Awakened Animals (A Shifter Novel Book 15) Page 9

  “I felt the pull, I know I did.”

  “When? When you were alone with her, or when the whole family was close by?” Mika opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. “Look, you need to break this all down. You need to see what I saw, what Kaley saw, hell, even Margret saw it.”

  “How could I have been so damn wrong?”

  “It’s the human side. You saw a beautiful woman. An unmated, beautiful shifter female that you wanted. Only the animal inside didn’t wake up to claim her. It happens more than you know.”

  “The signs were there.” Mika sighed loudly, slumping in the chair, his head resting back. He looked up at the sky, feeling like something was coming but not knowing what it might be. “And I refused to see them.”

  “You’re not the first male out there to think he knows what he wants, sees it, but is so wrong about it.” Mika looked at Stray again. “There are others out there that end up claiming a female they would never think they’d claim. But they are complete. Do you think I would have ever thought I’d end up with a human? Hell no! But Vesper completes me in ways I never thought would be possible. And each time I am close to her, just holding her hand, I feel this damn darkness over my head slip further and further away.”

  “You saw her kiss me tonight, didn’t you?” Mika asked the question, feeling a bit dead inside. He also felt his animal stir at the memory.

  “Yeah, I saw it.”

  “Did you know she was going to do that?”

  “No.”

  “Fuck.” Mika stood up and began to pace. “Stray, what the hell is going on here?”

  “Not sure I know what you’re asking.”

  “Yes, you do.” Mika stopped and looked right at Stray. “What does your gut say? What does the animal want?” Stray stood up, slower than Mika.

  “Unleash it, Mika, and you’ll have all your answers.”

  Mika kept his mouth shut as Stray walked away toward the pool house. He didn’t really get where Stray might be going with the conversation, but it sure as hell bothered him.

  “What game are you playing now?”

  Kaley didn’t bother turning away from the window to look at Margret. Her eyes were glued on Mika. “Nothing.”

  “You forget, I know you.” Margret walked up next to Kaley and followed her eyes. “I’m begging you, Kaley. Don’t play with him. He’s not one of those boys you’re used to stringing along.”

  “I’m not playing with anyone, Margret.” Kaley turned away from the window. She had the perfect view of the whole backyard from a window on the second floor and another one from her bedroom.

  “Then what are you doing?” Margret followed her to her bedroom and stood in the doorway with arms crossed over chest.

  Going back into her old room didn’t feel right. Then again, it never felt right. Lora had the pretty stuff, the lacy curtains and fluffy pillows. She also had a four-poster bed with all the trimmings, curtains, and more lace. Nice dresses, jewelry to go with all the top-of-the-line outfits. A true pretty-in-pink bedroom.

  Kaley on the other hand went with a simpler look. She didn’t care for the lace and fluff of girly crap. She had a simple full-size bed, no posts. Thick, dark blue comforter, wood furniture, and a few posters. Yes, she had the same nice clothes, a little bit of jewelry, but nothing to the extreme as Lora had.

  “Honey, I know the kind of pain you’re in. I really do. But if you are thinking to force something with Mika, then you need to rethink things. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “I’m not forcing anything.” Kaley walked into her bathroom and began to get undressed, then started the shower. She looked at herself in the mirror and like always she wondered if anyone would ever come into her life.

  “You are still a pretty girl.” Margret came up behind her, and like she did when Kaley was little, she began to brush her hair. “Your time will come.”

  “You’ve been saying that since I was ten.”

  “And I’ll keep saying it till the day it happens.” Margret put the brush down and turned to Kaley. “I know what is in your heart. So does Stray. If it is meant to be, then it will be. You just need to give it time.”

  “I’ve given it enough time,” Kaley whispered. “Now I need to move on.”

  “Honey, please don’t make a stupid mistake. I don’t want to see you hurt again.”

  “My mistake was thinking that this would be a second chance.”

  “Still could be.”

  “No.” Kaley shook her head and twisted enough to get Margret to back up. “Not this time.”

  With a heavy sigh, Margret left her alone and Kaley took her shower.

  Stray walked into the pool house as quietly as he could. Vesper was already in bed and from her steady breathing deep asleep. He stood at the foot of the bed, staring at her for the longest time.

  So much had happened to him. So many bad things—dark things. Things that Stray wasn’t sure he could get past or let go. Yet, standing at the foot of the bed, watching her sleeping, it all started to make sense to him. She balanced him. Took the darkness away. Made him feel like a male of worth. Just like a true mate should.

  Now if only Mika could stop being such a closed-minded shit.

  But Stray wasn’t going to think about him or that problem. Tonight—tonight he was going to think of his mate and finish getting rid of this darkness over his head.

  With his eyes staying on her, Stray worked slow and quiet at taking his clothes off. Once naked, he found he had to take several deep breaths for control. He started to feel like his old self was coming back and the animal inside was waking up.

  Vesper rolled onto her back, still deep asleep. He watched her legs move, and her hips, before she settled down again. With a slight grin, Stray thought she might be dreaming in her sleep about dancing. He would definitely have to take her again.

  Feeling alive, his cock swelling, Stray bent and picked up the end of the blanket and slowly started to pull and drag it from Vesper. She didn’t stir or move, not even when he had the whole thing off. The sheet came next, and seeing her in nothing more than one of his shirts filled him with pleasure. Real pleasure, not the kind that bitch had forced upon him.

  Carefully, Stray started to climb upon the bed from the foot of it. Excitement raced throughout his system. The urge to stop and taste her leg, skimming all the way up, was powerful, but he pushed it aside. There would be plenty of time for those little things. Right now, he had other ideas on his mind and wasn’t going to be swayed by the smaller desires.

  Once more he kept his eyes locked on her as he gently pushed up the shirt she had on. Hovering himself just at her waistline was the easy part. Moving that shirt without waking her was a small challenge. Stray was a bit surprised to discover no panties. But then again, he reminded himself that most of her old clothes didn’t fit right now with all the weight she’d lost.

  When he had the shirt up to her ribs, he then worked slow and easy, spreading her legs. Once more it didn’t take much. She slept through it all, and he looked his fill at his mate. All his!

  The joy he felt just looking at her amazed him. The way his hunger for her started to build up also had him a little amazed. It had been so long since he felt anything like this, and he feared he would never feel it again.

  Stray lowered himself down between her legs, closed his eyes, and took her natural scent deep into his lungs. A low rumble began, but he didn’t let it go. Instead he let the hunger out and feasted upon her flesh.

  One lick, a slow, long lick he made between the lips of her pussy. One taste and he moaned, wanting more. And more he took.

  Hands on the inside of her thighs, Stray spread her legs wider and lost himself in her taste, her smell. He sucked, lapped, and when he sucked on her clit Vesper woke up. Legs came in, knees hitting the side of his head, and she sat up.

  “Wh—what’re you doing?” she breathed out.

  Stray looked up from between her legs and smiled. “What I should have done ou
r first time together.”

  “But…but…but…you said you weren’t ready to be close or…or…or anything!”

  “Relax, Vesper. You will enjoy this, I promise.”

  “But…”

  Stray lowered his head down and once more began to suck and lick. He lapped at her as a cat might to cream, and each time moaning as he did. When he moved up to her clit he sucked as well as he slowly pushed one finger, then another as deep into her as he could get.

  Vesper jerked, her hips came up off the bed, then began to move. Stray was pretty sure she had no idea she was moving with his fingers, which he had going in and out as he sucked on her clit.

  “Stray,” she moaned. “Stray!” she yelled.

  Stray only moaned against her, picking up the pace of his hands as well as the pressure on her swelling bud. It hardened in his mouth and with a slight curve of his fingers, Vesper cried out and bucked hard under his mouth.

  The orgasm was sweet music to his ears and he wanted another one. So he kept going, thrusting his fingers in and out fast, sucking on her clit again. Her breathing got louder, hips began to lift again, and fingers dug into his hair, pulling on the locks. He welcomed the pain. It spoke so loudly to him, let him know that he was doing things right for her and still had it. That bitch didn’t take anything away from him after all.

  Stray gave her one more before stopping. He sat up on his knees, looked down at the flushed body and the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed hard and fast. Taking hold of her hips, he flipped her over then pulled her up onto her knees. The next thing he did was take her shirt off fast, and maybe a bit rougher than he should have.

  Pulling her up, his arms went around her body. Stray took hold of her face and turned her enough to kiss her deep, moaning at the pleasure he felt.

  His animal woke, and the claiming started.

  Stray held her close, still kissing her as deep as he could, and reached down between them. He gripped his cock, posed it, and pushing her down just enough for a better position, thrusted every hard inch he had into her.

  She cried out and he felt the tremor that raced throughout her. It caused him also to shake, but it didn’t hold him back. Holding her tight, he brought her back up again and kissed her as he began to move—a steady, strong motion while keeping the kissing going as long as he could.

  Vesper ended up breaking the kiss and dropping down on all fours. She pushed back against him, and Stray let out a low vibrating growl. He grabbed her hips and plunged faster, harder, and steady. The bed began to rock with the motions and her moans soon became louder. In fact, Vesper cried out with each thrust.

  Stray lost himself in the sensation, in the pleasure. For so long he had no pleasure in the act of sex. It was forced upon him. This, what he was feeling right now, was so beyond anything he could have remembered.

  He felt her orgasm and it just about triggered his own. But Stray wasn’t ready yet to let go. He wanted this pleasure to last a bit longer. Needed it to last longer.

  “Stray…Stray!” Vesper yelled his name and pushed back against him.

  He stilled, letting her grind out her own pleasure, then he withdrew, flipped her over, and picked her up so that she not only faced him but was on his lap. Making eye contact, Stray slowly began to lower her down, easing her onto his hardness. She gasped when he fully embedded, then he placed his hands on her ass and once more moved her.

  Vesper wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He kissed her back, bouncing her, and then she took over, moving herself the way she wanted. She moaned into the kiss and he let another low rumbling growl slip free before falling forward.

  Vesper’s legs went around his waist tight. Her hands slid down his back and she dug her nails into his ass. Still kissing deep, his hands moving from her ass up to cup both breasts, Stray moved again. He took her hard, or more like the animal in him came out and claimed. He lost his control and the animal took it. The rush came and with it one last desire hit.

  As the chills started and the heaviness formed between his legs, Stray opened his mouth and bit down on her shoulder the same exact moment his own orgasm rushed from his body and into her own.

  Vesper didn’t just cry out, she screamed. She wrapped her arms and legs super tight around his body as jerked her hips upward. Her own climax contracted hard around him, milking him for every drop of seed he had to give.

  Time felt like it stood still. He couldn’t move, didn’t want to. When her nails scraped gently up his back, Stray shivered and let go of her shoulder but didn’t move from on top of her.

  “Wow,” Vesper said, her cheeks flushed with color.

  “I’m sorry,” Stray said low, touching her face with just the tips of his finger with one hand.

  “For what?”

  “I shouldn’t have done that.” He didn’t look her in the eye, but did follow his fingers as they moved from the side of her face down to her lips.

  “Why?”

  “My animal came out. It hasn’t come out like that in a very long time.”

  She squirmed and that had him groaning at the sensitivity. Vesper smiled as she met his eyes. “I didn’t mind.”

  “You might bruise.” He touched her shoulder, right over the bite mark.

  Vesper reached out and took hold of his face with both hands. “Stray, I really didn’t mind. If you can make me feel like that every time, then please do. I give you my permission.” Now it was his turn to feel the face heat up. “You are the only one to have ever touched me, Stray. And in all the time you’ve been gone and I’ve been trying to live, I never thought sex could feel like it did just now.”

  Stray couldn’t help himself and smiled. “Well then, I guess we are going to have to go again.”

  Her eyes widened. “When?”

  “How about right now?”

  A gasp left Vesper’s lips when Stray began to move again. She didn’t let him know that she was a bit sore, since this was the second time she’d only ever had sex. She didn’t want him to stop. Instead she felt this hunger for more—much more.

  As he moved, his hands closing around both breasts, body weight held up on elbows, Vesper slowly raised her knees up, taking him deeper. She arched into the pleasure, mouth open in silent, breathless moans.

  He didn’t move as fast or as hard as before. This felt different. Felt more intense, more sensual with more feeling and she loved it.

  When she began to feel that sensation of climax approaching, Vesper tightened her hold with her legs as well as scraped her nails down his back and into his ass. Stray hissed against her throat. She felt the tip of his tongue slide down her throat and back to her shoulder. He slicked and sucked as well as picked up the speed.

  “Don’t stop,” she breathed out. “Please don’t stop.”

  His mouth sucked on the bite mark, and right when her orgasm hit he bit down. That bite only intensified the pleasure. Vesper cried out and bucked under him. The power of the orgasm stole her breath, stole her senses. She felt like she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t do a damn thing. All she really could do was hold onto him and ride it out, which she did.

  Stray thrust a couple more times then stilled. He held onto her shoulder, but not enough to cause her pain. He went limp on top of her and Vesper held him close. Both were breathing hard, fast. She was so lost in all these new sensations that she didn’t even notice his hands had moved from her breasts and were now under her, cupping her ass.

  Saying nothing, Stray rolled them both over and settled her on top of him. When she tried to move off he tightened his hold and shook his head.

  “No, stay there.”

  “I didn’t think you liked anyone being on top of you.” She rose up enough to look down at him and Stray lowered his eyes. Again, she tried to move off and he stopped her.

  “No.”

  “Stray…”

  “It feels right.” He looked back up at her. “You feel right there. And I need you there.”

  “
I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

  “Trust me, I don’t.” He pulled her back down, arms going around her body. She could hear and feel his heart beating in his chest. “Yeah, this I like. You right here.”

  7

  “Give them back!” Kaley yelled, running down the stairs as fast as she could. “Mika!” She reached the bottom, looked in one room then another before finding him in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee in hand.

  “Morning, Kaley. Sleep good?”

  “Don’t give me that bullshit. You were in my purse.”

  “Ah, what round is this?” Stray walked in with Vesper, both holding hands. Kaley didn’t acknowledge them.

  “Give them back,” Kaley said low and slow.

  “Give what back?” Stray asked.

  “No,” Mika said looking Kaley right in the eye.

  “You have no right to take my shit.”

  Mika snorted. “I’ve been doing nothing but taking your shit since I got here.”

  “One of you want to fill me in on what’s going on?” Stray asked.

  “Yeah, this prick here stole my credit cards,” Kaley said, glaring at Mika.

  “Prick?” Mika raised an eyebrow at her as he took a drink and set his cup down on the counter. “I have spent hours going through all the damn bills of yours. Your spending is way out of control, little girl.”

  “Oh, I’ll show you little girl.” She made to go at Mika, but Stray quickly grabbed her arms, pulling her back.

  “Easy now,” Stray said low.

  “No more of your grand shopping bullshit,” Mika said. “No more paying for the tab at the clubs either. You want to go out with that loser Kurt Stockton, then he can pick up the bill for a change.”

  “What the fuck gives you the right!” she yelled.

  “I swear if you don’t get that mouth of yours under control, I will,” Mika growled back at her.

  “Oh, what you going to do?” Kaley tried to twist out of Stray’s hold, but it was no good.

  “Okay, I think you two need to step back now,” Stray said. He picked Kaley up, turned, and put her back down with a slight shove. “Go cool off.”