Mate Claimed

Iona jumped awake to find everything dark. She lifted her head, startled to find herself still panther. Her claws had dug a deep gouge in her sofa, she saw with her cat vision. Crap.

She stepped down from the sofa and stretched. She was supposed to feel better—fed, rested, the worry of the day behind her.

Instead, she was restless, pacing, growling to herself. She needed to shift back to human.

And found she didn’t want to. She wanted to run, to hunt, to kill. She needed to.

She remembered the scent of lovemaking on Nicole, the heightened warmth of the baby inside her, and started to wind up again. Iona needed that, the smell of sex, the heat of a male body on hers, wanted to press her hand to her own abdomen and know that life was growing there.

She needed it now.

Iona forced herself back to human. The shift took a long time, and hurt, more so than usual, her panther reluctant to let go.

She stood in the middle of the hallway between living room and kitchen, shaking. The mirror there showed her black hair a mess, her eyes enormous and still Shifter.

Iona snatched up her phone and started punching numbers.

He answered this time. Thank God.

“Eric,” she said frantically. “Eric, I need you.”

CHAPTER SIX

Eric killed his motorcycle’s engine before he reached Iona’s house, and coasted the dark bike up into the driveway, parking it in the shadows. Iona opened the door for him as he approached, but Eric pushed her back into the house.

Iona smelled of wild female, full of need. Eric wanted to grab her by the nape of the neck, haul her up the stairs to her bedroom, shut the door behind them, and not come out for a week.

Iona had put on sweatpants as Eric had told her to on the phone, and she wore a cropped sports shirt that doubled as a bra, its collar hugging her throat.

The honed body the small shirt revealed didn’t help Eric’s frenzy. They might not even make it to the bedroom.

“Ready?” he asked.

Iona nodded. She clenched her teeth, her eyes definitely Shifter.

They quietly left the house again, Eric leading her to his bike.

Iona took the helmet he handed her but didn’t put it on. “I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before.”

“You’ll get it. Helmet first, then hold on to me when you’re on.”

He straddled the seat and held the bike steady so Iona could mount behind him. Even with her helmet, she looked sexy as hell, felt sexy as hell cuddled up to the back of him.

Iona figured out how to rest her feet, then wrapped her arms around Eric.

The night suddenly got warmer. Eric coasted the bike down the driveway, starting it up when they swung out into the street.

Eric took them north, out of the city, back to the empty country. Feeling Iona’s lithe body against his loosened something inside him, dissolving the last of the pain that had debilitated him this afternoon.

He opened up the bike once they cleared the suburbs, racing it down the highway under the stars. Iona’s arms tightened around his middle, her strength making him stronger.

Eric took them well off the road, down dirt trails only he knew, the bike’s light slicing through absolute darkness. The eyes of startled animals glittered in the sudden glow, then faded back out of the way.

The trail ended in a wash. Here, Eric killed the engine. Iona slid off, hopping a little until she got her leg over the seat, then she ripped off the helmet.

She was smiling. “Is that what it’s always like?”

“Nothing’s better than a Harley when you can let it rip,” he said as he dismounted. “Now, strip.”

He could tell Iona was far gone in frenzy, because she didn’t even blink. She started shedding clothes, and once she was free of them, she shifted.

Though it took her a couple of minutes, this shift was easier for her than the last time Eric had seen her do it. Maybe because her frenzy was strong tonight, maybe because her wildcat was dangerously close to taking over.

As soon as she was panther, Iona hit the ground running. Eric quickly got out of his clothes, flowed into his leopard shape, and bounded after her.

Though the panther was fast, Eric’s snow leopard caught up to her quickly. They ran side by side through a wide, sandy wash and then turned and loped along its far bank, dodging brush, rocks, and soft patches of dirt.

Eric sensed the terror of smaller creatures among the creosote and sage. The animals were picking up on Iona’s need to hunt, to chase, to feed.

Iona ran and leapt and scrambled, climbing up a hill, gravel scattering. Eric was at her heels.

The last time he’d chased her, she’d run in fear and anger. This time, he could tell, she ran for the enjoyment of it.

And for her wild need. Iona’s voice when she’d called him tonight had been half-crazed, Iona barely containing herself. A run might settle her tonight, but her mating hunger wouldn’t stop until it was satisfied. Or it killed her.

Iona made it to the top of a ridge and raced along it, never minding the sharp stones and prickly weeds. Eric bounded after her, shouldering his way in to run beside her on the edge of the cliff. His need to protect her was powerful, and one missed footfall could mean her death.

Iona growled and sprinted past him, leaving him in the dust.

Eric doubled his speed. Iona’s tail whipped across her back in annoyance, then she picked up the pace even more, running recklessly along the top of the ridge.

As soon as they hit a wide enough stretch, Eric leapt, landed on Iona, and took her down.

Iona snarled and fought, ears back, teeth snapping. Panther limbs writhed under Eric’s, Iona’s pelt foamy with sweat.