Bought by the Puma (Studly Shifters Book 1) (7 page)

"Let me come with you." She whispered.

Simon pulled back and stared at her. There was no question what his answer would be.

"No."

"But I could help."

"You'll be killed." The thought of Whitney being hurt by this bastard made Simon feel sick. He couldn't lose his mate. Not now. He pulled Whitney into his arms and hugged her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Please. Stay here. I'll feel better knowing you're safe here."

Simon never thought he'd had to plead for someone to do as he said. And Whitney was a stubborn woman; she was the only person who could get him to plead. It wouldn't happen with anyone else.

Whitney sighed.

"Okay." She pulled back but not out of his arms. She huffed and scowled. "Are you going to let me get back to my yoga?"

"Later."

Simon took her hand and placed it over his cock, making her hand squeeze him. Whitney didn't need any further prompting. She went onto her knees and undid his jeans, pulling his cock free and closing her mouth around him.

Simon closed his eyes and began to thrust into her mouth, threading his hands through her hair. This was something he could never give up. Whitney's mouth was like sin; she was damned good with it.

And from the way he felt her mouth smile around his cock as she swirled her tongue across his soft skin, she knew it.

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The taxi dropped Whitney off at the bottom of the hill. Whitney paid him and made her way up the dirt track to the cabin. According to Simon's emails, Grattidge had rented a log cabin a few miles from their place for the week and had cited it as getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life with his wife. It also stated that no one would be in that evening since they would be in the city having dinner with friends.

As Whitney climbed the hill, she thought back to Simon, feeling guilty for leaving him asleep in their bed with no idea what she was up to. If he knew that she was doing this, he would have handcuffed her to the bed. It might have excited both of them but Whitney wasn't going there right now, not when she wanted to do this.

The thought of having a story on Grattidge and his dealings had never strayed far from Whitney's mind. Her employers were pleased with her work so far but needed something with pizazz, something to grab the attention of the readers beyond her regular column and occasional articles. This was full of 'pizazz' and Whitney was determined to get it.

She would be in and out without anyone knowing she was there once she found something that could be useful for her story. Simon wouldn't know she had gone.

Whitney felt bad that she was misleading Simon like this. He had told her to keep out of it and not get into trouble and for a while Whitney acquiesced.

Their time together had been amazing and she loathed ruining it by asking about the case and nagging him to help. So she had bided her time and when Simon was asleep, she would get onto his computer and read his emails and note about the case.

Which was how she came to find out where Grattidge would be. Now, she would be able to get something for her story and possible help for Simon at the same time, if she could.

In the two weeks they had been together, since the first time they had sex on the stairs, they had become close. The air sizzled around them and Whitney found herself getting comfortable with Simon instead of more awkward. She also noticed that Simon relaxed more with her and he began to smile and even laugh. Those simple actions turned Whitney on even more and that usually resulted in more sex.

She didn't think it was possible to fall in love with a man as intensely as this but it had happened. The sex, the intimacy and the talking had all come together for Whitney and she knew she didn't want to walk away from Simon when this was all over. She didn't know what Simon thought and she was scared to bring it up.

But whatever happened, she knew she would remember this time fondly, no matter what Simon's decision on their relationship would be.

Whitney reached the cabin and walked round the outside, looking for a way to get in without much hassle. She was trying the kitchen door when she heard a sharp bark behind her.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Whitney squealed and spun round, her heart missing a beat. Then, she saw Natalya prowling up the lawn towards her. To Whitney's surprise, the other woman was naked, showing off her long legs, her flat stomach and perky breasts. Her hair was loose about her shoulders and her eyes were glowing golden.

Just like Simon, Whitney realized.

She swallowed.

"I'm sorry." She squeaked. She coughed and tried again. "I'm just a lost tourist. I was taking a late night walk and I wandered too far off the track. I was trying to find someone to point me in the right direction."

Whitney tried not to shrink back as Natalya came up onto the porch. The moonlight made her skin gleam, the blonde hair dusting between her legs seeming to shimmer. Whitney tried not to stare but she ended up staring at Natalya's breasts. Finally, she chose a spot just over the woman's shoulder.

"I very much doubt you're a lost tourist." Natalya stalked around her. She didn't seem to care that she was naked. "This place is too far from any walking path."

"Not the ones I went on." Whitney responded.

She cringed as Natalya came very close, almost brushing up against her, and leant over. She sniffed at Whitney, her nostrils flaring, and her eyes widened. She straightened up.

"You smell of sex."

Whitney was stumped for a second. She didn't realize you could smell of sex.

"No, I don't."

"Don't lie to me, girl." Natalya's eyes narrowed. "You smell of him."

"Him?"

"Yes, him. Simon Oliver." Natalya's lip curled. "The bastard who lied to me and tried to put it on me."

Whitney didn't know what was going on. Natalya could tell that she had been making love with Simon and was calling him a liar? She didn't believe her for a minute.

"I don't know anyone called Simon."

She gasped as Natalya grabbed her throat and shook her.

"I said don't lie to me." The woman growled. "He's been fucking you." She chuckled without mirth. "Do you know what he is yet? And the reason he's got such stamina and such a big cock? Bryce says that it's all part of the animal DNA; you become a god in bed."

"What are you talking about?"

While Whitney could vouch on Simon's stamina and anatomy, she didn't know what Natalya was on about. And she didn't like to think about Natalya being with Simon; that made her nauseous.

Natalya frowned, looking at her curiously. She pushed Whitney against the wall and took her hand off Whitney's throat. Then she roughly turned Whitney's head back and forth, inspecting her neck. She grunted.

"No bites. He's clearly not marked you." She smirked. "Evidently, he isn't going to keep you long. If he was, he would've mated you already."

"Mated?" Whitney was confused. "Marked? What the hell is going on?"

"You really don't know?"

Natalya giggled and tossed her hair over her shoulders. It was then that Whitney saw the bite marks on Natalya's shoulder, marks larger than normal human teeth marks.

"Oh, this is going to be fun." Natalya grinned and Whitney realized that she had fangs. "I'm going to enjoy ripping you to shreds."

Whitney was frozen to the spot as she watched a golden glow appear and lick around Natalya's body. Natalya began to change and Whitney could only stare in horror as the human woman disappeared, quickly replaced by a huge wolf, its yellow eyes staring at her with its jaw slack showing off huge fangs.

Whitney screamed. The wolf snarled and launched at her. Whitney darted to the side and shoved as hard as she could, her eyes closed tightly shut. She hit something soft and furry and heard a whine as glass smashed. There was another whine and a heavy thud.

Whitney didn't hang around to see if she had done any damage. In books, werewolves were hard to kill. She probably hurt the bitch but no lasting damage.

She needed to get out of there before she was caught.

Whitney ran to the end of the porch and leapt off the planking. Right into the arms of Bryce Grattidge.

Who didn't let go, glaring down at her with glowing eyes.

It was then that Whitney knew she was in deeper shit than anticipated.

Chapter 7: Saved by the Puma

"Who the hell are you?" Grattidge demanded.

Whitney stared. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Bryce Grattidge was a werewolf. The eyes, the flash of the fangs, everything pointed to Grattidge not being entirely human.

Grattidge shook her, digging his fingers into her arms.

"Are you mute, girl?"

Whitney flinched as claws ripped through her sweater and ripped at her skin.

"Let me go." She whimpered.

Then she noticed Grattidge looking at her closely, dipping his head to see her face properly. Whitney tried to turn her head away but he grabbed her chin and held her still. His eyes widened in recognition.

"I know you. You're the one I ordered to be sold to my paying customers. How did you get out?"

Whitney swallowed.

"Someone actually cared and rescued me." She croaked.

Then, Grattidge's eyes narrowed. He leant in and sniffed at her neck. Whitney squirmed and tried to get away, crying out when his claws bit into her arm. She felt the blood trickling down her arm.

"Puma." Grattidge swore loudly. "I'll need to screen the customers better from now on."

Whitney had no idea what he was talking about. Puma? She hadn't been anywhere near any cats lately, especially not big cats that weren't indigenous to the United States. She could feel the panic rising.

"Please," she pleaded, "Just let me go. I didn't see anything, I swear. I will leave you alone."

She tried to pull away again but Grattidge tugged her back easily, making her fall against him. He wrapped his other arm round her waist, caging her in.

"I don't think so, lovely." He growled. "You stink of shifter and you're not of my pack. That's not a good sign."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Whitney had no idea what was happening or how she had gotten into this mess. This had gone from strange to downright surreal in mere seconds. She was still trying to keep up with what was going on.

Grattidge looked at Whitney's neck, brushing her hair away. Whitney trembled as she felt the talons brushing against her skin.

"Not mated, then." Grattidge smirked. "Maybe this can be fun. Thin girls are good in bed but fat girls are better."

Whitney felt the growing panic take on a new speed. She didn't need to be a genius to know what Grattidge wanted.

"No!"

She began to struggle but Grattidge was too strong. He tripped her neatly and they fell in a heap on the ground. Grattidge flipped her easily onto her front and pinned her to the ground. Then he glanced up and saw Natalya's slumped body on the porch. She had shifted back to her human form. Whitney could see a shard of glass sticking out from her forehead but her chest was rising and falling.

Grattidge grunted.

"Pity you didn't kill her. She was getting annoying. I shouldn't have mated with her in the first place."

"She was your mate?"

"I thought she was and she led me to believe it." Grattidge shook his head. "But I realized my mistake shortly afterwards." He lay on top of her and buried his nose in her hair as he inhaled deeply. "You, on the other hand, smell really good."

He pushed his hips against her backside and Whitney felt his cock pressing against her buttocks. No, this was not happening.

"I belong to someone else." She whimpered.

At least, she was Simon's for now until he decided what he wanted to do with her.

"Who hasn't mated with you yet. Which makes you fair game." Grattidge grinned against her hair and chuckled. "By the time I'm done with you, you're going to struggle to remember what the other guy was like."

Whitney wished she had left a note where she was going. But because of her over-confidence and wanting to do this alone, she had forgotten to let somebody know where she was.

Now she was going to be raped and murdered, dying alone out in the woods where nobody would find her.

She screamed. And felt Grattidge grab the back of her head, slamming her head into the ground. Whitney lay dazed as Grattidge began to undo her jeans.

Then she heard a snarl and the heavy weight on top of her disappeared. Gasping for breath, Whitney pushed up and looked round. A scream bubbled back up in her throat as she saw Grattidge in human form, his cock still erect against his bare stomach, squaring off with the biggest cat she had ever seen.

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