Hunter, page 19
part #1 of Hunted Shifters Legacy Series
He looked her in the eye…maintained the eye contact as he spoke in low, steady tones. Still infused with charm, like he was talking to her over tea.
Except the subject matter wasn’t the over-tea kind.
“Very well. I found out through my source, the one you were supposed to meet in that restaurant—the one I found dead in Manhattan just this morning. He was someone seeking an exit from the shifter clan that has been growing more power-hungry for some time now. I offered to give him a place here.”
Somewhere in the silence, Leila muttered a curse.
“Obviously, that’s too late now,” Edmund stated.
“That’s not the whole story,” Hunter nearly thundered. It wasn’t a question.
“No, it’s not.” A pause, before the man looked Celine in the eye again. “I’m pretty sure the clan who did this to you would have approached me, too, had they known how to find me. What your vampire boy doesn’t know is that his sire has approached me and has been…kind enough to tell me all about their plans. Naturally, I rejected all the offers.”
“But you said you thought all the clans were after me…” Celine trailed off before realization skidded in. That was punctuated when Leila spoke up.
“That was me.” Her eyes had gone hard, and they were trained on Edmund. “You planted those rumors, didn’t you?”
“There was no need,” he replied. “I just let it be.”
“And you didn’t warn me about it when you found out the truth.”
Edmund sighed. “It was for the best.”
“What best, my Lord?” Celine bit out. “To have me think that everyone is after me?”
“Yes, exactly. Because you would have left otherwise. And you would’ve run right into trouble the minute you stepped out, and we wouldn’t have been able to get to you anymore. Count your blessings that we were able to rescue you after your first escape.”
“And now?” she challenged, taking a step forward. Another step, despite Hunter’s growled warning, until she was on the other side of the desk. “What am I now? Are you planning to toss me to the wolves now, so you won’t be involved in all this mess?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” was the clipped, cool response. “You’re my pawn, as you’ve always been. You knew that from the very beginning. The mess will be over soon, and all the clans who know about you will end up destroying each other. We just have to sit it out since reaching out to them has resulted in nothing.”
“And leave children like Jameson helpless and destroyed, too? Because you were too proud to take their clan in?”
Edmund’s dark eyes bored into hers. “His sire is mad, Celine, and their clan is lost. That hunger would’ve infected ours, and I’ve already told you before: I will do anything to protect my clan, and that is my priority. Nothing else. This pocket holds too much power.”
“That’s Miss Peach to you, Lord Edmund.” Her chin went up, and the power she felt radiating from him made her tremble. But she met his gaze, anyway. “And there’s nothing like a good old bout of deception to remind me that I’m not part of that clan, no matter how long I stay here.”
She banged a hand on the desk, a move that was shocking even for her. A hardness had entered Edmund’s eyes, but the warning growl from Hunter stopped the man from doing whatever he was about to do. Still fueled by her anger, nearly blinded by it, Celine knew she was close to doing something, too—like throwing herself over the desk and choking the coolness off this manipulative man.
She fought it, choking on her emotions.
Then she turned and fled, ignoring the way Hunter and Leila both called out her name: one in pleading and the other in warning.
The contrast wasn’t lost on her.
She walked, then nearly broke into a run when she neared her room. Inside was Max, happily attending to Sidney, and the sight did wonders to soothe the anger. But pain replaced that anger, and this pain now squeezed her heart until it was becoming difficult to breathe.
Max had been like Jameson, except fate had brought him in with them. Or coincidence, really. Had Hunter not intervened, or had she not made a deal with Edmund…
It hurt to think about it. It hurt because she already knew he’d be dead from the get-go.
“Max?”
The boy looked up. “Oh, hey. I thought you wouldn’t be back until later.”
“Yes, I was just checking up. Have you eaten?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” A pause. “I’ll be back in a bit. Keep the door locked, would you? Don’t open it for anyone.”
The warning was soft, but it had the boy focusing, anyway. He studied the serious expression on her face, probably the tense lines she wasn’t able to hide.
Quietly, Max nodded his head. “I’ll keep Sidney safe.”
It was all she could ask for. Celine allowed herself a small smile.
Then she locked the door herself and left to think.
Chapter 25
Five seconds. That was all that passed between Celine walking away in a huff and Hunter lunging himself at Edmund—or at least, attempting to, as it wasn’t successful. Leila was quicker than him, stepping forward before he could get to the man and even grabbing his collar. Hunter snarled, a quiet warning for her to let go.
She stubbornly held on.
“Violence won’t solve anything.”
“Like hell it won’t,” he snapped, glaring at her. “You resort to violence when you’re pissed off, too.”
“Well, I’m pissed off now,” Leila snapped back. “But do you see me attacking him? I’m not, because I’m trying to think of reasons not to.”
“There’s nothing sufficient enough.”
“There is. Our clan.”
It was a low blow, and they both knew it. Hunter growled again, his claws growing. Her claws grew in return. Seconds passed as they stared at each other and Edmund stared at them.
The silence was broken by Hunter pushing off her before he stalked away from the infuriating scene. He caught Leila’s last words, which only served to fuel him further.
“Go find her. I’ll deal with things here.”
He didn’t respond, leaving them behind. He stormed away from the office and that area, each step vibrating with the need to hurt and the fact that he wasn’t able to hurt the person who deserved it the most. Ironic, really, how Edmund had always been infuriating in the past, but it hadn’t hit closer to home until now.
Until Celine.
Thinking of Celine sobered him up a bit, and his steps took on a new destination. Leila was right. He had to find her. The first place he went to wouldn’t open the door, and Max’s muffled voice inside told him no one else was allowed to enter but Celine. Understanding, Hunter backed away and continued walking, turning to the second place he had in mind and finding it empty.
No, not at the back fields, either.
Finally, the third attempt produced results: shuffling sounds in the library, ones that quieted down at the opening and closing of the door. He padded in slowly, deliberately making a sound himself, before he walked deeper inside. Deeper, until he found a figure at the far end, her back against one of the shelves and facing the other, where she aimlessly stared at the rows of books in front of her.
She was still quiet when he reached her, but she turned her head to look at him. There was still anger there, vibrating through her core, and the question she asked was filled with it.
“Is he dead yet?”
“Celine…”
“Because I’m so angry at him, but I wouldn’t know the first technique for killing him.”
“He’ll kill you first,” was his response, and the thought alone pained him. “He doesn’t look like it, but he’s pretty strong.”
“He’s a bastard.”
“That he is,” he agreed. He watched as Celine began to pace—back and forth, repeatedly, a restlessness that was bursting forth.
“He must’ve done this so many times, with the way he’s handling it. It’s the most selfish thing in the world…but it’s effective because he made me feel so small.”
“Celine.” This time, his voice was harsher than intended. “Don’t let him get to you.”
“He already did, because he was right,” she snapped. “I did agree to be the pawn. I just didn’t realize that involved being kept from the truth until he got confronted. God. How stupid could I have been?”
The anger immediately died from her expression, and she reached out to punch a book. She hurt herself instead, wincing and rubbing her fist. Without a word, Hunter strode over and took her hand, soothing the fist with circular gestures and wishing he could offer her more.
“Don’t hurt yourself over it,” he said. “If you’re stupid, then so am I.”
“You’re not stupid,” she muttered.
“Well, then, there you go. Neither of us are.” He hoped for a smile with that statement, but none came. Hunter transferred his hand to her cheek, his thumb rubbing the same soothing circles. She leaned into the touch, then leaned her head against his chest.
“I’m sorry for acting up. It’s not your fault.”
“Shhh. Keep acting up. Let it all out. Burn this library down, if you have to.”
That got a smile out of her, one that was faint.
“It’ll be a waste of precious books,” she gave in, then sobered up instantly. “I keep thinking about Jameson. About other kids like him in his clan, left with no choice but to fight for their mad leader.”
“Their clan isn’t the only mad one,” Hunter countered. “And unfortunately, these things happen all too often. I’m just glad we got Max and Jameson out of there.”
“Me, too.” Celine sighed. “That still doesn’t explain why I’m the one they’re looking for in particular.”
“We’ll find answers,” he promised. “We’ll know why—and when we do, we’ll find a way to prevent it.”
“If it’s not in line with your clan’s safety—”
“It is in line with my clan’s safety because I’m part of the clan…” He kissed her cheek, kissed her jaw. Kissed her ear, which twitched at the touch. “And you’re a part of me. You and Max and Sidney. That’s not gonna change anytime soon.”
A hitch in her pulse, a tightening of her fists on his shirt. Then she was tiptoeing to meet the next kiss, and hell if it wasn’t the most glorious kiss in the world. The way her body softened for him did him in, and so did the way her tongue moved to let him know she wanted this kiss as much as he did.
What started as a kiss of comfort turned into something else, and they were both trembling by the time they broke apart. Belatedly, he realized his hands were on her waist, and she was pressed against the shelf she’d been leaning on earlier. Their lips were inches apart, the scent of her arousal seeping in his senses.
Her hands fisted on his shirt again, a curling that had an almost helpless feeling.
“Hunter…” she whispered. “When you say things like that, you make me feel…”
“Wanted?”
“More than wanted. You make me feel like I’m the only woman you see. You make me feel things I’ve never felt before.”
“Good.” He kissed her jaw again, then licked it. “Because you are the only woman I see.” He cupped that jaw, tilting her head up. Meeting her gaze. “You’re the only woman I want, Celine…the only woman I’ll love.”
In terms of admission, it wasn’t as grand as he wanted it to be—but it darkened her eyes all the same, until bright green had turned molten with desire. He growled, the look turning him rock hard, and he pressed that erection against her. She leaned forward and pressed her lower body against his, tugging his head down for another kiss.
In response, he kissed her hard and fast and desperately, her acceptance of his admission stunning him and making him feel even more.
Hands and mouth moved in a blur, but he could still see every detail as if they were in slow motion. Desire heightened, shifted, until it was no longer desire but a desperate hunger that only wanted one thing. Her hand drifted down to cup his hardness, then slipped inside his pants to wrap around him. He growled in her ear as she stroked him, made him harder, her mouth sucking on his tongue in soft, teasing contrast. He hissed.
Hunter turned her around, placing her hands on the bookshelves for balance as he lifted the hem of her skirt and was greeted by the sight of her white panties.
“Hunter…the door…”
There was no missing the need in her voice, and he assured her by placing a kiss on her shoulder from behind.
“It’s locked. Let me be inside you.”
“Yes,” she nearly begged, spreading her legs wider when his hands cajoled. Gasping when he slid her panties down. He took a moment to kneel and look at the bare sight of her, the pinkness turning him into a horny mess. Then looking was no longer enough, and his fingers were up there to touch.
“You’re wet,” he hissed, stunned when his finger easily entered her. Then he was there, easing his head in, then his tongue. He lapped her up, rejoiced in her shaky moan before she called out his name. His cock very nearly rocketed in his pants at the sound, and he knew he wouldn’t be contented with this, either.
In the future, yes—when she was in his bed, all naked and spread out, and he could lap her up for hours on end. But now he wanted something more, and so did she, and hell if he wasn’t going to fulfill both their needs.
He surged up, convinced her to spread her legs wider…convinced her to lift her arms and place them on the top shelf, so she could brace herself. Then he was removing his shirt, lowering his pants…taking his cock in his hand, very nearly delirious at how that physical contact felt.
But it was nothing compared to feeling his tip gliding inside her wet heat, a slow torture that nearly drove him crazy.
It was nothing compared to the feel of her clenching around him as if willing him to get in deeper.
He did. He slid all the way in, the newness of the position not lost on him. He leaned, pressing his front to her back, placing his mouth near her ear. Tension filled her skin, but it was a different kind, one that he knew all too well.
Slowly, he tested it out—a drawing away before he pushed back in, pushing her slowly against the shelf in turn. She gasped. He did it again, and she moaned, her hands tightening against the shelf and her head arching against his.
When he did it a third time, she pushed back in return, and the tip of his cock hit the wall of her womb before tightening around him.
It was too much, and it wasn’t enough. Hunter kept moving, hips driving forward and meeting hers as he fucked her from behind and felt every needy response. Not content with just that anymore, he unbuttoned her blouse and slithered his hands in, cupping her breasts before he kneaded them. Her nipples puckered when he stroked them, and there was nothing more he wanted to do than to take them in his mouth.
Instead, he covered the side of her hip with his palm, cupped the weight of her breast with the other. He used the leverage to drive deeper, drive harder until Celine was a writhing mess before him asking for more, more, more…
With a growl, he turned her around, chuckling shakily when she whimpered in protest at the loss. Then he was hefting her up and pressing her back against the shelf, wrapping her legs around his waist and plunging inside her again. The quickness of it made her eyes widen, but she could only let out a keening cry of appreciation as he started moving again.
He teased her at first, taking it slow and taking the edge off of what would’ve been her orgasm earlier. She gasped, whimpered, pushed back…pleaded, hands clawing at his body and making him tense. Biting back an oath, he kissed her hard, tongue-fucking her until she melted against him. When he resurfaced for air, he gave her a pleading look in return as they moved against each other.
“Don’t ask me for fast,” he pleaded, kissing her throat. Sucking on it. He lifted her up, took his mouth to her breast. Licked her nipple before he sucked on it, earning him a soft cry of pleasure. “My beast wants to mate, and if I take it too fast…”
Her response was said in a throaty whisper and it had him stilling.
“Then mate with me. Please, Hunter. I need this. I need you.”
He didn’t just hear her need. He felt it deep in his body and soul, and it wrecked him.
It shattered whatever control he had, too, as his hips snapped forward and plunged—over and over, cock driving in and out until they were both lost in the momentum. Books fell behind her. Legs tightened around his waist, her hips moving in time with every thrust. Tongues tangled and made heat spread everywhere, and hearts beat fast in a rhythmic staccato of want, need, want…
Need won out, and his claws grew. It stayed poised on her arm when he pistoned deeper, then pressed against the bookshelf behind her when her muscles clenched around him. When Celine came—hard, so hard—she sucked on his ear, as if holding on for an anchor.
It was the straw that broke him, and his claw dug on her hip and made its mark. She cried out in pain, then in pleasure, shuddering against him as he marked her fast and extended her climax. When she was almost close to done, he drove his cock in again, burying deep.
And he snapped, too, an earth-shattering climax that he would never, ever forget.
* * *
Either the discovery of a mate was an addictive prospect, or Celine herself was really just addictive—whichever it was, they didn’t stop at one bout of sex, too hungered by the mating and each other to do so. He fucked her again from behind, had the pleasure of hearing her scream. She rode him on the floor, made him lose control as she took charge and took it madly slow.
He made love to her on the table, spreading her out and feasting on her before they were lost in each other again.
When they were too tired from all the orgasms they'd endured, both collapsed on the floor and still turned to each other. He kissed her cheek. For a minute, silence was contentment, as she rested her head on his chest and sighed. It was deep and satisfied, but also sad.
“Hunter?”
“Yes?”
“I’m still Edmund’s pawn right now.”
