Savage Sanctuary 2: Panther Moon (5 page)

Trea looked up at him unable to disguise the sheen of tears in her eyes. “Thank you.

I’ll be fine.”

Hudson beat a retreat from the room, relieved when heard the splash of water on

the other side of the closed door. Briefly, he fisted his hand around the base of his cock and dragged it up and then down in a futile attempt to bring down his lust just a notch.

Trea’s scent still filled his head He leaned against the cool wood and closed his eyes, imaging her naked and soaking in his tub. With a low growl, he headed back into the

living room and grabbed up his cell phone. His call with Titus had been brief but there were details to discuss.

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Regina Carlysle

“My king, I’m sorry to disturb you.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m still awake.”

“It struck me that Trea will want to see to the burial of her parents,” Hudson said.

“She’s grieving. Not only is this eating at her, but we need to do something to explain away why their home is suddenly empty.”

Titus sighed over the phone. “Already on it, Hudson. Kevin dug through the glove

box of the truck and we’ve located their place through the address on the car insurance papers. I’ve already dispatched a private plane to east Texas. With some computer

digging, I learned that Brant Morgan had already quit his job in the oil fields. No one will think much about the house being suddenly empty. Kevin and his men are

retrieving the bodies of Brant and Celia Morgan as we speak. They’ll be brought here to Sanctuary for proper burial. I believe, if the hunters who shot them down were in hot pursuit of Chantrea, they neglected the panthers they’d shot. The bastards.”

“Yeah. If I could I’d kill them myself.”

“I’m glad you found her in the woods, Hudson. She couldn’t be in better hands.”

Hudson barked a sound. “I’m not so sure about that, my king.” He wanted to do

disreputable things to her sweet body and knowing that she was exhausted was the

only damn thing holding him back. He felt like the biggest of creeps.

“I doubt that, Hudson. In all the many years I have known you, you have done

nothing less than what is honorable and right.”

When they disconnected, Hudson went to a drawer and pulled out of pair of worn

sweatpants. He didn’t need further affirmation that he was hard and horny and wanted

to fuck the woman lolling just a few steps away in his bathtub. As an afterthought, he pulled out his largest, softest tee shirt for Chantrea to use. She had come to him with nothing but the clothes on her back, after all.

Knitting his brow, he tossed the tee shirt to the foot of his king-sized bed before

neatly pulling down the bedspread and sheets. He’d take the guest room tonight and

give her the space she would no doubt need. Poor little thing had a lot to come to grips 32

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with. He didn’t know a damn thing about comforting women but he wasn’t a fool. Her

life had changed completely in the blink of an eye. But he would be here when she

finally needed him. Hudson already knew he would claim her when the time came and

in the interim, he would use every bit of charm at his disposal to make her more

accepting of the fact that she was his.

Roughly thirty minutes later, he realized there was no sound, no movement coming

from the bathroom. Hudson stood by the closed bathroom door, hesitant to disturb her

but worried. Rapping lightly, he called out. “Are you okay, Trea?”

No answer.

He opened the door and moved into the steam-filled bathroom to see her lying in

the water. Her eyes were closed but even with the slight camouflage of the water, he

noted the trembling of her limbs. Tears seeped from beneath closed eyelids to trail

down her cheeks. His heart thumped hard. Unable to resist, he sent his gaze over her

naked body. She was slender yet curvy in all the best ways. Her breasts were full,

crowned by soft pink nipples. The flare of her hips made his fingers itch to stroke. Her legs were long, sexy stems that he wanted wrapped around his waist as he pounded his

cock deep into her willing body. Tamping down the instant surge of wildly

inappropriate lust, he bent over her just as her eyes fluttered open. “Let me help you,”

he said, his voice gone rough with tenderness and passion.

Trea was lost in her grief and it was more than obvious to him. He reached for a

towel and helped her get out of the water. Once she stood shakily by the side of the tub, he gently dried her, careful to keep his touch casual. Her state of mind was fragile and he didn’t want to make a misstep with her after all she’d been through.

“Thank you, Hudson,” she whispered as he draped the oversized towel around her.

He tucked her beneath his arm and, leading her directly into his room, grabbed up

the tee shirt and tugged it into place on her body. The thing swallowed her whole but at least it was clean. “Sit here and let me deal with these tangles.”

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Obediently, she sat while he fetched a brush to deal with the mess of her hair.

Sitting behind her on the bed, he heard her sigh as he carefully untangled the wet

strands. “Almost finished.”

“Too curly.”

“Nah, it’s pretty. Long and thick.” He set the brush aside and pulled her gently

back until she rested against his chest. His arms went around her. “All finished. Do you think you can sleep?”

“I’ll try. I don’t know when I’ve ever felt so tired. At first, when everything

happened, this weird adrenaline rush went through me and there wasn’t time to do

anything but run. Now I’m, I don’t know, just sorta numb.”

Hudson pressed his lips to the top of her damp head. “Understandable. But listen,

honey, you don’t need to think now. Plenty of time for that tomorrow, okay? Just rest here. Your body and mind need it.”

Trea’s head rolled until her cheek rested against his chest. Her breath swept warm

over his chest. He went still. “I’ll be in the guest room, if you need me.”

Immediately she sucked in a breath and tilted her head to look at him. Panic filled

her eyes. “No! I can’t let you give up your bed. It’s not right.”

“To hell with that. There is more room here for you.” Hudson disentangled himself

from her and stood. Scooting her along the mattress, he pulled the covers down farther and then settled the sheet over her. “If you need anything, holler, okay?” he smiled, hoping to put her at ease.

Reluctantly, he turned but then stopped when she grabbed his hand. Looking back

over his shoulder, he saw her eyes were wide and imploring. “Please stay with me,

Hudson. I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, darlin,” he murmured, careful to keep his

voice soft. “If I sleep beside you I’m liable to think of things I shouldn’t. You aren’t ready for what I have in mind. Not yet. You are an unmated female nearing her time of change. This is a dangerous proposition.”

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Panther Moon

In answer she released his hand and scooted to the far side of the bed and

mustering a smile, patted the wide empty spot with the palm of her hand. “There’s lots of room, Hudson. Please. I promise I’m not in any state of mind to jump your bones as gorgeous as those bones might be.” She released a shuddering breath and Hudson

relented despite the fact her praise of his “bones” did spectacular things to the size of his cock.

It seemed he couldn’t tell the female
no
. He frowned but despite his better judgment crawled into the bed beside her. Instantly the fresh, clean scent of her wrapped around him like a seductive balm. When she sighed, he gave up and stretched out, realizing

he’d resigned himself to a night of torment. Pushing those thoughts aside, he reached out and trailed a hand down the length of her arm. “Sleep now, honey. I’m here if you need me.”

* * * * *

A cloud of red fogged her mind, swirling through her sleep, sneaking like a thief. Voices,
wavery and indistinct poured over her but she couldn’t see their faces. Her parents. Their cries.

They called her name and Trea squinted to bring them into view only to see them fade again
behind the tall, muscular body of Hudson Cates. He was naked. Even in a dream, his scent filled
her head, heated her blood, calling to primitive instincts she’d never known she possessed. He
held out his hand but her gaze kept searching for the beloved faces of her parents. Finally they
were there again, behind Hudson, smiling before fading again. Her heart pounded. Tears poured
unchecked down her face at their loss and still Hudson held out his hand to her, his stern face
gone soft with some unnamed emotion. She stepped toward him, reaching for the comfort he
offered when something grabbed her from behind. The force yanked her backward, making her
head swim. In her dream, she called out and saw Hudson’s eyes go wide.

Then warmth covered her, seemed to surround her, so real she could almost touch

it. Trea opened her eyes in the pre-dawn darkness to the feel of tears streaming and

Hudson bending over her to drink them with his tongue. Yanked from her sleepy state,

she sucked in a breath to see his spooky-as-hell eyes staring down at her.

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Regina Carlysle

“Shh. Shh, now. I’m here.” Hudson’s lips rubbed lightly over her damp cheeks and

his dark hair brushed along her throat until his mouth finally found the tender flesh there. His breath, warm and heavy, moved across the column of her neck. “You were

crying in your sleep, sweetheart.”

His warm torso pressed to her belly and chest and she realized vaguely that

sometime during the night her borrowed tee shirt had slipped up to settle just above

her breasts. Somehow none of it mattered. His scent filled her head with a knowledge

as old as their species, as infinite as time. He belonged to her and in some raw elemental way he planned to stake his claim.

Who was she to refuse?

Since she’d been a young girl, she’d known this moment would come for her. Had

hoped and prayed for it. Scent recognition was impossible to ignore. Yes, she’d been

sheltered for most of her life but neither was she a fool.

Closing her eyes, she absorbed the feel of his tenderness. “I’m sorry,” she

whispered raggedly.

“For what?”

“Waking you.”

“Hell, Trea, do you think I could sleep for a second anyway? Lying next to you?

Worrying about you? Wanting you?” He rose up on his elbow and drew his hand

through her hair slowly as if examining each strand. His gaze focused in on her. “You know what you are to me, don’t you?”

Mate.

“Mate. Yours.” Her face burned at the knowledge in his eyes. Soon, maybe even

now, he would know her body better than she did herself. Hudson would be the man to

see her through the flashfire that would rage through her body and for the rest of time Trea would belong solely to him. He had to know how crazy he was making her. Trea

was so close to the beginning of her time, teetering like a drunken acrobat on a high 36

Panther Moon

wire. She dragged the scent of him into her lungs. A shiver stole through her body.

Moisture rained from her pussy to dampen her inner thighs. “You smell like heaven.”

Hudson flashed a wicked smile, a hint of fang shining in the darkness. Her body

reacted as if not her own. Heat whipped through her system, swirling through her core and setting up a wild pulsation in her pussy. A small moan broke free and unable to

stop herself, she squirmed against the bed. One of Hudson’s legs, covered by the soft cotton of his sweat pants, was draped over one of hers. His cock was long, thick and

hard pressed against her leg. His heat, his passion, burned her through the layer of

fabric.

“Uh-uh, heaven would be you, Trea. I need you more than my next breath but I’m

not about to fuck you now. You are grieving. Hurt. I’m not a goddamn monster. But if

you don’t let me comfort you now, I’m going to lose my mind.”

Before she would form words to respond, his lips found her throat, his fangs teased,

nibbling gently at her skin. Chain lightning ripped through her blood as the tears

continued to fall. There was simply no name for this need. This intensity. Power

surrounded her as her arms went around him to discover each ridge and bump of his

wide shoulders. She felt so connected to this stranger. His lips brushed her jaw. His hand kneaded the soft flesh of her belly before dipping to settle in the tender notch between her thigh and groin. Hudson’s thumb stroked with deliberate intent along skin that was suddenly far too hot and she wanted more.

“I’m so alone, Hudson. Keep touching me. Please. Make me forget. Take me away.”

Lifting his head, his eyes burning with dark intent, he teased her bottom lip with

his teeth once, twice before licking along it to soothe. “You’re not alone. I’m here. I’ll always be here. Lean on me. I’ll touch you until you tell me to stop. I swear to the gods it’ll be the hardest thing I ever did but I’ll do it for you.” A low, desperate sound broke from his lips seconds before he kissed her. The tender savagery stole her breath as he sent his tongue deep to stroke the walls of her cheeks, her teeth, her tongue and with no further encouragement she kissed him back. Grief, passion and homecoming swept her.

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Regina Carlysle

Yeah, she was a novice at this stuff but at this moment she didn’t feel like an innocent.

She felt like a woman. A woman who hungered for her man.

Losing herself in the kiss, she hesitated only briefly at the feel of his broad hand

stroking over the length of her bare torso. He rubbed lazy circles over her belly,