The Lion, the Leopard and the Wolf (8 page)

Even knowing what they knew, both men’s cocks sprang to attention. Being someone’s dinner should have been a sobering thought, but it seemed certain parts of their anatomy had minds of their own. Since they’d established the bond between them last night, their bodies wouldn’t be denied.

Aaron walked over, picked up a blanket from in front of the fire where they’d all slept together, and cautiously covered her. Mac stretched out, moving to her side with a hand beneath her head. Looking much like a cherub, she continued to sleep, practically purring and then let out a deep rumble.

Trent looked at Aaron acknowledging the danger he hadn’t missed. A few distinct, residual feline traits remained, affecting her manner. Instead of filling him with apprehension, the fact seemed to increase his interest. And he wasn’t alone. He glanced at Aaron’s groin and noticed his boner. Each spit out filthy superlatives over their lack of self-control before they turned back to the kitchen area to finish cooking.

“Feed her this, now.” Trent ordered as he pulled off his jeans. “I’ll go hunt up fresh meat. And Aaron, be careful while I’m gone.” He glanced over at Mac and swore her fingernails had grown as she slept. “She’s unstable right now. Be very careful.”

He shrugged out of his shirt and tapped a threatening finger on Aaron’s chest. “Don’t think about touching her without me. We can’t risk it yet.”

“I know. Stop worrying and go hunt up something warm-blooded that will satisfy all of us.” His fangs lengthened slightly in his mouth at the thought of warm red meat, and he watched Trent remove the rest of his clothes before he shifted.

Trent didn’t shimmer with the change like Mac had. He furred up, darkening and growing larger. Bones crunched and muscles exploded before he dropped to all fours. His black glossy coat covered his broad chest and sturdy frame. Facial markings surrounding bright golden eyes lent an air of familiarity to the wolf’s face as he looked back at Aaron.

The wolf’s paler version of his human dark brown eyes was less different than the silver color they turned when he changed into his Werewolf form, the larger more dangerous beast he turned into at the height of the full moon. And as a man, or wolf, or Were, Aaron noted with a grin, Trent’s frowning, grumpy disposition glared back at him from behind those eyes.

Trent and Aaron were equals in all forms but one. When Trent turned Were–larger, more unpredictable and deadlier than any other shape-shifter beast known—there wasn’t any power strong enough to stop him, until Aaron turned Were.

Every full moon, Trent went into the mountains to suffer his fate alone and wait for the moon to wane, then Aaron would join him. Every time until this one.

This time, when the moon reached its zenith, Aaron had to stay to protect Mac from Trent’s monster. She wasn’t ready to face the Werewolf, yet. Hopefully, when the time came, they could subdue it together.

Aaron watched Mac wake up. She shook her head and looked under the blanket. He figured she was checking out her body for hair and a tail. He couldn’t help the smile creeping up on him. He remembered his first change. Trent had survived his alone out in the woods away from everyone, but he’d been there for Aaron when his time had come. Six months older, Trent knew how to help Aaron through his change.

The older female Werecat knew just what to do when Trent threw Aaron into the room with her and locked them in. His body responded, remembering his first sexual encounter in his true form. Man, was he surprised when she drew the mountain lion out in him. Sweat broke out on his upper lip thinking about the things that she-devil had done to him. His skin tingled now thinking about the heightened arousals. He felt his body threatening the change.

Mac still studied her body beneath the blanket.

“Hey, how are you doing over there?” Aaron asked, switching his thoughts to his task.

“I...I’m fine. I had such a strange dream, and I don’t know where it started or when I fell asleep. Didn’t I sleep with you last night, over by the fire?”

“Yes, I think so. I was still pretty groggy, but I’d never forget that sweet, soft body warming me up. After I got up to relieve myself, you had moved off. I figured you needed your own space. By the way, did I thank you for saving my life last night?”

“Don’t be silly, I didn’t save anyone’s life.”

“Sure, you did. Trent told me what happened and how you helped me. If he’s impressed with your heroics, I know I should be. He doesn’t give praise easily.”

Mac blushed and looked around. “Where is Trent anyway?” She had a puzzled look on her face and sat wrapped within the blanket, occasionally glancing at her hands as if she didn’t quite recognize them as her own.

“He went out to scout around. The blizzard dumped a ton of snow last night, and a mountain of it has us stuck out here. He’s checking to see if we should wait it out or try to head back to the lodge.”

“Is that food I smell cooking?” Mac asked. “I’m starving.”

Aaron watched her closely because he thought she’d snarled a little when she spoke.

“Over here.” He shoved a plate of food in front of her. He wasn’t taking any chances. He didn’t relish fighting off an out of control, newly turned Snow leopard. Mate or no mate, in this state she could be dangerous.

“Here eat, please. Help yourself.”

Mac dove into the platter of food and didn’t stop or look up until she devoured it all. She licked her lips and each finger before she stopped and glanced around with a puzzled expression on her face.

“Oh, my. I...I didn’t leave any for you or Trent. I don’t know what’s come over me.”

“Don’t worry, darlin’, we already ate. Trent’s a good hunter. I’m sure he’ll bring back something.”

“I’m suddenly tired again. Would you mind if I took a little nap before Trent gets back?”

“No, you go ahead, rest. From what Trent said, you deserve it. Dragging me here couldn’t have been easy work.”

Mac smiled at him, and his insides jerked awake. The woman’s full potential hadn’t emerged yet, but he was getting to watch. He wondered if he’d survive her transformation. Every minute she grew more alluring.

“Aaron, last night you had me so worried.” She frowned as she walked back to her spot in the sun. “A wolf tried to attack you. At least, that’s what I thought. He tried to get at you by digging under the sleigh, and I thought he’d hurt you. I couldn’t find anything to ward him off, so I threw snow balls at him.” She smirked. “I got him...you know...? Where it counts. And he almost looked insulted before he ran off.”

They both laughed at the picture she’d just described.

“Snowballs, huh? Who would have thought you could fight off a wolf with snowballs?” Aaron laughed again thinking about Trent getting nailed between the legs with all that cold snow. “Poor guy probably sucked his testicles up into his body after that for a while.”

“Trent said wolves weren’t native to this area. That they didn’t usually venture this far south.” She curled up in the sun and laid her head on an arm.

“He’s right, but every once in a while a lone wolf might venture south looking for new stomping grounds.” Aaron wanted to climb under the blanket with her when she looked at him with those slanted cat eyes all rounded, innocent and questioning.

“Mac, you rest, I’ll go clean up.”

Her tail flicked at Aaron’s legs before she wrapped her sleek, soft body around him, purring a low hum, seductive and telling. He didn’t dare breathe. Inhaling would draw her scent in and bring out his cat. Exhaling would expose his fear and bring out hers.

Trent would be pissed if Aaron took her before he returned. But if his cat emerged, there’d be no stopping him. He could feel his change threatening. Something about her slow, seductive dance brought out his inner beast.

Her body rubbed sinuously against his. Her nose dangerously nuzzled his crotch. He knew what she wanted, but he wasn’t willing to play with her wild cat while he remained in human form. He’d be dinner before she climaxed.

The hair on his body started to elongate. Stop, he had to stop himself from changing. She nudged him again.

When he didn’t respond, she jumped up with her big furry paws on his chest. She head butted him, dropped down, and turned tail.

He sniffed the air. The nails on his hands turned into claws right before he felt the change burst from him like it never had before. The cat in Mac looked over her shoulder and flicked her tail at him. He pounced, holding her neck gripped firmly between his massive jaws. He held her smaller body beneath his, and she stilled as he straddled her, but her snarl warned him to be gentle.

The door burst open, letting in the smell of raw meat, blood and death, followed by a growling Trent. He stepped inside, all human male, furious and naked.

* * * *

Trent dropped the venison carcass at his feet. “Get off her,” he boomed. “Not without me, damn it. I warned you.”

He crossed the room without a thought to his own safety and shoved the massive mountain lion away from the dainty Arctic snow leopard. Growls erupted all around. Trent ignored them, knowing the smell of blood would overcome the cats’ sexual needs. For the moment, at least. He was right. Both cats turned toward the fresh meat, snarling, but temporarily appeased.

Trent went to the bowl of warm water by the fire to clean up before putting his clothes back on. He leaned an elbow on the mantel and watched the cats eat. He smiled when Mac took a swipe at Aaron and grinned as his big bad friend slowly backed off.

Until they established the bond between them, they would have to remain here. They were all too unstable in their present condition, since the change could take over anytime, anywhere.

The blizzard hadn’t let up, and the full moon approached, only a night or two off now. Trent felt his muscles twitch in anticipation. The wild blood pumped through him, filled him. So did concern. What would Mac think about him in his other form? She might be able to handle his wolf, but what about the monster? As a Werewolf, the only creatures safe from him were other Were-beasts.

When Mac finished eating, the mountain lion looked almost puzzled as he studied the snow leopard grooming herself with indifference to either male. She looked over at Trent with cat-like curiosity. Those slightly rounded, slanted blue cat-eyes stared unblinking and bewildered at him. She sniffed the air and headed toward him. Stalking. Investigating. Curious.

Shimmering back into her human form, her transition was seamless. She approached him as if in a trance unaware of anything in her surroundings, totally focused on him. Her rare beauty took the breath from him in any form. His cock already engorged with blood, pressed painfully behind the zipper of his jeans. His balls tightened, lifting, filling out the denim beyond capacity.

Her lips parted and her lids lowered in sensual invitation as she stared at his package. Trent’s arm snapped out, snagging her in an embrace. He hauled her up against his aching body and commanded her, “Unzip me, Mac. Take me in your hand, now!”

She did that slow feline rub against him and slipped her hand to the straining material. Her hand brushed over his cock through his pants, and she tilted her head at him when he moaned. She listened with a sly smile and licked her lips.

He could swear she purred as she tugged his lower lip between her teeth. She drove him mad, mindless with passion. Trent growled, nipping her back. “Mine.”

A few drops of their blood mingled on their lips strengthening the bond between them. He sucked her lip, gently drawing a drop of her magical blood onto his tongue. Mmm, her taste tantalized him. He bent over and nipped her neck, then cupped her chin in his hand and ravished her mouth, fucking it with his tongue.

She explored his mouth with hers and his body with her hands. He sighed in relief, thankful to her for releasing his aching cock from the constriction of his clothes. She stroked his turgid arousal in one hand while the other hand slid down the inside of the front of his boxers. She pushed his jeans down over his hips just enough to gain adequate access between his legs. Carefully lifting his heavy sac out of his jeans, Mac cupped his balls, and squeezed gently. His balls tightened and lifted in response to her delicate attention. He inhaled her scent as she rubbed herself against the length of him. And he enjoyed the moment, allowing her the freedom to explore his body and test his responses.

She lifted his shirt over his head and licked the tight buds of his nipples while he inhaled with pleasure. She pulled his pants completely down over his hips. As she dropped to her knees in front of him, he stepped out of his pants and his underwear all in one quick move. Her hot, moist mouth encompassed his shaft, and the groan of pleasure Trent had been holding back with his breath escaped as pleasure zinged through him.

Her fingernails moved up to tease the pelt of hair above his groin and slid slowly down his shaft, over his balls to the sensitive spot behind his scrotum. Sliding a wet finger between his ass cheeks, she found his tight opening. She massaged the opening, ringing the hole with her fingertip, then entering him with one finger when he relaxed against her hand. The unbearably sweet pressure she applied inside caused the fluid in his tube to pearl at his opening.

He grabbed her hands to still them, struggling for control. She fought him, rubbing the leaking pre-cum bead over the tight crown of his growing erection. As she played with the tip, he sizzled, thickening to an unbelievable size. His breath came harder, fighting back his release. If he fucked her feeling like this, he’d have to be careful to prevent his change from taking him over.

Throughout the entire experience, he never relaxed. He couldn’t take his eyes off the mountain lion watching them. The vapid interest with which the cat first observed Mac and Trent turned more intense. The closer Trent came to orgasm, the closer Aaron came to breaking free of his animal spirit. His human form flickered through darkened narrowed eyes, like a translucent portrait superimposed upon the great mountain cat. Trent wished he’d hurry, he didn’t know how much longer he could hold back his orgasm.

Finally, the lion’s form receded until Aaron’s human image pushed through, strengthening, becoming clearer and stronger. Aaron re-materialized. When Trent thought all traces of the lion were gone, he let out the breath he’d been holding with a relieved sigh.