Chapter Six
“What’s wrong?” Shannon remained frozen where she lay sprawled on top of his bed, gawking at the totally naked man.
“I don’t want to hurt you.” The muscles in Anton’s arms and even the ones cascading down his stomach stood out as though he’d been heavily exercising. “You’re small and too tight.”
She swallowed hard, her throat going dry. Her hands shook as she flattened them on the mattress, pushed up to a sitting position, and drew her knees closed. She huddled on his bed.
His lips parted, revealed some sharp-looking canines, and it struck her why his face suddenly appeared so frightening. He had started to shift a little into his wolf. It wasn’t just the shape of his eyes that had slightly transformed but his lips looked fuller, his strong chin seemed to jut out a little more than normal, and those teeth weren’t human. Her breath caught.
They watched each other and then Anton stepped closer, then paused. His heated gaze ran over her body, lingered on her legs, and then he stood at the end of the bed.
“Take off that shirt and roll over.”
Fear and uncertainty kept her frozen. Anton softly cursed and then bent. His hands gripped her thighs and he flipped her over without warning. Shannon gasped, found her face pressed into his bedding, and then his hold changed when strong fingers curled around her hips. He jerked her up to her knees until her ass lifted high into the air where he kept her suspended.
“When is the last time you had sex?” His tone turned rough, harsh.
It took Shannon a few seconds to react. Clawing sheets, she pushed up to her hands and knees. She threw her hair out of the way by tossing her head and stared at him over her shoulder. She wiggled but the grip on her didn’t ease, making it clear that he wasn’t about to let her go. He put his knee on the bed, pressed against the back of her thighs, leaving her no choice but to spread them to make room for him.
“Answer me,” he snarled.
“I…” She couldn’t think when he climbed onto the bed, his body caging hers under him when he bent over her, his stomach pressing down against her back. The position forced her to lower her head and chest closer to the mattress.
“We’ll go slowly.” He took a ragged breath. “Spread wider for me.” He removed his leg from between her thighs and placed his knees on the outside of hers in a wide stance that gave her room to do as he demanded. “Now.”
Their size difference frightened her. He had to have over a hundred pounds on her, weight he could use against her if he chose to, and with his abnormal strength she knew it would be a useless attempt to fight if she wanted to.
“Kitten,” he rasped, his voice softening. “I smell fear and there’s no reason for it.”
Her mind started to work. He wasn’t forcing the sex, in fact he didn’t try to enter her at all, waiting for her to move her knees apart. “You didn’t get a condom.”
The second the words were out, Shannon wished she could take them back. She should have mentioned her first concern—her fear that it would hurt since he happened to be the owner of one major hard-on. None of her previous lovers had come even close to being built as thickly as Anton.
“You’re right.” His eyes closed. “I’m not thinking clearly.”
“We touch and that seems difficult to do for both of us.” The fear eased from her body while she craned her neck to get a better view of his face.
He smiled, his tense features relaxed, and then he studied her. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Your eyes have gone totally black. I can’t see even a hint of brown anymore.”
“It happens when I’m shifting.”
“I’m not doing you as a wolf. That’s just wrong on so many levels.” She suddenly smiled, her sense of humor returning. “Besides, you may get an uncontrollable urge to chase me or something since I’m part cat.”
Shock blanked his features for an instant and then he laughed. “I wouldn’t do that. I’m battling with my inner beast. We both want you pretty bad but I can hold my skin. It’s just that when we’re dueling for dominance, I can’t hide what I am. My eyes darken, my teeth slide down, and it feels as if I’ve plugged my body into an electric current that makes every muscle tighten.”
“Your bone structure slightly changes too.”
“Really?” He reached up, explored his face with his fingertips, and then sighed. His hand dropped. “That doesn’t normally happen. This is a mood killer, isn’t it? I’m sorry. Let’s eat before the food grows cold. I never meant to frighten you and I sure don’t want to hurt you.”
Shannon hesitated. “Get a condom.”
“I think it’s best if we calm down a little first. I need to get more control before I accidentally hurt you. As much as I want you, I did swear not to hurt you. I always keep my word even if I suffer blue balls as a result.”
“I’m not afraid anymore.”
“You should be.” His gaze dropped to her ass and a soft growl tore from his throat. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew how bad I wanted to f*ck you. I’m going for sainthood at this moment. Trust me on that.” His hand curving her hip flexed, gave her a gentle squeeze, before he pulled it away. “Let me get dressed.”
He kept his back to her while he put on pants. Shannon hesitated and then climbed off the bed. Her hands trembled when she tugged on the discarded shirt. The dampness between her thighs a reminder that he’d gotten her off but he’d been denied that. She watched him fasten a pair of jeans, but he didn’t bother with a shirt or shoes, and then he faced her.
“Let’s eat.”
Her gaze lowered to the front of his pants. The defined bulge displayed there was unmistakable.
“Don’t look at me.” His voice came out gruff. “I really want to get more control before we attempt that again. I would have been too rough with you. I know you’re mostly human but my wolf doesn’t seem to want to grasp that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m glad we stopped.” He spun away and headed for the food. “I’d have felt like hell if I’d caused you any pain.”
Shannon had to admit his response confused her. Most guys would be upset that the sex had come to a halt but he sounded almost relieved. She hugged her waist and watched him lift a large tray and carry it to the bar. He sat on a stool located there.
“Come on. We need to eat.”
She forced her feet to move. Anton softly cursed, stood, and brought back two sodas from the fridge. She paused at the stool next to his and then sat. She glanced over at him.
“Why do you seem so relieved we stopped?”
He refused to look at her while he lifted one of the three plates off the tray to set it in front of her. “We shouldn’t get involved sexually. It is a really bad idea, but when I touch you, I seem to forget that.”
She inhaled the wonderful smells from her dinner. Someone had prepared a huge steak, some kind of stuffed baked potato, and a salad. She studied Anton’s two plates, the same food she had.
“You eat that much?”
“Yeah. Werewolves eat a hell of a lot. I’ll be ready for a midnight snack later. I take it you don’t?” He finally fixed his attention on her.
“No. I’d be so big I wouldn’t fit through doorjambs if I ate two dinners every night and then ate again before bed. I’ve always struggled with my weight.”
“You’re very human, in other words.”
“I guess so. I take it there aren’t many overweight shifters?”
“There are some but it’s tough to do. Our metabolism uses up calories quickly. Shifting burns a lot of them. If someone were to stay in one form for a long time they could manage to put on extra weight. I shift often.”
Curiosity piqued Shannon. “Doesn’t it hurt? It looks painful. I always imagined it would be.”
“It does at first but then you adjust.” He picked up his fork and knife to dig into one of his meals. “How much do you really know about us?”
“Just what my father told my mother and what she learned as his wife. She always tried to remember everything to share with me.”
“She’s totally human?”
“Yes.”
He gawked at her. “And your father told her what he was?”
“He couldn’t really help it. He shifted in front of her. She said it scared the hell out of her. She ran but he chased her down.”
“How did that happen? Didn’t he smell her nearby before he shifted?”
She smiled. “Animal control had captured him with one of their traps. They injured him when it happened. He passed out and woke inside a veterinarian’s office. My mother worked there. He came awake to hear the doctor say they planned to neuter him in an hour when they returned after lunch, he wanted to get out of there as you can imagine, and needed someone to help him escape. Some zoo offered to take him if they neutered him first. He was smack-dab in the middle of a busy city area where they’d notice a naked guy or an animal his size. My mother just happened to be the one who walked into the back first. He shifted inside the cage, opened it and chased her. He borrowed a doctor’s coat and forced her to drive him out of the city.”
“She’s lucky he didn’t kill her.”
“He thought she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.” Shannon smiled. “I heard that story from my mom a thousand times. My dad was really handsome, very sexy she said, and he fascinated her after her terror eased, when she realized he didn’t plan to hurt her. She drove him to her grandfather’s cabin, took a few days off, and patched him up. The trap had cut him pretty deeply. They fell in love.”
“How did he die? We’re extremely hard to kill, even mixed with human blood.”
She met his curious gaze. “There was a fire. He got us out but an elderly woman lived in the apartment next door. He heard her calling for help.” She pushed back tears and dropped her attention to her food. “He tried to save her, the roof collapsed, and they didn’t make it out before it did. I can’t remember much about him. Everything we owned burned. There aren’t even any pictures to remind me of what he looked like. I know he loved us very much. It took my mom nearly ten years to even date other men. I think she only survived the heartbreak of his loss to raise me.”
“I’m sorry. He sounded real nice, Shannon.”
He said her name. She turned to peer up at him. “He died a hero.”
“Yeah, he did.” He smiled. “Eat.”
She focused on her food. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable as they finished their dinner. He ate everything from both his plates. He stood and cleared the counter. He met her gaze when he came back to sit on his stool.
“You look like your mother, don’t you?”
She nodded. “How did you know?”
He grinned. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I can imagine how drawn he felt to her and how much he wanted to be with her.”
A blush warmed her cheeks. “Thank you.”
The distance between them suddenly disappeared when he leaned into her. He brushed back her hair. The light trace of his fingertips made her shiver with longing and passion flared in his sexy eyes. He growled softly, lowered his head, and breathed across her neck. His other arm wrapped around her waist to tug her against his body. Desire shot through her and she knew she wouldn’t resist him. She wanted Anton. The attraction between them too great to deny. His lips caressed her skin under her ear and then he pulled back to study her.
His mouth opened but a knock interrupted whatever he planned to say. He muttered a curse, slid off the stool, and stalked to the door. Shannon hoped it wasn’t his mother visiting. From what she’d heard about the woman she guessed it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience.
“What theˉ”
A tall, striking woman with jet-black hair in a single braid that fell to her ass shoved past a stunned Anton into the apartment. She wore all leather and resembled something out of a sexy action film with the way the outfit formed tightly against her body. Green, bright eyes actually flashed at Anton. Her hands gripped her hips and one of her black leather high heels tapped the floor. Her chest pushed forward and her skintight top parted to reveal the generous curves of tanned breasts.
“You insult me, Anton Harris. You sent your younger brother to meet me. I will not settle for some pup. You will not slight the Mortell Pack this way.”
Anton gaped at the woman. She turned her head, spotted Shannon, and sniffed. Her features paled suddenly and then a snarl tore from her mouth. Her fangs literally grew longer, her nose wrinkled, and she lunged toward Shannon.
“No!” Anton leapt into the woman’s path, his arms spread wide to block her and keep her back.
Fear stabbed hotly at Shannon and she turned, her instincts taking hold, and leapt on top of the counter. She ran along it until she hit the wall. She spun, trapped there, and desperately searched for an escape route. Her gaze fixed on the window not too far away. They were on the second floor of the building. She still wanted to fling her body through the glass, even knowing it might kill her.
A terrifying snarl sounded again to draw Shannon’s attention. The woman had crouched down, one hand balanced on the floor that now had long claws instead of fingernails, and her features had shifted enough that a black spread of hair covered her cheeks. Her jaw had elongated into more of a muzzle than a mouth, and very sharp-looking white fangs were revealed more clearly. The woman’s green eyes had narrowed, shifted shape, and the sound had come from her.
“Move out of my way.” The woman’s voice sounded more masculine than feminine.
“No,” Anton snarled back, his voice equally as terrifying. “She’s under my protection.”
Someone pounded up the stairs and then a muscular, burly guy with long hair barreled into the room. He nearly tripped over the half-shifted werewolf woman prepared to attack on the floor but drew to a jerky stop just in time to avoid a collision. The new guy looked very similar to Anton with his long black hair, his jeans, and a tank top that revealed tattoos spread across broad, muscular arms. Shannon guessed they had to be brothers.
“I tried to stop her,” he panted. “She didn’t take meeting me well, knocked me on my ass, and she can move swiftly when pissed. It seems she somehow knows what we look like.”
“Get her out of here, Rave,” Anton snarled. “I don’t care how.” His gaze remained locked on the woman threatening Shannon. “If she tries to get around me it’s going to cause a war between our packs because I’ll throw her out myself. She won’t enjoy flying out a window or down the stairs.”
Rave suddenly stopped breathing and his head turned. His dark gaze sought and found Shannon. Confusion reflected on his features and then his eyes widened with shock. He sniffed loudly. “Puma? Seriously? Oh, shit.”
He didn’t snarl at her or growl. Shannon figured that had to be a plus. He glanced away from her to frown at Anton.
“Why do you have her here?”
“She’s under my protection.” Anton snarled again at the woman on the floor. “Do you understand? You attack her and I attack you. You will never reach her.”
The woman slowly rose up, her terrifying features still in a half-shifted state, and defiantly stared at Anton. “You dare insult my pack by preferring to f*ck one of them over me?”
“F*ck?” Rave gasped. “Who said anything about that? He said he was protecting her for some reason.”
“I smell them,” the woman spat. “Sex and desire.”
Rave sniffed again. He blinked a few times, his gaze passed from Shannon to Anton, and he suddenly laughed. “Oh shit. This is…wow!”
Anton glanced at Shannon. “Don’t move, Shannon. I’m coming to get you.” He shot a warning look at his brother. “Don’t let that bitch attack. I need to get to Shannon. She’s too close to the window. She can’t control her fear.”
Rave hesitated and then stepped around the angry werewolf woman to put his body between Anton and her. “Do you want to tell me what the hell is going on here? Deana, I suggest you calm down. I know you’re not happy over having to meet with me instead of my older brother but you can’t attack someone under his protection.”
“She’s a puma.” Deana snarled again, growled, and her fingers lifted to display her sharp claws. “They are our enemy.”
Anton spun toward Shannon and he eased forward. “Easy, kitten. You’re safe. Don’t move, okay? You’re in no danger.”
Fear nearly overpowered her as she glanced at the window again. A soft sound escaped her lips—a whimper. Anton softly cursed in response.
“Shannon? Look at me.”
She did. She took a deep breath, trying to fight the urge to jump away from him. He wouldn’t hurt her, she knew that, yet another snarl from the werewolf bitch had her turning toward the window. The urge became so powerful that her body tensed in anticipation of jumping to reach it.
Anton surged forward. She hissed when he grabbed hold of her ankle. He jerked hard and she tumbled off the counter. She landed inside the cradle of his strong arms when he caught her. She turned against his chest and clawed at him. He groaned but then pressed her against the wall.
“Easy,” he crooned. “I’ve got you. Hold on to me.”
She panted, fought her instincts, and realized what her fingernails were doing. She jerked them away from his skin. The smell of blood filled her nose and she saw she’d drawn it from him. She’d marked his flesh, her nails had pierced him. She wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him tightly. Hot tears spilled from her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ll heal. It’s nothing. It won’t even leave a scar.” He nuzzled the side of her face. “I’m just happy you don’t have claws.”
His hold on her changed enough that she could wrap her legs around his hips. It made her feel better to totally press against him. “I’m sorry,” she sniffed again. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Shush. It’s okay.” He turned his head. “Get that bitch out of here, Rave. Now. Handle it.”
“I won’t leave.” Deana’s voice still sounded masculine. “She will. If you insult my pack this way I’ll make sure my father demands retribution.”
Anton turned, holding Shannon. “I don’t want you. Would you prefer to be with a guy who will think of it as something distasteful? It’s not personal. You’re beautiful, Deana. Is that your name? Any male who wasn’t involved with a woman would be lucky to be given the opportunity to test a mating with you but as you can see, I already have someone.”
“She’s a cat shifter,” Deana spat the words as if it were a great insult. “That’s sick.”
“She’s mostly human. That’s why the scent of her is so faint that you didn’t detect it immediately. She can’t shift. She’s not an enemy of mine.” He paused. “She matters a lot to me. I’m sorry that you aren’t happy with being offered my younger brother but I did you a favor by not sending my brother Von to meet you. You’d have no chance at finding a future with him. He lost his true mate a long time ago and never allows himself to feel anything toward other women. Rave there isn’t attached to anyone. He’s a strong male, a prime mate candidate, and he’s the main enforcer of our pack. You won’t find a better fighter. He may appear mellow but you’ve never seen him enraged.”
Shannon felt safe enough to turn her head to watch the terrifying female werewolf. Deana’s features had shifted back but her fangs still dented her human-looking mouth.
“You’re the future alpha of this pack. I’m the strongest daughter of the Mortell Pack. We would be a good match. I could be your alpha bitch and help you hold your pack when you take control.” She shot a hateful sneer at Shannon. “That is dinner.”
Shannon trembled from fear. She wondered if the woman meant that literally. Do shifters eat each other if they are from different races? Anton’s arms tightened around her and he nuzzled her cheek with his jaw to comfort her.
“She’s under my protection and you will not insult her. This is my home. I’ve offered you the best candidate our pack has to offer who is available to test a mating with you. Deal with that. I’m taken.”
“Shit,” Rave rasped. “Does Mom know? Dad?”
“Shut up,” Anton demanded.
“Damn. Okay. That’s what I figured.” Rave met Shannon’s gaze and gave her a tense smile. “Nice to meet you.”
Her mouth parted but no words came out.
Anton sighed. “She’s terrified. She can’t shift but her instincts are present. Obviously. You saw how fast she can move when fear grips her. Terror makes her climb and try to get away from whatever scared her.”
“That’s why she’s wrapped around you as if she’s a second skin.” Rave laughed. “I guess dating her means you’re going to get laid a lot. You terrify everyone, and with her constantly wrapped around your waist, it means she won’t be able to get away from you every time you raise your voice. That’s really convenient.”
“Damn it, Rave. Stop with the jokes. Does this seem the time for them?”
“Probably not, but damn, Bro, you’ve got to admit that this is priceless.” He chuckled. “She’s really cute. Her hair is beautiful and her eyes are amazing.”
“I won’t be insulted this way,” Deana huffed. “I’m calling my father.” She spun and stormed out of the apartment. Her high-heeled boots struck loudly on the stairs as she retreated.
“F*ck,” Rave sighed, all traces of humor gone. “You know what that means. She’s going to call her daddy who will in turn call to chew out our dad’s ass. If our parents didn’t know about your sexy little cat before, they will real soon. I wouldn’t want to be you.”
Anton growled. “Great. It’s Mom I’m worried about.”
“Oh man.” Rave shivered. “She will come here to verify if it’s true.” He reached back and jerked a key ring off his belt. “Take her to my cabin if you need a place to hide out.” He removed a key and tossed it.
Anton released Shannon with one arm to catch the key. His arm wrapped back around her with it fisted inside his palm. “Thanks, but I won’t need it. This is my home.”
“It may be but sometimes it’s better to run than fight. Our parents aren’t aware of the cabin as far as I know. Braden was there last so I’m not sure what condition he left it in but I’d take food. That kid can eat.”
“I refuse to hide out as if I’ve done something wrong that I’ll be grounded over. I’m an adult. I’ll deal with our parents.”
“Better to have a backup plan in case you need one. That’s my life motto. I can’t say I’m upset that bitch just rejected me. Did you see that leather outfit?” He shuddered. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she owns whips and chains, her idea of a fun, sexy time being to draw blood and attempt to restrain me to a bed. Not my thing. The only one getting tied down in my book is women who like to wiggle around too much while I’m eating them.”
Shock widened Shannon’s gaze as she stared at Anton’s brother. He glanced at her and grinned.
“I’m talking oral sex, kitten.” He chuckled. “That’s a cute name for her. Appropriate.”
“Don’t call her that. She doesn’t like it.”
“You called her that.”
Anton softly growled. “Rave, it’s time for you to leave.”
“Do you want me to hold her for you while you go try to talk that bitch out of calling to tell her daddy about you? It may be a good idea. You could avoid a lot of hell if our parents don’t find out you’re harboring someone they’ll consider an enemy.”
“No.” Anton took a step back. “You aren’t touching Shannon.”
“I wouldn’t hurt her. I seriously mean it.” Rave’s features hardened, all humor disappearing. “I won’t hit on her either. My tongue will stay inside my mouth and my zipper will remain up. You might consider going after that bitch to stop her. Our parents aren’t going to be happy that you’ve got her here. I don’t know what will be worse—that she’s part puma or that she’s mostly human. You’re the future alpha of the pack and they are going to pitch a fit, worried that you’ll decide to keep her past mating heat. That’s a serious commitment to make since you’re going to have her in your bed over the next few weeks. It’s one thing to experiment with a one-night stand but you’ve obviously chosen her to share the heat with.”
“I haven’t,” Anton denied. “A few of our pups discovered her and stole her to hunt in the woods. I drove her home after I saved her from them. I thought she’d be safe but they visited her apartment and tore it up. I brought her here to protect her until I can rid her of the threat.”
“It’s too close to mating heat.” Rave crossed his arms over his chest. “If it hits with her here you’re going to take her and once it starts you know how it is. She’s in your home. This isn’t running into the woods to nail any female offering it up for a free-for-all. You’re attaching her scent to you too strongly for your wolf to want any other bitch or I guess I should say she-cat, in her case. You won’t be able to get enough of her and if you try to fight the urge, it could turn ugly. Denying what your animal demands in mating heat tends to cause accidental true mating. Ask Grady about that. He tried to deny his wolf with Mika and he lost control until he claimed her permanently. It worked out for them but he passed on being alpha. You don’t have that option.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“They’d never allow her to hold the position of alpha bitch, Anton. She’s part puma. Mom would go insane and I can’t see our father taking it well either. Then there’s the reaction from our entire pack to consider.”
“Damn it,” Anton snarled. “Just go. I’m protecting her, not anything more.”
Rave sniffed. “Is that what I smell? Your version of guarding her body? The lust is strong in here.”
“Just leave.” Anton spun around, moved toward the kitchen, and sighed. “Please close the door on your way out.”
“Use the cabin if the shit hits the fan. Good luck, Bro. You know I love you and support you regardless of pack politics. I always have your back.”
Anton halted but he didn’t glance at this brother. “Thanks. I love you too.”
“You make a cute couple.” The door slammed closed.
Shannon peered up at Anton. He looked angry when he met her gaze. “It will be fine. There’s nothing my parents can do to you. You’re totally safe.”
She really doubted it. “You should just let me go stay with my mom.”
He shook his head. “It’s not happening.”