Branded by Lust: 4 (Night Seekers) (14 page)

“How about this. I’ll pass the word for folks to keep an eye
on that house of hers. That do it?”

“It will help for sure. And tell people to be on the lookout
for anything out of place but not to get itchy trigger fingers with people they
don’t know.” He leaned forward. “I’m serious, Mac. Killing strangers is bad for
tourism.”

“I’ll warn folks to be cautious. But if any of the wild
animals around here wanders into someone’s backyard it’s probably dead meat.”
Mac pushed his chair back and stood up. “Well, I’ve monopolized enough of your
time. I’ll let you get to whatever you came for.”

Logan and Rebecca sat there for a long moment after the
older man moved back to the bar. Finally Logan pushed his empty plate away.

“I can tell you that what Mac says is what everyone else is
saying,” he told Rebecca. “He’s got his ear to the wall on everything.”

Rebecca sighed. “We try to diffuse the gossip about a weird
animal and end up planting the idea of a serial killer. I’m not sure which is
worse.”

”I just don’t want any vigilante posses ramping up, going
hunting and shooting some stranger who might wander into the area.”

“At least we know where people’s heads are at. Come on.
Let’s get out of here. We’ll check in with Rance Danvers in the morning. Then I
want to have coffee with Ben. Someplace quiet where I can ask him some hard
questions. Try to find a way to ask if my sense about him is right.”

“We can drive by Jade’s on the way home,” she said. “I know
you’re worried about her.”

Logan gave her a quick hug. “Thank you.”

“For?”

“For being you.”

The beast paused in the huge stand of trees, sheltered by
the huge ponderosa pines. It hated to leave the comfort of the cave it had
found in a notch in the mountains but the blood hunger was rising again. The
small animals it had managed to catch had barely taken the edge off. But
hunters were crisscrossing the vast snow-crusted area and the devil beast knew
enough to stay away from them.

And at night when it had been out searching for prey another
danger had presented itself. It had spied a wolf in the area, racing through
the darkness. Oh yes, it knew what wolves were. Some wolf blood ran through its
veins. But this one had a completely different scent, as if it too was a
mixture of breeds. And the beast had sensed danger in its presence.

But the clawing hunger drove it to seek real prey despite
the danger. Something in its brain directed him to a certain area, sending
signals where it was safe to hunt. So it scouted, always being careful. Staying
away from the machines when they made noise, machines that skimmed the icy
surface of the snow. Avoided places where dwellings were close together. But
the killing need was so strong in it right now that it had a hard time obeying
the signals.

Then it had found this dwelling, far enough from others in
the area and not protected by herds of beasts and creatures or two-legged
animals riding their noisy machines. It stood not far from a town, the place
isolated, surrounded by more pines.

At first, peering in the windows, it hadn’t found any
evidence the prey was in residence. No movement inside its dwelling—everything
dark—so the beast backed away and waited. But shortly light pierced the
darkness and one of the large machines used by the prey turned in from the
street and into its dwelling place at the house.

It received signals warning it away when it found more than
one two-legged prey in a place. Herds spelled danger. It had been trained and
programmed to seek isolated prey and destroy it. More than one and the
programming in its brain went haywire, leaving it open to risk.

Wait, wait, wait.

Darting from tree to tree, it made its way closer to the
house. Whatever was in its brain directing it sent warning signals to be
careful. To move slowly. To be sure the prey was unprotected. The other day it
had found a fresh two-legged prey but a four-legged fire-breathing dragon had
frightened it away. The dragon had stomped its feet and snorted and the beast
made itself vanish. Out of danger.

Finally through the lighted window the beast could see its
single prey moving around, a luscious tempting morsel that made its juices
flow. It could almost taste the rich blood it knew it would find. And the skin.
It couldn’t wait to get its sharp fangs into that pale skin and puncture it
deeply.

The air was bitter cold but the beast was used to it. The
temperature didn’t bother it. The hunger was what would kill it if it didn’t
satisfy it soon.

Then twin beacons of light turned in toward the dwelling, a
wide entrance to the place yawned open and the vehicle moved inside. The devil
beast began creeping closer, saliva dripping from its jaw. In moments he would
breach the dwelling and the prey would be his.

But as it prepared to make his move it saw more beacons of
light moving in its direction. The large vehicle turned in toward the prey’s
dwelling place and another two-legged animal exited toward the front. And
watching it, from the recesses of whatever kind of vehicle that was, yet
another prey.

No! No! No!

Not now. Not when it was so close.

Anguish raced through the devil beast, an unfamiliar emotion.
Its programming told it to leave. To come back when it was safer. But it was so
thirsty for the blood. So hungry.

Then, as if an alarm had been triggered in its brain, a
flash of pain shot through its head and it turned, racing away soundlessly into
the night. Hunting for something to appease its appetite, even momentarily.

* * * * *

Rebecca huddled deeper into her warm jacket, watching Logan
ring the doorbell. She saw the look of surprise on Jade’s face when she opened
the door, quickly changing to one of sexual hunger. She leaned against the
doorjamb, her invitation obvious in her pose. Rebecca had met a wide variety of
women in her life but seldom had she seen one quite so predatory. How on earth
had Logan ever gotten mixed up with her in the first place?

Well, no matter. He was hers now.

Mine!

And she was going to make damn sure things stayed that way.

Jade pushed open the storm door, gesturing Logan inside, but
he shook his head. When Jade reached out to grab his hand he backed away and
pointed to the truck where Rebecca waited. An angry look came over the woman’s
face as she stared out at the truck, then yanked the storm door shut and
slammed the inner door closed.

Logan stood there a moment, shaking his head, then jogged
away from the house.

“She didn’t look too happy,” Rebecca commented as Logan
backed out into the highway.

He grunted. “That’s putting it mildly. I wonder when she
turned into such a bitch?”

She’s probably always been one but it’s hard to notice
when you’ve got her naked.

The moment the thought popped into Rebecca’s mind she
slapped it away.

“People change,” was all she said, and moved her hand to
rest it on his muscular thigh. In another moment she slid it boldly toward his
fly.

Logan laughed softly, deep in his throat. “Planning to get
fresh with me in the truck, are you?”

“Just passing the time on a long drive,” she teased.

“Bek?” There was no laughter in his voice now. “Jade is
nobody for you to worry about. Whatever we had—and looking back I’m not even
sure what it was—is long gone. Believe it.”

“I know.” And she did. But she thought a little reassurance
was always good. “Just…reminding you.”

He put his large hand over her small one and moved them both
squarely over his fly where his cock bulged thick and hard.

“Feel that? That’s for you and no one else.” He squeezed her
fingers. “But I would have felt, oh, I don’t know, call it unsettled if I
hadn’t stopped to check on Jade. Made one more effort to warn her to be
careful.”

“What did she say?”

He snorted. “If I wanted to keep her safe I should come
inside. When I told her it wasn’t happening she told me to go to hell and
slammed the door.”

“You did the best you could. We’ll just keep our fingers
crossed. You said she’s a crack shot, right?”

“Uh huh. And I told her to keep her shotgun handy. That’s
the best I can do.” He tightened his grip on her hand again. “Now I need to
concentrate on getting home as fast as we can so I don’t pull over to the side
of the road and rip your clothes off in the freezing cold.”

“If it weren’t for the cold I might let you,” she teased.

As it was she could hardly wait until Logan pulled up the
driveway and parked the truck in the garage. Suddenly on adrenaline overload,
her system fueled as if she’d mainlined caffeine, she had an almost urgent need
to be skin-to-skin with him and danced from foot to foot in impatience, waiting
for him to unlock the door.

She raced ahead of him up the stairs, yanking off her jacket
in his room, and toed off her boots. She was in the process of unbuttoning her
shirt when Logan caught up with her.

“Hold on.” He braceleted her wrists with his fingers and
studied her face. “Tell me this isn’t just about Jade Robinson and some crazy
idea you have that I still want her.”

She shook her head, ran her tongue over her lower lip.
“Maybe she was the impetus but this is about you and me. About us. About
knowing that you feel the same thing I do. Have the same clawing need.”

“Baby, every wolf has a clawing need. Especially for its
mate.”

His face was so close she could feel his breath on her skin.
See the thick spikes of his eyelashes. The heat flickering in the
golden-flecked brown of his eyes.

“Is that what I am?” She barely whispered the words. “Your
mate?”

He brought her hands to his chest, pressing them against his
heart. “Feel that?”

The thumping of his heart knocked against her hand. She
nodded.

“That’s what you do to me.” He lowered her hands to his
crotch where his hard, thickened cock pressed against the fabric of his jeans.
“And this.”

“Take off your clothes.”

She worked the buttons on his shirt, desperate to feel the
naked flesh beneath it. She didn’t ever remember feeling like this before,
frantic with need. Burning up with it. Fueled by some kind of desperation, she
yanked at the uncooperative buttons.

Logan captured her hands again. “I’ll do it.”

He clamped his mouth to hers, his tongue delving inside to
dance with her own. Their lips might have been fused together, clinging as they
did while they each stripped off the rest of their clothes with frantic haste.

With a strength born of need Rebecca gave Logan a shove so
he fell backward onto the bed. She stared avidly at his cock, standing so erect
from the thick nest of curls surrounding it. Kneeling between his muscular
legs, she wrapped the fingers of one hand around it and lapped at the velvety
head, capturing the thick drop of fluid sitting at the slit. She scraped her
teeth lightly over the surface before probing the slit with the very tip of her
tongue.

“Oh god.” The words rumbled up from deep in Logan’s voice.

She glanced up and saw his hands fisted at his sides, his
eyes closed.

He tasted so good to her, as if his flavor had improved with
the increasing intimacy. With that one word.
Mate!
They’d made intense,
exquisite love before so it wasn’t that she doubted his feelings. She just
seemed driven by that one word. To seal it between them. Tonight was the first
time she’d been impelled by a hunger so urgent she couldn’t feed it fast
enough.

She swirled her tongue over the velvety skin before closing
her mouth over the head again. Slowly, very slowly, she drew him into her
mouth, letting his cock slide in increments over her tongue to the back of her
throat.

Rebecca wasn’t a novice at this, but she wasn’t an expert
either. The few times she’d felt compelled to do it she hadn’t thought it was
such a big deal. Her partner had been pleased but she herself got minimal
pleasure from it.

This was so different. Much more emotional. A blending of
the two of them. So powerful she didn’t think she could find words to describe
it. As she held his shaft and worked it deeper into her mouth the liquid of her
arousal soaked her pussy and spread to the inside of her thighs. Her pulse beat
with a desire so strong it consumed her entire body.

Mate!

The word almost made her feel as if she herself were wolf, a
part of the other world in which Logan lived. And how had that happened to her,
such a practical woman? The thoughts spun in her brain as she worked his shaft,
feeling the beat of his blood pounding in the thick vein that wound around it.

Wanting more, she slipped her hand between his thighs and
cupped the soft sac with his balls, brushing her thumb over the feathery
covering of hair before giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Jesus, Bek. Holy shit!”

Against her shoulders the muscles in his thighs tightened
and bunched and his hips jerked in rhythm with her mouth. She knew it wouldn’t
be long now. A little more. Just a little more. Faster, faster, harder.

And then with a shout he exploded, his hot semen spurting
down her throat. She swallowed convulsively, determined not to lose a drop, and
continued to milk him until his body went limp and a heavy sigh floated on the
air. And still she kept his softening shaft in her mouth, her hands cradling
his balls, unwilling to break the connection.

Beneath her touch he shifted, enough to reach her head and
thread his fingers through her hair.

“Come up here.” His voice was rough and raspy.

Obediently she crawled up over him, straddling his chest. On
impulse she bent and licked his nipples, scraping them gently with her teeth.

He gave a hoarse laugh. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“No.” She licked the hollow of his throat. Pressed her
tongue against the pulse beating furiously beneath the skin. “I just can’t seem
to get enough of you.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” With his hands on her hips he
urged her forward until her pussy was practically touching his mouth.

“One good turn deserves another,” he said in that raspy
tone, as if the words came from deep inside him. “I want my taste of heaven
too. Put your hands behind your back and grip me with your thighs.”

She maneuvered herself until she was balanced solidly on his
chest, sucking in her breath when Logan spread the lips of her cunt and teased
her clit with his tongue. Now she was the one riding the high edge of lust, the
liquid from her cunt painting Logan’s chest, her inner muscles clenching with
need.

Mate!

The word, at the same time both strange and familiar, kept
reverberating in her head. She had swallowed his essence into her body. Now she
wanted him to do the same with her.

His tongue was a finely tuned instrument as it licked and
lapped and prodded. He swirled it around her clit, teasing the throbbing knot
of furled flesh before capturing its very tip in his teeth and tugging.

Each gentle pull on it sent electricity sizzling through
her, firing all her nerve endings. Her inner muscles were gripped by tremors,
one after the other as her body responded to the intense intimacy. She braced
herself for balance and rocked into his every thrust.

Inside me
, she wanted to shout.
Let me feel you
inside me.
And she rocked toward him, silently urging him.

Rebecca might have spoken the words aloud, so quick was his
response. Thumbs holding her open as his fingers splayed on her thighs, he
thrust his tongue inside, scraping the tip against her inner walls. She closed
her eyes, letting sensation sweep over her, feeling the curl of his tongue as
he scooped her liquid into his mouth.