Chapter Nine
A month passed quickly, thanks to Cat’s daily routine. Cat would wake up early in the morning and be put through excruciating exercise courtesy of His Highness, the Alpha. Every once in a while, another pack member would step in to change up the fighting styles and let Cat get used to anticipating moves. Finn, Kelly’s husband and the oldest member of the pack, was a very good strategist and was difficult to take down. Jamie was playful and would taunt Cat until she finally gave in to her wolf. Except the first time he called her kitten, and she broke down crying. But that didn’t stop him from continuing to call her that. Whether it was to get her used to it or to comfort her with an old nickname, she didn’t know.
Cat wasn’t complaining about it, though. Just because she had been a wolf for six years did not mean she wasn’t partly human. And she was all female.
With Killian training her, she got to enjoy every time he took off his shirt in training, watch every single ripple of muscle as he showed her the proper techniques and counterattacks, and enjoy every little touch as he moved her to the proper position or pinned her beneath him. She ignored the intense pleasure it brought her to just have the brush of his skin against hers. It was a time to become stronger, not focus on the ache her wolf had to mate with a male…not to mention her human side.
The exercise was making a difference to Cat. Eating properly and working out every day had turned her skinny limbs into muscle. She still wasn’t where she would like to be, but loved that she could look in the mirror and see the slight muscle definition across her body. She knew another couple of weeks and she would be ready to go out on her own. Fighting with Killian was becoming easier, and she was a lot harder to pin than she had been in the beginning. Contrary to her position at the moment.
“Gotcha again, Cat,” Killian said from behind her, holding her arm in a horrible lock that had her shoulder and wrist muscles screaming out in agony. Any farther, and he could break her arm in two. He pushed her into the ground, her cheek resting against the soft mat but her rear pressed into his stomach.
Sweat dripped off her forehead, and she breathed heavily, each inhale and exhale like fiberglass scraping against her lungs. She had lasted all of fifteen minutes against him before he got her. She was getting better, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t frustrating she hadn’t beat him even once.
Growling in frustration she tapped the floor three times in surrender and collapsed to the mat when he released her. Killian dropped next to her, his breathing equally haggard. He chuckled and looked over at Cat, eyes sparkling with humor. Their friendship had gained momentum, even to the point where he’d started calling her Cat instead of Catrina.
“Hey, you’re getting better, though. You almost got me with that last sidekick.”
Cat rolled her eyes at him and covered her face with her arm. “It’s not enough, though. I seem to always be on the defensive. It’s the offensive I can’t ever get down.” She sighed, the oxygen a relief to her heaving lungs.
“What can I say? I got mad skills,” he jokingly replied.
Cat turned on her side toward Killian with a narrowed glare. His wavy ebony hair fell in front of his eyes, and he swept it back with a hand, still slightly laughing at the situation. He looked so enticing, with his glinting amber eyes and smug grin. His firm chest begged for her to reach a hand out to feel that it was as hard as it looked, to explore the curve of his pecs down into his abs, and move lower over the sweat-slicked flesh…
She had never mated with a man before, obvious from her lack of social opportunities, but her wolf was practically purring at the thought of this gorgeous specimen taking her as his. When she met his eyes again after a thorough perusal of the beautiful body in front of her, she saw his raised eyebrow and cocky grin.
“Well now, I do believe I just caught you checking me out, Miss Macintyre.”
The blood rushed to Cat’s face in a ferocious blush. Mortified he had caught her outright ravishing him with her eyes, she pushed the stray hairs away from her face and shot upright.
“I…don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stuttered. He sat up next to her and leaned back on his hands, looking at the ceiling with a big smile on his face.
“Uh-huh.”
Still blushing she got to her feet. “I better go hop in the shower. Jessica is coming over for lunch.”
Despite Cat’s avoidance of any sort of close connection with the pack, Jessica had forced her way upon her. Every other day she would stop by the house with miscellaneous excuses for her presence. It eventually became a habit, but Cat would never admit she had started to enjoy the silly blonde and her adorable daughter. They had begun to provide a distraction during the time Cat wasn’t training.
“Hey, Cat,” Killian called, still sitting on the floor. When Cat stopped at the door and faced him, he tilted his head away from the ceiling and looked her in the eyes and asked firmly, “Do you want to go to dinner with me?”
Cat stared at him, mouth ajar and hand paused in the motion of tucking her hair behind her ear. “We eat dinner together every night, Killian.”
Sighing, Killian stood up and brushed off his pants’ invisible lint. “I know. I mean out of the house. At a restaurant. Just you and me.”
“Like a date?” Cat asked in shock.
Killian gave her his famous sideways grin. “Yeah. Like a date.”
Cat seriously considered it…for about a minute. Her wolf screamed yes, but her mind said no with a firm, adamant tone. And the mind won. This time.
Turning away from him, she threw over her shoulder, “Just because I was checking out the merchandise, Killian, does not mean I want to purchase it.” She walked out the door, pushing down her whining wolf. Yet she couldn’t dismiss the sharp pang of yearning in her core. She swallowed past her human body’s desire for the man laughing behind her and forced her feet to move faster before she pounced on him.
* * * *
Cat tilted her head back, allowing the warm water to fall down her hair. It pelted her body, massaging muscles sore from the workout. Her sigh echoed over the sound of the water.
Killian. Why did he have to ask her out? She had acted witty—confident even—while in front of him. But now in the privacy of her bathroom, she was stuck with her own thoughts. Thoughts that seemed only to lead her to dangerous places.
Asking her out had been a sudden move. Sure, Killian had teased her occasionally, but she’d brushed it off as silly humor. Jamie did it, so why not Killian? Yet he had seemed completely serious, maybe even a little nervous. What had changed for him that he would ask her out on a date?
Cat glanced down at her body. It had changed the past month. Ridges of muscle formed on her abs, evidence of a future six-pack. Her legs looked less like a baby deer’s and had toned to be more firm and sexy. Eating frequently had done wonders for her awkwardly protruding ribs. Overall, she had become a much more attractive person. Killian was a man after all, and maybe her newly changed body had been the reason for his suddenly asking her out.
Cat’s time there hadn’t been easy on her either. She wasn’t numb to the reaction of her body every time he was in the room. There Killian was, sweating, shirtless, delicious, in the gym, rolling on top of her and breathing down the back of her neck. He’d shoot her his grin, and she’d all but melt in his arms. It caused all sorts of sensations on her body. Her skin tingled even at the thought of the man and his tough arms wrapping around her.
What would he do to her? she wondered. She’d never truly thought about it. Avoided it, sure, but she hadn’t really focused in on what could happen. Being near him was the finest torture. She wanted him, but she couldn’t have him. She ached and tingled every time after the gym, and it was making her miserable. What would it feel like for his hands to touch her bare skin?
She trailed her hands down her shoulders, relishing the delicate touch. The tips of her fingers barely met her skin, like tiny, warm feathers brushing across her. Her body craved Killian, and her wolf did too. She imagined his calloused hands instead of hers. She’d had them on her skin enough to know the exact way they would feel. Rough but gentle.
She closed her eyes and sighed as she moved her hands lower. She rubbed down her chest, her skin warming in anticipation. She’d never felt anything quite like it, and she’d sure as hell never touched herself this way, so erotic, wanton. Yet the idea of Killian’s hands on her drove her to places she wanted to explore. It challenged her focus, made her desire more.
She cupped her breasts. No, Killian did. He stood before her, hair dripping and a smile gracing his face. He squeezed and tugged at the warm flesh, flicking his thumb over her nipples. She gasped in pleasure, leaning back against the shower wall for support. Her nipples hardened beneath his touch, as if begging for more. She wanted to beg for more. He understood and slowly traced his hands down her stomach, eliciting an erotic shiver down her spine. His fingers were rough against her smooth skin, and it only made her yearn for his hands to keep moving.
When he gently touched the top of her most private place, her clit, a place no person had ever seen or touched, she moaned. The sound reverberated around her, only making the moment more carnal. God, that felt amazing. She’d never thought it would feel that good. She bucked her hips forward against the touch. He moved his finger around and around, until another moan shot out of her mouth. The same finger dipped within her, pushing into her folds and delving deep.
He penetrated her, in and out, in and out. She rocked against his hand as pressure built within her. Her legs shook, and she had to brace herself before she fell to the shower floor. But it wasn’t until he touched her with his thumb, pushed it on her clit, rubbing it with ferocity, that she finally exploded. The pressure unleashed, sending her flying and gasping. Her whole body went through a vicious cycle of tense and release, until she finally felt she could breathe again.
And there she stood, her back braced against the shower, recovering from her first orgasm. But when she finally opened her eyes, she was alone. Her own finger dripped as the shower washed away any remnants of her juices. Cat let out a long, shaky breath and looked at the ceiling.
Killian was dangerous. He evoked strange emotions in her, made her do strange things. Pleasuring herself was something she would never have thought to do before, but with Killian as a constant temptation, her body and mind couldn’t take it. She was on a diet, and he was a vanilla sundae with chocolate syrup smothered all over it.
She pushed away from the wall and shook her head. He wasn’t good for her at all.
* * * *
Mia sat on the floor next to Cat coloring with some supplies Jessica had brought with her. They sat in the living room around the fire after devouring their Chinese food. It was surprising how much chow mein and kung pao chicken her skinny friend could scarf down.
Fall had come in full force, and a chill had set itself into the air over the last week or so. Although they couldn’t be cold, it was still a nice sentiment to have a fire going. Plus, it was something for Cat to stare at when Jessica wouldn’t shut her mouth.
Cat closed her eyes as she listened to Jessica speak. Her current problem of the day was a small argument she and Brian had gotten into that morning. Something so simple as forgetting to buy coffee on the way home the night before had escalated into snarls and slammed doors. Cat envied the slow life Jessica seemed to live.
She remembered a time when things so small had seemed so big. Days when her father and mother would get into arguments, and Papa would bring Mama freshly picked wildflowers as an apology, even when he wasn’t the one in the wrong. The nights when they all sat on the couch, listening to her mother’s simple stories of a time long forgotten.
A familiar scent sneaked its way up to Cat, and she peeked open one eye to see Killian had walked through the front door. After asking her out that morning, he had avoided her in any way possible. In fact, the minute Jessica arrived, Killian had used the excuse to leave for town to get supplies. He hadn’t needed much if the small paper bag in his hands was any indication. His gaze met her half-opened eyes, and he smirked, waved, and continued walking. She really hoped he hadn’t seen the blush staining her cheeks. Just seeing him reminded her of what she’d done in the shower.
A subtle clearing of a throat next to her made Cat realize Jessica had stopped talking.
“So…what’s going on there?”
Closing her eyes again, Cat stated, “Nothing.” She hated how it came out rushed and fierce, like she was hiding something. Because she was. And dammit, Jessica would notice.
A very unladylike snort escaped from the very ladylike Jessica. In surprise, Cat looked at the blonde sitting next to her on the couch. Jessica had her arms crossed and her face screwed up in disbelief.
“Seriously? You’re going to pull that one on me?”
Cat had never gossiped before. Growing up around only your parents tended to do that, and she had learned quickly not to tell her parents stories of each other. Girl talk was something she had only read about in novels and seen on the TV.
Realizing Jessica wasn’t going to let it go, Cat fidgeted in her seat. She decided she really did not like the idea of girl talk.
“Well, he asked me out to dinner. And I turned him down.”
Jessica sat gaping at her, but then her lips twisted into a smug smile before she burst out laughing. “Really? He must have loved that! Oh God, Lia is going to have a fit!” Jessica continued laughing loudly.
Killian was in the house somewhere, and he was most definitely going to hear the exchange between them. Well, if he wasn’t being nosy, he probably wouldn’t hear it. What were the chances of his having an ounce of tact?
After Jessica laughed her little heart out, she wiped tears from the corners of her eyes and slapped her knees with the palms of her hands. “So why’d you turn him down?”
Cat shrugged but refused to answer. Would Jessica understand her reasoning? Vengeance was first and foremost in her life—no time for romance and wolfish antics.
“Oh come on, you have to give me more than that! I mean, Lia has been drooling and following this man around like a puppy for years, and he hasn’t once given her more than a pat on the head. You come around for one month, and he’s asking you out for dinner? I’ve seen the way he’s been with you since you came here. There has to be something going on.”
“We don’t do much besides eat and train together.”
“That’s more than what he does with Lia. He shoves any of her training off on Jamie,” she pointed out.
“Jessica…” Cat sighed. The subject was giving her a headache.
“Don’t you Jessica me. I know something is going on.”
“I don’t have time to start a relationship with someone. Especially somebody I hardly know.” Her mission was her top priority, but it was more than that. The man who drove her crazy every morning in the training room and then teased her with his golden eyes across the dinner table was still a mystery.
“Cat, you can’t control this kind of thing. One, you’re a wolf. A wolf knows when it’s found the right one.”
She couldn’t help the derisive snort that erupted from her nostrils. “Seriously? The right one?”
Jessica just rolled her eyes and continued, “It’s not like…fated or anything. It’s more of a mutual respect and desire. And Shifters only find their true mate once, just like wolves. You just know.” She shifted in her seat, her legs crossed Indian-style and a beaming smile on her face. “Two: even for humans it comes randomly. Love finds you at the strangest times, when you least expect it. It comes when you don’t want it to.”
“Sounds to me like you’ve been watching way too much Twilight, Jessica. Or what’s that other one you like so much? Pride and Prejudice.” Cat mocked up her best impression of a British accent and lifted her eyebrow in question. “Are Killian and I like Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy?” It seemed Jessica was intent on hooking up her and Killian.
“Far from it. They at least had some manners and didn’t make fun of their friends.” She narrowed her emerald eyes at Cat, like that motherly I dare you to say more look would work on a twenty-three-year-old woman. Strangely, it did make Cat a little uncomfortable. “Anyways, talk to me. What do you feel around him?”
Cat sighed in defeat. She was never going to drop it. The drilling would only increase, and there were hours before Jessica needed to go home.
“I don’t know, Jessica. You really want me to describe it?”
“God, yes! I love a good bit of explicit detail.” She smirked and settled back into the couch cushions.
“Fine.” How to describe something so intense? To put what she felt for Killian into definitive words? “Well, whenever I walk into the kitchen, it seems like he’s always listening to music and dancing. It’s become one of my favorite parts of the day, seeing him be so…goofy.” She looked over at Jessica, who only nodded in encouragement. Cat let out a groan of misery. This telling of emotions was not her forte. “And when we train…” A blush crept up into her cheeks, so Cat furiously rubbed a finger over her crinkled nose. “All those muscles, and when we wrestle he’s all over me. Sometimes I just want to touch his skin—” Cat cut off, her mouth clenched tight. To describe all that…ugh.
“Awwwwwwww…” Jessica squealed out. “You are too cute. Like a blushing teenager! So innocent and with such devious thoughts.” She winked and then looked back over at her daughter. “You know, I knew the minute I saw Brian he was the one.”
Not surprising in the least, Cat thought but kept it to herself. “Really?”
“Yeah. Killian, Jamie, and I had found out about a rampant wolf in the state we grew up in, so we went down to see what we could do. The other packs were going to kill him, but Killian asked if he could see about taking him in. We walked right up to this tree line, and we knew he was there watching us. Killian egged him on, shifted right there to challenge him. Brian came storming out, ready to take on Killian, who is pretty damn intimidating in wolf form. It was amazing.” She paused, an awed expression on her face as she watched her daughter stack the blocks over and over again. “They didn’t fight too long, but Brian has those scars on his chest and back from Killian. It was pretty vicious for how short it was. Anyways, I knew then he was someone to reckon with, because he had stood up so much to our Alpha. But then I saw him in the training room one day. He was shirtless with those jagged scars. I have never wanted someone the way I want that man, Cat. It’s…intense.”
Intense. Yep. That about summed it up.
Jessica kept staring wistfully, seeing some memory Cat was sure she didn’t want to see.
“It was different for you, Jessica. I can’t be with him.” Another excuse. Her voice even seemed weak to her own ears.
She remembered the shower, the fantasy, the imagined feel of Killian’s hands on her body; remembered how amazing it felt to get the release even from her own fingertips. With Killian’s heated stares and promise of pleasure, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could resist the seductive Alpha. Or if she really wanted to.