“No. I mean when did your eyes turn red?
Your skin black?
You seem like you’re in
midtransformation
, from Circ to mutant. But you’re rational.
Too human for that.”
“That puzzles me too.” Gray moved as if to stand, but when she tensed, he sat back in his seat. “I’m not going to hurt you, Ali.”
Yeah, right.
“I can see you don’t believe me, and with what you’ve been through, I can understand.”
Incensed at his patronizing tone, she let the angry beast inside her break free a bit, to see how the mighty Gray would take it. A flash of heat entered her vision, the telling red in her eyes no doubt flashing. “You have no idea what I’ve been through. I was a normal kid, and then I wasn’t. I had urges no sane person should have and no one to help me understand but an old man I loved dearly, until Trenton and his fuckers killed him. I was handled and touched in places no young virgin should be. And then I was nearly raped by a Circ.
By one of
you
.
I killed him while he was inside me. And you know what? I liked it,” she growled, wishing he could feel the hurt, the anger, and the humiliation she’d endured. “So don’t tell me you understand. Because you have no fucking clue,” she spat, aching to rake her claws down his face and mark him.
The fury made sense, but the transposition of anger to lust unnerved her. She took a quick step back and put a hand on the gun behind her when he stood and kicked the chair away.
“I understand more than you think.” His quiet words were voiced with so much contained rage that he scared her. “I’ve seen women and children mauled by monsters. Girls raped and innocent men killed because they trusted assholes like Trenton. He’s going to die, this time by my two hands while I squeeze the life out of him.” He neared her so fast she didn’t have time to draw her weapon.
Gray’s arms wrapped around her, holding her tight.
Helpless and in pain, she struggled. His lips pressed against her temple, and she froze.
“I swear. He’ll never hurt you again. None of them will. I promise.”
Bas suddenly stood at her side and put his arm around her back. “
We
promise.” He nuzzled her hair. “No one will hurt you while we live, Ali.
No one.”
His beast peered out of somber eyes, and she didn’t know what to think.
These men didn’t owe her a thing. She didn’t know them, had no idea why she’d poured her heart out to them. But the venom that accompanied such thoughts, that pushed her into killing or hurting something after reliving her torment, didn’t come.
Shaken yet relieved, she stood there while they stroked her back and her hair, whispering words of comfort. Nothing sexual or twisted about the way they held her. And she blinked back the tears she should have been too numb to feel.
* * * *
Bas watched Gray handle Ali with kid gloves. For all that Gray could be a complete jerk, when it came to protecting the innocent, he was in his element. To think Ali had been tortured and used like that made his skin crawl. He wanted to find Trenton and skin him alive. Then find the rest of the shitheads who’d hurt her and make them scream out in pain while he broke bones and slit throats.
His beast warmed to the idea as he figured the best way to get information to the admiral. They needed to flush out Trenton before he could escape and start fresh. Bomb the hell out of his labs and rescue any unwilling test subjects the bastard no doubt caged like animals.
Some of what Ali had said reminded him of his time with the PWP, when the scientists had tried to break him, to make him the rogue they wanted, an animal they could control. But he hadn’t broken, and neither had Ali. His beast warmed to the woman even more, glad he’d let her take him, because she felt comfort in their shared exploration. And he sensed she wanted more. He’d seen her looking at him when he’d dressed, had felt her sexual need and gloried in it even more now. Because after all she’d suffered, she hadn’t refused his touch.
“I need you to pass the info on to Keiser while I stay with her. I don’t want Ali left alone,”
Gray sent him.
“I agree. But shouldn’t you talk to Keiser? He’s your guy. Ali’s not sure of you.”
To his surprise, Bas didn’t feel a hint of jealousy at the thought of leaving Ali with Gray. He just wanted to make sure his mates would feel comfortable with one another.
“She needs to know me. And you need to know you can handle the PWP in any of its forms.”
Gray’s mild rebuke annoyed him.
“I don’t need therapy, you jackass.”
“And I don’t need to be sensing your fear anytime we have to deal with psychics. Deal with it, Bas. Ali needs us now, and she needs us strong. Trenton won’t be easy to kill, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has more rogues out in the forest. You need to watch your ass out there.”
Gray’s poorly concealed worry both pleased and annoyed him.
“I’m glad you care, but I’m good. I can handle that
fuckwad
Keiser.”
“Then prove it.”
Bas scowled but took a step back from their group hug. “Ali, I’ll be back. I need to pass on some info. I’ll be fine. And I swear
,
I’ll cover my tracks. Don’t let Gray boss you around.”
Her brown eyes no longer flashed with red. The woman had yet to shed one of the tears pooling in her beautiful eyes.
Trying to be so damn strong.
He ached to hold her again but knew Gray was right. Gray had to earn her trust. And his senses were keener than Bas’s. He’d hear a threat before they
attacked,
no problem.
“Nobody bosses me around.” She huffed at Gray and put a measure of distance between them, reestablishing control.
Bas wondered how his mate, the ultimate control freak, would respond.
Especially because Gray would do nothing to hurt Ali, which meant not scaring her with anything too rough.
Bas wanted to be around to watch, but this wasn’t the time.
“Yeah, so take your laughing ass out of here. And like I said, keep your mind open to me. I mean it.”
The snarl in Gray’s command amused him.
He left with a wave and a grin.
The moment Bas left, Ali felt the whole of Gray’s formidable presence. Without Bas’s easy nature to lighten the mood, Gray’s essence filled the room with intensity.
“I won’t hurt you,” he said softly.
“I won’t let you,” she replied, tired of feeling out of sorts. She didn’t like her vulnerability around these men. Bas had at least proven a measure of trust. Knowing he could have escaped before but that he’d allowed her to set the pace of their pleasure satisfied her beast. He was an amazing lover, a skilled yet tender partner. She had every intention of having sex with him again.
Gray would be a problem. He seemed too sure of himself.
Too in command of the situation.
She didn’t like that.
Time to show him where he belonged in the grand scheme of things.
And the sooner the better, because her blood seethed with a new need for violence.
The urge to see and taste Gray’s blood continued to grow.
She kept the distance between them, conscious of the gun at her back. If she intended to use it, she’d have to be fast, because as quick as he’d moved, he’d be on her before she could fire if she wasn’t careful.
“About Trenton,” she began, keeping the kitchen table between herself and Gray. “If you want to help me kill him, I’ll show you where to go. It’s easy enough to avoid the Circs—”
“Rogues.”
She rolled her eyes.
“
Rogues
out in the woods.
But Trenton is mine to deal with.”
“And the rogues who hurt you?”
He seemed fixated on what she’d told him. Her beast couldn’t have been more pleased. The woman in Ali was mortified. She’d never wanted anyone to know what they’d done to her. “It was just one guy. I killed him, remember? Forget I mentioned it. I don’t like thinking about it,” she said gruffly.
He nodded.
“Fine.
But I won’t forget.” The dangerous gleam in his gaze tempted her to take a step closer. Her beast liked nothing more than a challenge.
She stood firm. “Look. I’m tired. You can sit out here and read or something. I need a break.”
She took two steps toward the door in the floor when Gray spoke.
“Does sex bother you?”
She stopped and turned to face him. “What?”
“Sex.
Your beast craves it. Perpetuation of the species is a natural requirement of our kind. It’s also built into Circ programming.
But the human part of you.
Does it dislike sex?”
She blushed, not used to talking about it. Annoyed to have let him embarrass her, she answered in a growl. “No. It’s just fine. I fuck when I feel the need. Men are good for something at least. Other than that, I hate ’
em
. Is that okay?”
He smiled, showing a good deal of fang.
“Works for me, so long as Bas and I aren’t in that category.
We’re not men, though, are we?”
He moved like lightning, but she’d been prepared. She released a waft of pheromones when he reached her, and he slowed considerably, enough for her to put her hand on her pistol.
But Gray jerked it away from her and tossed it across the room. “No need for that. Not when I have some good, satisfying sexual therapy in mind.”
“Fuck you. I don’t need therapy.” She squirmed, alarmed to feel his thick cock through his pants against her belly.
He pushed her up against the wall. “Yeah, you do. But problem is, sweetheart, you don’t realize yet where you fit in.” He sniffed her neck and pushed her hair out of the way, using only one hand and his body weight to hold her in place. “Tell me to leave you alone, and I will. But the truth is
,
you want this. You
need
this.” Then he licked her.
She felt the fire all the way to her toes. “I’m fine by myself,” she shouted and yanked her head away when he moved to kiss her on the mouth. But she couldn’t make herself give him the words to let her go.
“Tell me no, baby. Just one little
word,
and I’m gone.” Gray nibbled his way along her neck. “I’ll never hurt you, not unless you need it. I’ll protect you, baby. I swear. But soft won’t work for you. I can feel it.”
Unlike in the past, when she’d been held down, Gray’s forcefulness didn’t imply anything more than rough, needed sex. He smelled so good, and his beast tangled with hers. Not hurting, not raping, but dominating with her traitorous beast’s
consent.
He sucked hard on her neck and bit her, then licked her blood.
“Yes.”
She arched into him, so lost in sexual need, she couldn’t see straight.
Finally.
Here was a strong, worthy male she could submit to.
A male to whom she might yield all and find pleasure and satisfaction in the release.
But she wouldn’t make it easy for him. She yanked her head back when his fangs slid out of her neck, and head-butted him right in the face.
His nose cracked, but he didn’t let go of her. With one hand, he pressed his nose back into place, and she watched as the swelling eased and the fracture healed right in front of her. Then his eyes changed, his round pupils becoming slits. His skin darkened; his hair lengthened. He hadn’t yet put on a shirt, and his chest stretched and grew into hard-packed muscle.
Gray ripped open the tab of his pants and let them drop to his feet. He stepped out of them and pressed his body against hers.
“Feel what you do to me. That scent is so ripe. I want to fuck you so hard.” Gray kissed away her protest, sucking her breath into his lungs before giving it back. He tasted wild, like jungle and sun and beast.
Ali wanted him the way she’d wanted Bas, but she couldn’t take. She could only wait for him to control her. She shivered but lay passive as he stripped her naked.
But her beast would be content with only so much compliance. Her mutant cells woke as well, needing to feel blood and sex as they coupled.
Ali
changed
between one heartbeat and the next. She grew, but still he dwarfed her. Yet she didn’t care. Her fangs and claws knew no bounds. She tore into his Circ flesh and moaned into his mouth as the sweet scent of his blood filled her head.
“So hot,” he murmured and nipped her tongue when she nicked his, allowing her to taste her own blood and his.
A mixture of the mating taking form.
“Now open for me, sweetheart. Give your master his due.”
She didn’t like hearing that and immediately rebelled.
“Oh yeah, that’s it.” Gray’s thick voice showed her he liked her defiance. The manipulator intended for her to fight back.
She gave him as good as she got, struggling not to be free but to show him she could take his roughness, even needed it.
He kissed her again and cupped her breast. His claws pricked her nipple, and she gasped. His tongue invaded. In the next breath, so did his cock. He hefted her up against the wall and held her ass with one palm. She opened her legs to wrap around his waist, to find purchase so as not to fall.
“Gray,
please
.”