to the door. “What is happening?”
“Lily, please, Ben and I need to talk. Just stay inside and I will explain everything to you later.” I pull the door to with a snap. It’s time to pay the piper.
Ben hits me just as I step off the porch. I manage to stay on my feet, but barely. “Do I even get a chance to explain?”
“I trusted you, and because of that trust I brought you my sister to keep safe, not to fuck when she is vulnerable. What the hell, Max?” He sends me hurt-filled glares as he paces back in forth in front of me. “I thought of you like a brother and now all I feel is betrayed. I know you’ve changed since the incident, but I never would have thought this of you.”
I decide to let the “changed since the incident” comment go. “If you’re done screaming at me, let me point out to you that I did keep Lily safe. I just killed three wolves for her, and I would do it all over again if I had to.”
Ben whirls toward me, waving his arms wildly. “And you fucked my baby sister! Lily is just a kid.”
“Lily’s young, yes, but she’s no child. Lily’s my mate.”
Ben freezes in place, and I can see he is processing what I have just told him. “Your mate?” A smile slowly spreads across his face, right before he clasps me in a rib crushing hug. “Well, hell, man, why didn’t you just say so?”
****
Lily
I race to the kitchenette and stand in front of the window. Max barely steps off the porch when Ben balls up his fist and hits him. I gasp in shock. I have never seen Ben hit anyone before. Why would he hit a friend? I beat on the window, but they ignore me. I watch Max stagger back, but he stays on his feet. Despite them telling me to stay inside, I want to go out there, but I’m frozen in place, surprised beyond words at what I’m witnessing.
I cover my mouth with my hands. Ben is waving his arms and screaming at Max, who just stands still and remains quiet. My brother runs his hands through the short spikes of his hair and leaves them standing up as he starts to pace. Max is speaking to him now, and Ben stops his pacing to stare. I don’t even realize I’m holding my breath until I see the two of them face each other and I’m relieved to see they are speaking, not yelling. Ben runs his hands through his hair again and shakes his head back and forth as if he’s being told something he can’t bring himself to believe. Max’s back is to me, and he stands with his legs apart, tall, and straight, just like he had right before the wolves had attacked. I bite my bottom lip. The two men I love most in the world are fighting, and I don’t like it.
Suddenly they step forward, and I hold my breath again. Instead of hitting each other as I fear, they hug and thump each other on the back. I watch Ben turn toward his truck to leave.
What the hell just happened?
I run to the cabin door and snatch it open. “Are you leaving without even saying good-bye?”
Ben turns back around and looks at me, then at Max, before coming toward me. He grips me to him and whispers in my ear, “I’m happy for you, Lily. Max is a good mate.”
“Yes, he is. Thank you, Ben. I’ll be by to see Amber and my new niece tomorrow when they come home.”
He releases me and kisses my cheek. “That’s fine. I’m sure Amber will be glad to see you and know you’re okay. Now for the love of all that is holy, go put some damn clothes on, because you have some explaining to do. Max tells me Flint was a shifter and you actually married the bastard?”
I frown at Max for ratting me out. “Okay, come inside while I change and we’ll talk.”
“I’ll stay right here, but hurry up. I need to get back to my girls.”
I quickly run inside and slip on a pair of jeans and a shirt and step back out on the porch where Max and Ben are still standing talking quietly. I pick up on the words “cult” and “police” and wince. Somehow or another the police are going to have to be informed that Flint and his men are dead. I shudder at the thought of having to make a police statement.
Max quickly pulls me to his side and keeps his arm wrapped around me when he speaks. “Ben and I have come up with a plan. While you visit with Amber and the baby tomorrow we’re going to make a trip to the police station. We have a mutual friend there, a fellow shifter who is pretty high ranking. We’ll explain the situation to him, and he can come up with a credible story to tell the press and the victims’ families. They deserve to know that Flint is no longer a threat to them or anyone else.”
“Thank you for that. Yes, Nora’s and Jacob’s families need to know that justice was served, and even though it won’t bring them back, at least they have the satisfaction of knowing he can’t hurt anyone else ever again.” I pull Max to me closer and look up at Ben.
Ben grunts. “Speaking of deserving to know. Do you want to explain to me why you kept the fact that Flint and his goons were shifters and that you actually married him? Lil, for fuck’s sake, you put us all in danger with your omission of the facts.”
I feel Max stiffen beside me, and I gently pat his back to let him know it’s okay. “I made a judgment call, okay? I did what I did out of love for you and Amber. It was more important to me that you stay safe.”
“Fuck, Lily. I’m Special Forces. You don’t think I could keep you safe?”
“I would watch how you speak to your sister if I were you.”
“My sister is my responsibility. It’s my job to keep her safe.”
“Not anymore it isn’t. Lily’s mine now, and I take care of what’s mine.”
Ben steps closer. “See that you do or you will answer to me.”
I feel Max’s stance shift. “Fair enough.”
I’ve had enough, and I step between them, “First off, stop talking about me like I’m not even here. I’m a grown ass woman, and I make my own decisions. You,” and I point to Ben, “had enough on your plate with Amber and the baby. Yes, I know under different circumstances you could protect me. Enough said on that subject. I did what I thought I had to do. Now, I will not have the two men who I love most in this world fighting over me. Is that clear? So stop it right now.” I feel Max lay his hand on my shoulder, and my anger disappears just like that. I embrace my brother. “Ben, I love you and thank you for everything you have done for me and continue to do for me. Now go home. We will see you tomorrow. Give Amber my love.”
Ben reaches across and shakes Max’s hand. “Sorry, man. Thank you.” He climbs in his truck and heads off.
Max and I go back into the cabin. He pulls a bag of frozen peas from the freezer. “Your brother hits like a girl,” he mumbles before slapping the bag on his jaw
“Why did Ben hit you?”
“Apparently he took exception to me fucking his sister in the shower.”
I feel the red start to creep up my neck and spread up to my cheeks and the tips of my ears heat up. “Oh lord! He heard us?”
Max smiles, and then winces when it hurts. “You’re pretty loud when you come, Kitten. It’s possible the town at the bottom of the mountain heard you. No worries though, I told him you are my mate and there isn’t a damn thing he can do about it.” Max shrugs. “He didn’t take it well in the beginning, because he still thinks you’re a kid. Ben loves you, and he only wants the best. I get that. He just needs time to adjust to the fact you’re not his responsibility anymore. You’re mine.”
“Well just so we are clear on something. I’m a grown woman. I make my own decisions and I can take care of myself. I picked you, Max, and mate or not I would always choose you. Men!”
****
Max
Lily storms off. She heads up the loft ladder and I can’t help but grin. Feisty Lily is fun. Her yelling at me has made my dick hard. I may have to make her mad more often. Of course she is right. She is a grown woman, totally capable of making her own life decisions, except for the fact that when it comes to us being mates. That was chosen for us by fate and forces beyond our control. She can fight it all she wants, hell Ben can fight it too for all I care, but it is meant to be. We are meant to be.
The dreaded confrontation with Ben went better than I had anticipated. We’ve been like brothers for years, and I wouldn’t want anything about that relationship to change. Except it will.
I’m exhausted, and I’m sure Lily is as well, but first we need food. I open a couple of cans of tomato soup and began to prepare some grilled cheese sandwiches. It is going on noon, and we haven’t had anything to eat since yesterday. Lily’s ice cream still sits in my jeep … forgotten and melted. I make a mental note to stop tomorrow on the way back from Ben and Amber’s to pick up some more. The girl needs her aphrodisiac. I have plans for us.
I become aware of her a split second before she slips her arms around me from behind and leans her body against mine.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” she whispers touching the back of my neck with her lips sending a shiver of need down my spine and causing my balls to tighten.
“Kitten, you can yell at me anytime you want to because you are sexy as hell when you’re mad.”
I feel her chest shake against my back as she chuckles. I turn and give her a kiss. The taste of her always calms me and fires me up simultaneously. She’s gentle, and smart, brave, and beautiful. I don’t understand how I got so lucky, but I’ll never take her acceptance of me for granted. She doesn’t shy away from my scars or my dark loner past.
“Do you want me to dress your wounds now?” she asks after I release her lips.
I shake my head. “It doesn’t even hurt. I’m already healing. Are you hungry?”
“Mmmm, yes, I’m starving.” Her words make me wonder if we could put off eating for a few minutes while I sit her on the counter top and slip my cock inside her wet, hot pussy. In the end, I take mercy on her, and my growling stomach, and together we carry bowls of steaming soup, and crispy sandwiches to the table. Our eyes lock, and I know we are thinking the same thing. This is the place we first made love. The place I took her virginity and made her mine. I watch her amazing green eyes light up with remembrance, and my heart speeds up.
“Do you think after we eat we could…” she asks shyly.
“Hell yes.” My answer will always and forever be yes.