SKIN (Demon Chaser 4) (13 page)

Zack slipped his hand around her waist
and her demon went berserk.

“Please don’t do this.”

“I don’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice. Right or
wrong. Taking the right path is not always easy.”

Instead of answering, he tugged her away
from her babies and half carried her down the hall in the opposite direction of
the living room.

This time when her nail beds tingled she
could feel her claws descend, just a little bit. They entered what had to be
the master bedroom.

“How can you do this? You slept...made
love to your mate in this room.”

“She’s dead. You’re very much alive,” he
let his eyes roam over her body. “To think I was dreading this. I thought it
would be a task. By the Gods I was wrong.”

Gaby’s nails descended some more and she
slashed him across the face. It felt good to feel her claws dig into his soft
flesh. To feel his skin slice apart under her nails. “Fuck you, asshole.”

He laughed. Loud and forceful. “You’re
just making me harder for you baby. Didn’t you know that skins enjoy hitting,
biting and yes”—he winked—“clawing. You could call it a form of foreplay. Now
let’s see those lovely tits. I never thought I’d be so turned on by the site of
swollen...” He moved quicker than she’d anticipated ripping her shirt open.

“Mmmm,” he licked his lips. Using a
single finger, he swiped down her cleavage cutting her bra at the middle. She
felt her breasts spring free. His pupils dilated.

“Don’t you dare come near me.”

“Or what? You’ll scream? I hate to break
it to you, but the house has been sound proofed. Us skins are a noisy bunch.”
He took a step towards her and she took one back. “Or maybe you’ll claw at me
some more. Hit me? Bite me? I beg you to do all of these things. God I can’t
wait to fuck you.”

“What the hell is wrong with you? Have
you ever heard of rape?”

His face went from taught with desire to
angry. “How many times do I have to tell you that your parents gave you to me?
It wouldn’t be rape. Don’t you dare say that again!”

“How fucked up are you skins anyway?”

“You are one of us.” Spittle flew.

“No, I’m not. Never was and never will
be.”

He took two more steps towards her and
she stepped back until something soft stopped her progress. It could only be
the bed, she was in so much shit she didn’t think she’d ever find her way out.

Zack grinned at her. A cold, hard smile
that twisted her gut. Two quick strides and he was on her, an unexpected fist
caught her off guard. It connected with her jaw.
Crack.

Gaby felt herself land on something
soft. Her head was an explosion of throbbing pain. The ache prevented her from
totally losing consciousness. She could feel she was being touched, moved,
could feel...

No, not that.

Concentrating harder on the throb in her
jaw, she forced herself back from the brink of oblivion. Even though part of
her craved the blessed relief, she knew that if she allowed herself to be
dragged under, she would be raped by this mad man. She managed to open her
eyes, it hurt like a bitch.

Zack was in the process of removing her
jeans and underwear. Gaby took a deep breath and pulled her legs up. Using all
of the energy she could summon, she double barrelled the skin straight in the
face. Something snapped, blood sprayed and the skin flew backwards landing on
his back on the floor. He roared, hissed and scrambled up.

She tugged at her pants which were
bunched at her ankles and only managed to pull them half up her legs when Zach
leapt at her. She somehow was able to block a backhand, using her forehead to
nail the crazed skin on the nose. Another snap. This time his nose bent to the
side and stayed there. The appendage poured with blood.

A high pitched hiss
.

“You’re going to be sorry you did that.”
He came at her.

One times furious, big male. She managed
to avoid the first two blows. The third catching her in the mouth. Her lip
split. She could taste blood. A slap to the side of the head left her feeling
disorientated and in a world of pain. Gaby struggled against him, but couldn’t seem
to come out of her dazed state enough to stop him.

Cool air hit her naked skin as he pulled
her jeans off.
Must fight
. She tried to kick and missed. Something bit
into her left wrist as her arm was wretched above her head. Rope. The thin,
plastic type. It bit into flesh. Damn him to hell.

Gaby shook her head trying to clear the
fog. Using her last remnants of strength, she pulled against him as he tried to
tie her to the bedpost. The action only caused the rope to dig deeper. The pain
helped ground her though. The motion unbalanced Zack. She punched him once,
twice. Her blows were to the side of the head. Ineffective. He turned towards
her grinning. Blood coated his teeth.

“You’re making me hard. Hit me like that
again and I’ll fuck you right now. I had planned on getting into my own skin
of...doing something to make this more pleasurable for you, but if you insist
on hitting me then all bets are off.”

Shit.
Even though he was sick, he was still far stronger and regenerated far quicker
than her at the moment. If he decided to take her now, she could hit, claw and
bite as hard as she wanted but there was nothing she would be able to do to
stop it. Chances were good he would enjoy it even more if she fought. He’d said
so himself. The best thing she could do was buy time and prey that Phoenix
would come for her. If he didn’t make it or...Lord help her...didn’t come at
all, she would kill Zach herself. The skin would need to rest some time. Even
if it took her weeks, heaven help her...months, he would let his guard down and
she would kill him. Her girls would at least have a chance at a decent future
if they were raised by their father and his pack. Killing Zack would destroy
her once they were mated, but she would do it in a heartbeat.

“Good girl.” He’d obviously read the
concession on her face. “On my honor as a skin, I’ll release you as soon as
I’ve recovered from the change. I really want you to know who it is you’re
mating with.”

Honor
.
What a load of crap. He wouldn’t lie to her, but he would rape her without
blinking an eye? It was almost impossible, but she forced herself to stay still
while he tied her hands and legs to the bedposts.

His eyes swept over the length of her
body. He palmed his ridged shaft through his jeans. “I’m almost sorry I agreed
to change first. Seeing you like this...” his eyes did another languid sweep
and her skin crawled. Her teeth sharpened and a hiss lodged in her throat but
she held it back, instinctively knowing that a show of fangs would excite him
more. She was trying to buy time. 

Zack straddled her, placing his hands on
either side of her head.

“You promised...”

“Shhhh. I promised to help you through
this as well. See, I’m not such a bad guy after all.” He put his face just
inches from hers. Gaby was so tempted to bite his nose off. She knew she could,
but refrained. He would regenerate. There was no point wasting the energy. It
would anger him. In her current situation both she and her daughters were
vulnerable.

He nuzzled into her neck sniffing at her
skin. Gaby tried not to gag even though bitter tasting bile rose up in her
throat. He pulled back, looking her in the eyes. Then he smiled exposing
multiple rows of deadly fangs.

She screamed when he bit her even though
his teeth barely broke her skin. Gaby screamed out of pure anger and
frustration. Tears brimmed her eyes and guilt clawed at her. She screamed
because even through the sting, she felt pleasure. Hated herself for it. There
was nothing she could do to stop it.

“My saliva has the ability to make my
intended mate mad with need. It won’t be long and you’ll be begging me to take
you. I’m going to have you in so many ways and will make you come so many times,
you’ll forget your own name. You’ll forget all about lover boy. I’ll brand you
to the point that no other would want you anyway. You. Will. Be. Mine. ”

“No.” Even as she said it, she knew
everything he had just said was true. Already she could feel her skin tighten
on her body exposing every nerve ending. It felt like her breasts swelled. Her
nipples hardened. An ache resonated from deep inside. Her clit throbbed. “I
hate you.”

“Not for long, baby. Not for long. I’ll
be back soon.” He winked, leaned down and blew on her nipple. Her pussy
clenched and moisture pooled. A single hot, tear slid down her cheek. Her
biggest regret was not telling Phoenix how she felt about him.

Frustration ate at him. The clock ticked
steadily, every movement of the hand took Gaby and the babies further away from
him. What did the skins want with her? The lack of scent in the room told him
that Cade was right, the skins must be responsible. Her demon was still weak
making her vulnerable.

Phoenix, together with the Chasers, had
followed Gaby’s scent to the undercover parking area where it just disappeared.
The most plausible answer was that they’d been put in a vehicle. With no scent
trail to follow, frustration had mounted. It was Cade that had spotted the
cameras and suggested that they go to security to view the footage.

There was a possible twenty minute
window in which she could’ve been taken. They were forwarding through the tape,
stopping for any movement. It felt like an eternity before Gaby appeared on the
screen, she was holding one of the babies. A man followed closely behind
holding the second twin. A rush of blood sounded in his ears and he growled.
The man looked just like him. Gaby seemed to be going willingly. Did she think
it was him?

Her back was ridged, her movements
tense. The man that looked like him tried to put his hand on her back and she
moved away from his touch. She was aware and wasn’t happy. Relief flooded him.
The need to find his family hit him hard.

He knew at least what this male wanted from
her and it made him fill with rage.

A feeling of dread wrapped its icy
tentacles around him.

Jack was on his cell phone, Cade relayed
the license plate of the vehicle. A long pause. The tentacles grew colder
wrapping themselves even tighter. He struggled to breathe. His wolf pushed at
his skin trying to break free. The need to run almost overwhelmed him, but
where would he run to? He fisted his hands and clenched his jaw.

Jack called out an address. “It’s about
a forty minute drive.”

Phoenix ran almost flattening one of the
security guards at the door. The skin had better start praying that all three
of his girls were safe or there would be no stopping him. If even a single drop
of blood had been spilled the male would pay.

Phoenix heard Jack shouting for him to
slow down. He ignored the human and made for the parking garage. Phoenix would
take one of the vehicles, there was not a second to waste.

****

The real Zack turned out to be average
height, sandy blond hair with striking blue eyes. Nothing like Phoenix.

“Don’t look so disappointed.”

“Have you seen yourself?” Actually, he
wasn’t bad looking. She was sure there were other species of demon or possibly
a human who might’ve been interested. Pity he was a complete looney.

“Women want me well enough, as will
you.” He pulled his shirt over his head. Zach was nowhere near as well muscled
as Phoenix, he had more of a swimmers build. Again, she was sure there were
woman out there who would like what they saw but she was not one of them.

A bead of sweat trickled down the side
of her face and she licked her lips. She felt hot, burning up from her core. Her
skin hurt with the need to be touched. Her nipples throbbed. Her pussy wept.
Gaby had dug her own nails into her palms, she ground them in deeper. Trying to
stay focussed on the pain instead of the aching need for release. It slowly
built inside her like a spring coiling tighter and tighter.

Zack unbuckled his belt and moved to the
button on his jeans. She swallowed hard and looked away. Gaby heard the swish
as he removed his pants.

“I’m extremely patient, Gaby. I will
only take you when you ask me to fuck you.”

Her clit throbbed harder. Her nipples
tightened even further and she groaned. Gaby squeezed her eyes as hard as she
could. No way in hell. She would rather die.

“You
will
beg me, won’t be much
longer.”

More of her juices trickled onto her
thighs. Someone was making a strange noise; she was appalled to find that it
was coming from her. She was sobbing. Hot tears of anger and frustration. She
hurt. She hurt badly, but she would still rather die than beg this asshole.
Gaby pictured Phoenix. His wicked grin, his sense of humor, his possessive
streak. She loved him so much. Would never betray him.

Never.

“Fuck you, you sick bastard,” she
managed to grind out. “Go to hell!”

“It would be my pleasure to take him
there,” it was Phoenix’s voice.

Her eyes flashed open as Phoenix struck
Zack with an upper cut that had the skin stepping back to regain his balance.
This was followed by another two blows to the head.

Zack dropped to one knee just as Jack
and Cade ran into the room.

“Oh hell...” Jack took one look at her
and turned to face the wall.

Cade kept his eyes on hers, he kept
advancing. The Chaser picked up a discarded sheet and threw it over her body.
She moaned as the fabric touched her over sensitive skin abrading her nipples.
The soft touch sent shivers through her body. The heat inside her rose and with
it the need to be filled.

Gaby heard a thump as Phoenix kneed the
skin as he tried to rise. Zack fell onto his back.

Cade worked on the knots at her wrists.
She bit her lip to stop herself from moaning every time his skin touched hers.
Gaby had to keep her eyes on Phoenix. Couldn’t lose her focus. The need to be
filled was taking her sanity. She bit down harder tasting the metallic tang of
blood.

Phoenix straddled the downed skin, his
knees at Zack’s shoulders.

“Hey, big guy. Let’s cuff the skin. He
needs to go in,” Jack spoke. His back was still to Gaby.

“He’s going to die,” Phoenix growled,
his eyes were glowing.

“Phoenix, we need to take him in.”

Phoenix casually reached down with one
hand and snapped the skin’s neck. There was a sound of fabric shredding as he
partially erupted, sharp deadly claws extended on his hands.

“You should look away,” Cade said as he
undid the last bind.

She couldn’t. Didn’t want to even if she
could.

There was a tearing sound as Phoenix
ripped the skins head off. There was no regenerating from that kind of damage.
Relief flooded her as her need to be taken grew. Gaby tried to pull herself
into a ball, but the touch sent shock waves through her pulling forth a drawn
out moan.

“Get. Out. Take that with you,” Phoenix
gestured at the body in the corner, his deep voice washed over her. Desire
coursed through her veins.

“The babies,” she groaned the words like
she was already in mid orgasm.

Phoenix growled, “Cade and Jack will
stay with them.”

There was a sound of frustration from
Jack followed by a door closing.

The bed dipped and Phoenix pulled her
into his arms. Her skin felt impossibly tight. Her exposed nerve endings sent
shivers of desire all the way through her body.

“What did he do to you?”

She swallowed hard. Her body literally
shook with need. “He bit me.” Having Phoenix so close by. Smelling his strong
male scent.

Phoenix roared in anger.

“Did he touch you?”

She shook her head. There was a sigh of
relief.

“Look at me sweetheart.”

She did and was met by his dark,
concerned eyes.

“Please, Phoenix.” She couldn’t sit
still, she rubbed her thighs together trying to relieve some of the ache. It
became worse. “Please...his bite did something to me.”

He growled again. “You’re aroused.” He
turned away from her and when he looked back his eyes were clouded...he looked
hurt. “Another man aroused you.”

Anger helped her fight the need. She
slapped him. “His bite did this to me. I never wanted him. He wanted to mate
with me, said that his bite would arouse me. It was against my will and
certainly not
for
him.”

His eyes softened, “I’m sorry. I’m a
jealous asshole. I nearly lost you.”

“You’re right you’re an asshole. I would
never...,” she moaned.

He touched her lips, there was another
feather light touch on her wrists and again on her throat where the skin had
bitten her. He growled. The sound menacing. It turned her on in ways he would
never know. “You’re hurt.”

She shook her head, “I’m fine.”

“You have smears of blood on your chin
and your forehead. We need to take you to Doc Devlin...”

“No. Please, Phoenix...” She looked him
in the eye. “I’m fine.” She moaned as her skin tightened some more. Another
trickle onto her thighs. There was not much control left.

His nostrils flared and his eyes darted
down.

“I need you to fuck me, please.” When he
didn’t respond right away. “Now.”

His eyes flew back to hers, they were
glowing. His face taught with need. He nodded once. “I need to make something
very clear.” He pulled his shirt over his head and she gasped at the sight.
Male perfection. “Look at me, Gaby.”

Her eyes snapped to his. “It will be me
making love to you. Not that skin.”

Back to his possessive bullshit. Her
need for him increased. He ripped off his jeans, his cock jutted from his body
and she gasped again having to form a fist with her hands to prevent herself
from touching him. His nostrils flared and his eyes dipped. She followed his
gaze. When had she opened her legs? Almost without thinking, she widened them
further. Somehow it helped ease the ache.

“I said look at me.”

She did. Her big, bristling male kneeled
on the bed quickly covering her with his body.

Sweet contact, as hard muscle meshed
with her softness. She moaned as he slid over her coming to rest on his elbows.
“Say it.” His erection pushed up against her core. She longed to rub herself up
against the hard length of him, but his body held her captive.

“What?”

“Who is making love to you?” his eyes
burned into hers.

“You are.”

His eyes narrowed, “Say my name.”

“Phoenix.”

His body tensed. His eyes were glowing,
they were still narrowed on her.

“Please, Phoenix, please—” 

He shoved into her in one hard thrust
that had her coming instantly. She screamed his name. Phoenix wrapped his arm
around her leg which tilted her pelvis and opened her even wider, all the while
he kept on thrusting.

“Look at me,” he ground out.

Still riding the wave of her first
orgasm and already she could feel the second one building. His jaw was tight,
his mouth a thin white line. He roared her name and hot jets of semen filled
her. He jerked into her deeply. The feeling had her spiralling over the edge a
second time and in less than a minute. This time she hissed, her teeth and
nails erupted and the need to mark him hit her hard as her orgasm ripped
through her.

He collapsed onto her, breathing deeply.
“So fucking hot. So sexy.” He nipped at her ear and again at her neck. She
hissed again and a surge of energy rushed through her as her demon grew
stronger. She gripped Phoenix’s shoulders and rolled putting him on to his
back.

She snarled.

****

Fangs, claws, hissing.

Phoenix felt his cock twitch back to
life. Still the same vanilla cinnamon hair in a wild tangle down her back,
those long stunning legs. Her breasts were much fuller, her aureoles and
nipples darker. Still the same Gaby he loved, only she had gone from being
enticing and sexy to outright, drop dead, gorgeous. She hissed again and he
very nearly lost his load. The tiny strip of hair at the apex of her thighs
taunted him.

“Don’t move,” her voice was deeper, her
eyes shone light green through the hazel. Her demon was growing stronger. She
maneuvered
her long limbs into a better position and sank down onto him throwing her head
back as soon as she hit balls.

It was his turn to moan.

Up...down. Slow and easy. She worked him
with precision. Just watching her arch and moan as she took her pleasure from
him made his balls pull up. He grit his teeth to keep from coming. When it came
to Gaby, he had zero will power. She moved faster. Sliding up and down in a
delicious friction that he hoped would never end.

Sweat beaded on his brow. “Gaby,” he
whispered so enthralled with her face, her eyes, her body, her. To think he had
almost lost his female. In such a short time she had become everything to him.
Now that she was back, there was no way he was letting her out of his sight. He
grabbed her hips anchoring her in place and drove into her.

Tight, wet, perfect.

She bared her fangs and hissed. Dropped
forward and grabbed him by the shoulders, her nails digging in deep. “I said
not to move.”

He ignored her, flipping her onto her
back instead. Gaby lunged at him. Her teeth were aimed at his throat. Phoenix
managed to twist to the side just in time, but her fangs still sank into his
shoulder. Not deep enough to do major damage, but deep enough to sting like a
bastard. He continued to thrust into her tight sheath.