Chapter Four
Everything was in full swing by the time she got to the party. She stood in the corner for a moment to observe and doodle some notes. Some of the women were dressed in animal print, and Cassie cocked her head. Wasn’t that just tacky?
She could feel the tension in the room. It was clear that some of the shifters were very much in tuned to their animal side, and everyone was silently fighting for dominance. The women seemed to lap it up, but it made Cassie uneasy.
“There you are!”
Cassie turned to see Lydia making her way over to her. The stunningly beautiful woman was dressed in a sleek black dress and four inch stilettos. Cassie took a moment to appreciate the affect the shoes had on the woman’s legs. “What do you think so far?”
“It’s classy,” Cassie admitted. She’d thought there’d be awkward music, prom balloons, and glittery streamers, but instead quiet upbeat tempo music was coming out of the speakers, and the decorations were at a minimum. Food and drinks were plenty, and while some couples were dancing, others opted to sit at the tables and get to know each other.
“Thanks! It was tough in the beginning to come up with a party that shifters of all shapes and sizes might like. We’ve got groups that prefer water, others that prefer land, and some that are odd about concrete and hardwood floors. The key is variety. I try to have a little bit of space for everyone,” she said beaming.
“How do you keep the alphas from fighting? I can see the uneasiness in some of the men.”
“There are very strict rules at these parties for the shifters. No fighting is at the very top. I have lavender scented sprays in the corners to help calm everyone, but just in case, there are several undercover operatives with tranquilizer guns. In all the years that I’ve been doing this, we’ve never needed to use them, but safety is the number on priority.”
Cassie jotted the quote in her notebook. “Why shifters? Aren’t they destined to be with just one person? How can do you have such a high success rate when the odds are stacked against you?”
Lydia gave her sly smile. “That, my dear, is a trade secret.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Cassie saw some people moving quickly. Curious, she followed the movement and saw that the crowd was parting for one man. Her jaw dropped.
“Damn,” she whispered. He was gorgeous. Thick blonde hair framed his square face and amber eyes. She watched his smooth jaw clench, and immediately, she wanted to run her fingers down those high cheekbones and over those lips. He was tall and built with muscles that rippled under the tight shirt.
“See something you like?” Lydia asked softly.
Cassie blinked and blushed. “You have some gorgeous men here,” she muttered.
“That’s Maxwell Torrent. He’s the alpha for the local lion shifter pride. I guarantee at least half of the women here would kill for just one night in that man’s bed.”
She felt the pull of sexual attraction and waved it off. She was not here to pick up men. She was here to work.
As she tried to focus and ask Lydia a few more question, she found herself getting aroused. Looking up, she saw the lion staring at her.
“My, my,” Lydia purred. “He seems to be interested in you. Why don’t you go talk to him?”
Cassie tried to shrug nonchalantly. “In a minute. It will be interesting to get the perspective of an alpha shifter at a scene like this. I just have a few more questions before I start talking to the crowd.”
She looked up from her notebook and saw the irritated look on Lydia’s face. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No. It’s fine,” the woman said hurriedly. “You know, we can always talk tomorrow after the party. Why don’t you get a feel for the crowd before they get too entangled with each other?” She pointed to the corner where one shifter and a woman were getting a quick taste of each other. “Some of them will be looking for more private places soon.”
Watching the two touch other stoked a fire inside Cassie. She’d never thought of herself as a voyeur, but with the lion still staring at her, she realized she’d never been so turned on in her life. Her skin ached to be touched, and moisture was gathering between her legs. She stood quickly and snapped the notebook shut. She needed to finish this so she could leave. “That’s a good idea. I’ll call you tomorrow if I don’t see you before I leave,” she said quickly.
“Good luck,” Lydia said with a strange smile.
She got up quickly and moved across the room, trying to put as much distance between herself and the lion shifter as possible.
Max ignored all the women. Many of them walked by, several were daring enough to reach out and touch him, and a couple stopped to talk, but he ignored them. He was so removed from the party that he forgot he was even there.
She was stunning. Tall with long dark raven black hair and a sun-kissed glow, she’d been the center of his focus all night. As soon as he laid eyes on her, he’d heart beat increased. He stirred, but it was more than just sexual attraction. She was completely covered from head to two in a pants suit and a blazer, but he could see the outline of her heavy breasts and that large ass that was just made to fit the palms of his hands.
The longer he stared at her, the more he yearned to taste her. Every now and then, her dark eyes flitted in his direction, but she seemed to be purposely moving away from him. His predator instincts kicked in, but he forced himself to relax. If she was meant to be his, she would make his way to her. Nobody could deny the pull of a mate.
He watched her talk to some of the people and doodle in that notebook of hers. He wanted nothing more than to rip it out of her hands, shove her against the wall, and bury himself in her.
She was wet. He could smell her from here, and he knew she’d be warm and welcoming. Would she scream? Would she gasp or cry out? Would she whimper or make a breathy little sigh?
God, he wanted her in his hands when he made her come. He wanted to feel her skin shiver and feel those legs tightening around him.
She was getting close. Only a few people separated them, and he watched as she tried to focus on the person she was speaking with. Instead, she kept sneaking peeks at him. He could see the nervous habits. She tucked her hair behind her ear too frequently. She tapped her pen at the table.
She bit her lip. He wanted to bite her lip.
Finally, she was finished. She turned to him, and as soon as they locked eyes, her mouth snapped shut. She spun on her heels and quickly walked away.
What?
He pushed himself from the wall and began to follow her, but a cute little blonde stepped into this path. “I’ve been looking at you all night,” she whispered. She trailed a finger down his chest. “Take me home, and I’ll ride you all night.”
“Not interested,” he growled as he tried to step around her.
The woman was tenacious. She pushed her body against him and wiggled suggestively. “God, you’re already hard,” she moaned. “Let me take care of that for you baby,” she said as she reached down to grab him.
“Christ,” he hissed. “No sex on the grounds, remember?”
“I’ll fuck you in the car,” she said as she squeezed him. “I’ll do anything to get this cock inside me.”
He grabbed her hands and deliberately placed them above her head. He could see her shiver with excitement. “Sweetheart, you are delicious and tempting. And if this were any other moment, I’d have you bent over so fast it would make your head spin, but I don’t think you’re going to satisfy me tonight. Find someone else.”
Picking her up, he turned and placed her behind him before returning to the brunette. He searched around wildly, but she was already gone.
“Fuck,” he roared as he lunged for the door, He stepped into the parking lot just in time to see her speed away. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“Her name is Cassie Branders.” Max turned to see the woman in charge behind him. “She’s a columnist for the Weekly Report.”
“She’s my mate,” he growled.
“Yes. I agree.”
He stared at the woman. “How the hell do you know that?”
She tiled her head. “Why do you think I invited you?”
His mouth dropped open. “I would ask how you knew that we connected, but frankly, I don’t care. If she’s my mate, she’s supposed to find me irresistible. So why the hell is she running in the opposite direction?”
“Just because she’s meant to be yours doesn’t mean she’s going to be happy about it in the beginning. What’s wrong Maxwell? Afraid of a little challenge?”
Max stared at the woman. Of course he wasn’t afraid of a challenge. But once a shifter found a mate, it was supposed to be easy after that. Smooth sailing.
But to make her his? He supposed he was willing to put in a little effort.