THE scent of a female leopard in heat was strong, permeating the dock and trail leading up to the Boudreaux home as Drake, Remy, Jerico, Evan and Jeremiah stepped off the boat. Drake's leopard leapt and roared, so that blood thundered in his ears and pulsed madly through his temples. Almost instantly his muscles began to contort, his mouth filling with teeth. He forced himself to breathe deeply, holding back the change.
Jeremiah stopped dead right there on the dock. Jerico and Evan walked only a few more feet toward the house before stopping. Remy swore under his breath. Drake ignored him and broke into a run.
"She's all right," Remy called after him. "My brothers wouldn't let anything happen to her."
Drake didn't turn around. How could Saria possibly be all right? Her leopard was throwing off enough hormones to call in every male for hundreds of miles. She had to be scared and embarrassed and what the hell had he been doing anyway? Pauline could have handled the mess at the inn without him. He could have waited for a shower and for Pauline to wash his clothes while they made all the necessary calls to the cleaners. Damn. He'd been selfish, thinking of his own comfort, not Saria's. He knew she was close to the emerging. Hell. They all knew it. His first duty was to Saria. Always. Forever. And he'd let her down.
He burst through the front door, his body so painful and sensitive, he was already tearing at his shirt to get it away from his skin. Saria's brothers jumped to their feet, all looking in rough shape. They had obviously stretched their control to the limit, their leopards roaring with the demand to protect and keep her safe from any strange males.
"Where is she?"
His leopard raked him, desperate to be released, to fend off all rivals for his lady's affection. Drake couldn't help but notice that Joshua and Elijah weren't in the room. And neither was Saria. His throat thickened, changing his vocal cords so that little would make sense but a growling challenge. Heat was already banding in colors and his skin felt too tight around his shifting bones.
"She's in the bathroom at the far end of the hall," Mahieu said.
Drake was already following the scent, aware Remy was right behind him as he leapt the expanse of the hall, landing in a crouch just outside the door. He didn't knock, but jerked it open. Saria whirled around to face him and Drake suppressed a groan as Saria's eyes locked with his. Her irises were nearly gone, ringed now with all gold. She looked frightened, twisting the fingers of her hands together until her skin was nearly white.
Drake couldn't imagine how she felt. Her leopard had to be clawing for supremacy, knowing she was in the vicinity of males. Saria had to fight to keep her body under control when her leopard wanted seduction, plain and simple. Beyond her, out the window, he not only saw, but smelled her two guards. Elijah and Joshua both were sweating, staying as far from Saria as possible. He forced himself to give them a small salute, and nod of thanks, when his leopard raged at their close proximity. His presence allowed the others to get away from her, taking their leopards out of harm's way.
Remy swore under his breath. "You have to get her out of here before something happens. This is a bad situation."
Saria couldn't hae failed to hear her brother. She blinked rapidly, almost as if she might burst into tears. Her eyes were overbright.
Drake held out his hand to her. "No worries, honey, you've waited a long time for her."
"Take him to Tante Marie's cabin, Saria. She lets us use it when she's away. It's empty. Mahieu, grab some clothes from my closet. Lojos, food. Let's get it done," Remy instructed.
Saria's fingers tangled with his. He could feel the fur running beneath her skin, desperate to break free. He closed his hand over hers, pouring strength and confidence into his gaze. He winked at her and saw her take a breath, settle, believing in him. Trusting him. As she'd done from the beginning. Saria had given herself to him and in the moment, he realized the enormity of her commitment to him. Saria didn't do things by halves.
For one moment, he could only stand there looking at her--loving her--nearly weak with love for her. He had never considered what it would be like to give himself totally to another person--to trust someone that much. She could break his heart--shatter it into a million pieces. Fear slithered through him for just one moment, but he knew she was in it with him for life because that was how Saria operated. He knew his heart was in his eyes for anyone to see, but there was only Saria looking back at him. Her chin went up and she smiled.
Mahieu thrust a pack at him. It was heavy enough to contain weapons. He tossed the pack out the window and indicated Saria precede him. She practically dove through the window with no hesitation whatsoever. She wanted to be away from her brothers. He wanted her away from everyone. He trusted his men to keep their leopards under control, but this lair was fucked up and the males in it had little control over themselves--let alone their leopards.
Saria ran toward the swamp, her leopard lending her speed. Drake slung the pack around his neck and raced after her.
"I have to get the clothes off my body. I can't stand anything against my skin," Saria said, desperation in her voice.
"We can undress just ahead. Elijah and Joshua left as soon as they saw me with you. They'll hang out around your family home just to make certain we're safe, but we'll have the swamp between here and wherever you're taking us," Drake assured. His voice was gravelly, husky, sawing rather than clear tones.
Saria glanced back at him and hurried into the darkness of the trees. She peeled her shirt from her body in one swift move. He reached for it, folding it carefully and stuffing it in the pack, even as he unlaced his boots.
"Tell me what to do," Saria said. "Hurry. You have to hurry, Drake." Her shoes were on the ground and she was pushing her jeans from the curve of her hips.
"She'll rise, honey, and you have to embrace her. It will be difficult because you'll feel like she's swallowing you, but let her come to the surface. Let her have her form. You'll be there, inside of her, feeling everything she feels."
She was so beautiful, all flowing skin, golden eyes glittering at him with a mixture of fear, excitement and heat. His leopard itched, trying to leap to the surface, but Drake forced calm. This was her first time and he wanted it to be a perfect experience for her. Shoes and clothes were stowed in the pack and slung around his neck.
She suddenly cried out and flung out her hand to him. Her knuckles curved, and beneath all that smooth skin ran something else--something alive and determined to emerge. He couldn't take his eyes from her. She left him breathless. Her body contorted and she went down to her hands and knees. He kept one hand on her shoulder, stroking with his fingers. Her back arched and she lifted her buttocks invitingly.
"Please, Drake," she whispered, an enticement.
Heat radiated from her body. She looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes begging him. His cock was so hard he couldn't take a step. It was all he could do not to slide his hands between her legs and stroke her inviting sex. She was so beautiful, her head thrown back, her buttocks high, her breasts swinging invitingly.
The moment he felt fur sliding over her skin, he leapt back, took a breath and called his leopard. A female leopard was dangerous. Moody. Edgy. Especially in heat. One never took chances. It was all about her. What she wanted--when she wanted. He had only to keep every rival from coming near her--and to keep her safe while he waited for her signal.
Golden fur, dotted with glossy black rosettes, covered the female form. She turned her head and golden eyes blazed at him, a haunting, smoldering fire that sent a shaft of heat rushing through his body to center every nerve ending in his groin. Her spotted coat was one of the most beautiful he'd ever seen. A luxurious, unique, exotically marked fur, the rosettes scattered like stars against gold.
She stretched as roped muscles and strong sinew formed and reshaped her, as she became fully leopard. At once the female cat rolled sensuously, rubbing her head along the ground and batting the air playfully with her paws. She looked at Drake's male leopard with teasing eyes, rolled again as he began a
slow, cautious circle around her. Her cat leapt to her feet. She rubbed along trees, sliding her fur over the bark, leaving her tantalizing perfume everywhere for all males to scent. Her call sign. Her signal of readiness.
Drake's male made certain all males knew he was in the vicinity and no one would come near his female without a fight to the death. He followed the female as she went through the swamp, staying close enough to watch over her, but far enough away to keep from getting swiped by one of her paws should she think he was trespassing before she was ready for him. She was playful, then amorous, calling to him, rolling and stretching, each movement more seductive than the last.
They moved through the swamp, deeper into the interior until he spotted the cabin Remy had told him about. He left his mate long enough to get rid of the pack around his neck and then padded after her down to a stream. Vines tangled and knotted over the ground, and moss hung from the tree branches, swaying slightly in the breeze. He saw none of it--yet all of it. He had attention and eyes for his alluring mate, reading her every signal.
His leopard had waited years for his mate, and even now, when she was finally with him, he took his time with her, rubbing along the length of her, not pressing her, waiting for her to signal her readiness. She crouched twice, but both times when he approached, using caution, she growled a warning and leapt up. He simply backed off and continued their amorous games.
She rolled again and stretched, this time coming into a crouching position, her hindquarters raised, tail to one side. The male leopard was on her instantly, blanketing her bod nuzzling her gently, calming her with his teeth along the back of her neck as he entered her.
They spent hours together, the male taking the female repeatedly, over and over, every twenty minutes. In between, they lay together, rubbing sensuously along each other's body. The sun set with the two leopards twining around one another, mating and lying together for short periods of time. Long into the evening the cats continued.
The moon had managed to emerge from behind a growing wall of clouds and then begin to recede when Drake once again took control, forcing his cat to push the female back toward the cabin. Once on the porch, he surfaced, shifting back into human form. Breathing hard, he managed to shove the door open before turning back to the female leopard.
"Saria. I need you right now. Come to me, baby. She's strong, but you're stronger. She's had her time, now it's our turn." He circled his thick cock with his hand. "See what you do to me? I need you, baby. Now. Shift now."
Oftentimes it was difficult to give up the freedom of the cat's form, but Saria immediately obeyed him, shifting and landing in a small heap on the floor in front of him. He yanked her to her feet and nearly threw her against the wall, the leopard's strength still running through his heavily roped muscles.
Saria's breath slammed out of her. Drake's eyes were heavy-lidded, his pupils dilated, nearly black with glittering gold surrounding the lust-filled dark circles. Pure sensuality was carved into the lines of his face, a carnal lust that only made the terrible hunger in her grow until it nearly consumed her.
Saria looked up at him, her eyes drenched in need. She was on fire. Dripping. Hot. She needed his hands on her, his mouth on her and his cock buried deep in her body. "Hurry," she whispered. "Hurry, Drake."
His hands covered her breasts, his fingers tugging and rolling her nipples. Pleasure streaked from breasts to the very core of her, leaving every nerve ending tingling as a strong electrical current surged through her body.
She couldn't look away with Drake's golden eyes locked on hers. He slowly bent his head and sucked her nipple into the heated cavern of his mouth. His tongue teased and danced, licked and flicked until she couldn't contain the dark moans. She wrapped her arms around his head to cradle him at her breasts. When he sucked her nipple tight against the heated roof of his mouth, she nearly screamed.
Her breathing turned harsh and labored as she fought for air. She was on fire. Desperate for him. "Please, Drake," she whispered, rubbing her body against his, needing relief. She lifted one leg and wrapped it around his hip, pressing tightly against him.
He tugged on her nipple with his teeth, his tongue stroking to ease the tiny bite of pain. A shudder of pleasure slid through her body in a slow tumbling wave. A fine sheen of sweat dampened her rose-petal skin. He lifted his head and looked with satisfaction at her nipples, now dark and straining toward him, pinpoints of need. He cupped the soft weight in his hands and brushed his thumbs over the sensitive buds. Once more fire darted through her to settle into a storm of desire in her core.
She pressed tighter against him, nearly sobbing. "Drake, I can't stand it. I need you inside of me."
"Trust me, baby, you can take it. You can take a lomore," he whispered, flicking her nipples with his tongue. "I intend to have you screaming for me. Besides, I want to eat you up tonight."
Her entire body went into meltdown at his blatant admission. He didn't try to hide the fact that he wanted her every bit as much as she wanted him--or that he was in control.
He picked her up easily and carried her to the couch. It was wide and long and had obviously been used as a makeshift bed. He threw the sheet covering it onto the floor and sank down, with Saria on his lap. His hard cock pulsed against her buttocks and he squirmed until he adjusted her perfectly so he could nestle in the heat between her rounded cheeks. Saria couldn't stop herself from moving subtly, rubbing over the thick length of him while deep inside her body pulsed with need.
His strong fingers stroked a caress from her ankle to her knee. The light touch over her bare skin shouldn't have produced the terrible ache. She groaned softly and bit his shoulder.
"Baby," he said softly. "Have I told you yet that I love you?" He swept back her damp hair and looked into her eyes.
Her stomach dropped. Her heart fluttered. She pressed her lips together and mutely shook her head.
"I do love you, very, very much and I never want to be without you."
He kissed her gently, his lips moving over her face. Each eye. The tip of her nose. The corner of her mouth. His lips rested over hers, drinking in her soft moan, his tongue dancing with hers, stroking gently at first, building the fire until he was devouring her mouth over and over. His hand settled on her nape while he feasted there.
She loved kissing him. Loved the taste and texture of him. The heat. The command of his mouth and the way he consumed her as if he could never quite get enough. She was addicted to him, craving his touch and his taste, and loved that he was the same with her. She relaxed into him, opening for him and he immediately shifted her in his arms, still kissing her, laying her across his body, lowering her head to the arm of the couch.
Drake looked down at Saria, her soft body sprawled across him, completely his to do whatever he desired. The sight of her stole his breath, her eyes so enormous, dark chocolate ringed with gold, very solemn. He stroked his hand up the inside of her thigh, forcing her to open her legs for him. She followed his every nonverbal cue immediately, pleasing him immensely. She was wet and needy, her breath coming in soft, ragged gasps.
He kissed her again, loving her mouth, that soft, hot fantasy mouth. He had received such pleasure when she was inexperienced, her desire to please him more than making up for her lack of knowledge. He loved the dazed, aroused look in her eyes, the need in her squirming body, but most of all the way she gave her body to his keeping.
"You're so damned beautiful, Saria," he whispered, trailing kisses over her neck. "Thank you for being mine." He couldn't help taking tiny bites from neck to breast, his tongue soothing the little stings.
Her skin was amazingly soft and he couldn't stop himself from stroking and tasting and lapping at her sweetness. Her breath came out in a series of gasps, and she moaned, a low entreaty. He loved the heat of her skin. His. All his. He had all the time in the world to drive them both insane with need. His erection felt so full cushioned in the heat f her buttocks and his heart felt just as full, both threatening to burst.
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Her soft breasts were thrust upward as she pushed with her heels against the arm of the couch, trying to ease the burning need between her legs. There was no resisting that invitation, and he bent his head to her tight nipple. He flicked it with his tongue and then stroked with his teeth. She cried out, a broken sound of need. He loved that she didn't try to hide what she felt from him, that she gave him the sounds of her passion as well. Her soft whimpers and groans were music, a symphony that added to the heat everbuilding in his body.
He licked and suckled at her breasts, raising the stakes, sucking harder, increasing the pressure of his teeth until she was writhing against him. The sensation of her bottom drove him nearly insane with need. The harder he suckled, the more she twisted sensually, her breath coming in gasps. Her skin felt hot and silky as he glided his palm over her stomach to the seething heat between her legs.
"Open your thighs wider for me, baby," he instructed. The scent of her arousal permeated the air. He was hungry for her, for the taste of her, for her cries and pleas.
She obeyed him, opening her body to him, pressing her heels hard against the arm of the couch as his fingers slid into her slick heat. She nearly came off his lap. Her eyes met his with a kind of shock. That dazed look, so hungry and needy, nearly pushed him over the edge of his control. He wanted her to know that he was her true mate.
"We belong, Saria. I'm the one who makes you feel like this. So good, baby. And you're made for me. Your body was made for mine." He couldn't wait another moment. He moved her quickly, positioning her arms above her head, pulling her legs apart so he could kneel between her legs. Her entire body shuddered with a helpless need.
He waited a heartbeat. Two. Until her eyes met his. His fingers brushed over her wet entrance. She moaned and twisted, her hips bucking, following his fingers.
"Say it, Saria. I want to hear the words."
She thrashed under him, her eyes glittering with gold. "Please, Drake, please."
"That's not what I want. Say it."
She took a deep breath to steady herself. "I love you, damn it. There. Is that what you want to hear?"