STORY EXCERPT

Onyx’s hackles rose, and he snuck through the dark corridors in hunt of his new prey. He would not be caught off guard, never again.

At last, he spotted his target. Several men were making their way toward Onyx’s previous destination. Onyx guessed them to be guards of some sort, probably intending to hunt down the prisoners before they escaped, and couldn’t contain a growl.

“Did you hear that?” one of them asked in a murmur so low that Onyx couldn’t have heard it if not for his abilities.

One of the other men nodded. “Back away slowly,” he replied. “We don’t want to make any brusque motions.”

Onyx didn’t know how they had sensed him, but he didn’t wait for them to flee. Like the predator he was, Onyx lunged at his opponents. But as he shot forward, a cry echoed from the guy who’d given the first piece of advice. “Shift!”

To Onyx’s shock, all three men turned into different animals, all of them with the ability to fly. Had Karl recruited people with the syndrome? It didn’t seem entirely unlikely. People betrayed their own kin often for less money than Karl could obviously offer.

Two of the men escaped, but Onyx managed to capture the third one, a raven-shifter. The stranger changed back into his human form, apparently realizing that in his bird shape, he was even more vulnerable to Onyx.

In that moment, it would have been so easy to kill the man. Onyx’s jaws were just inches away from the stranger’s throat. The raven tried to fight him, but Onyx stopped him by placing a paw on his chest. And still, there was something that kept him from killing the man. He hesitated long enough for another shifter to appear.

This time, it was a wolf, and it was ready to attack Onyx, obviously intent on defending the raven. Onyx thought that this new arrival might be one of the recently brought-in prisoners, but he couldn’t be sure. He couldn’t be sure of anything, including his original assessment of the raven.

Of course, Onyx wouldn’t have surrendered his prey so easily, but all of a sudden, he heard voices closing in. Among them was Karl’s, and just like that, Onyx lost interest in the raven.

Abandoning the fallen man, he prowled forward, ready to take on his enemy.

With the corner of his eye, Onyx caught sight of the wolf and the raven reuniting, but his predatory instincts were focused on something else. As soon as Karl and his soldiers came into the corridor, Onyx attacked.

Simply seeing the man who’d been the bane of his existence drove Onyx out of his mind. With no regard to his own well-being, Onyx jumped Karl and buried his fangs in the man’s throat. There were guards all over the place, but Onyx could only focus on the figure of his torturer. Karl Brook had been there for every damned test, ensuring that Onyx suffered as much as possible. Death was too little a punishment for what the man deserved, but it would have to do.

As he feasted on the dying man’s flesh, he was distantly aware of someone shouting a warning, but he paid it no heed. There was dark satisfaction in finally finding his revenge, so much so that he forwent even the risks to his own life.

He only snapped out of his trance when a loud howl sounded behind him. The wolf from before, together with the raven and his two shifter companions, attacked the soldiers. Chaos exploded, and Onyx found himself in the middle of a battle he had not expected.

While under normal circumstances, he could have taken any of the guards down, the people in question had guns and weren’t shy in using them. One particular bullet hit the raven, to the obvious dismay of the wolf.

Thankfully, reinforcements arrived before the situation could grow worse. Several shifters joined them, and with the added strength, Onyx and his companions managed to overpower the normal humans. Even as he mentally thanked them for their help, Onyx did a quick review of the new arrivals.

There were several types of shifters, including a lion and a tiger, who naturally made Onyx’s fur bristle. But one particular presence drew Onyx’s attention. It was a white arctic fox. Onyx had never seen such a beautiful creature in his life, and the haze of hatred and anger began to dim, allowing his rational side to return.

Once the guards were defeated, Onyx managed to shift into his human form. He recalled the raven who had been injured, as well as all the prisoners still trapped, perhaps not knowing what was happening. They needed to organize themselves and rescue all those who’d been tortured by Karl.

Scanning the area, Onyx sought the hurt raven, wondering what had happened to the man. As he did so, however, his gaze fell on the beautiful arctic fox once again, just as the shifter changed into his human form.

For a few moments, Onyx just stood there, enraptured and staring. He couldn’t remember when he’d last felt sexual arousal, but even in these horrifying circumstances, his cock stirred at the sight of the mysterious fox’s nudity.

The man was, for lack of a better word, beautiful. Waves of white hair fell to his shoulders, and his lean, athletic body just begged to be touched. Ice-blue eyes twinkled with a mix of decision and mischief. And those long legs…God, Onyx could already imagine the feel of them wrapped around his waist.

Shaking himself, Onyx focused on the more practical problems. He regained control of his thought processes just in time, as the fox turned toward him. “Hi,” he said with a small, serious smile. “I’m Ivory. Do you think you can help us with figuring out what’s going on?”

ADULT EXCERPT

Onyx released a low growl and grabbed Ivory in his arms, much like he had before. He somehow managed to be both cautious and quick, the feline grace Ivory admired so much permitting him to rush into Ivory’s bedroom without jostling Ivory’s formerly wounded body. Truly, he probably shouldn’t have bothered with such care since at this point the lust inside Ivory had swept away all exhaustion and pain. He was more than a little grateful when Onyx deposited him on the bed. He scooted up, giving Onyx space, and the panther grinned at him, joining him on the mattress.

That smirk was pure predatory sin, and Ivory’s entire body screamed for the other man’s touch. Without bothering to attempt to imitate Onyx’s grace, Ivory reached for the buttons of his shirt and impatiently tore it off.

Impossibly, Onyx’s gaze darkened even further as he took in Ivory’s actions. He waited there, tense as a bowstring, but obviously ready to pounce. In that moment, he looked so much like the animal he carried within that Ivory shuddered. It wasn’t fear that urged him to do so, though. No, he wanted Onyx to let loose, to open up. He wanted to be one with the panther, in every possible way. His own beast yearned to reach out to Onyx’s, and he could do absolutely nothing to control himself.

His shoes and pants were next to go, landing on the floor in a heap. All throughout Ivory’s frantic disrobing, Onyx just watched him, the look in his black eyes so intense it was like a palpable caress. When at last Ivory was naked, he beckoned his soon-to-be lover closer. “Come to me, Onyx. Please.”

The panther didn’t torture him any further by prolonging the wait. Instead, he quickly took off his own clothes, sliding out of them with the same elegance. Now nude as well, he crawled over Ivory, so close now that Ivory could almost feel his touch.

He half expected the man to assault him like he had in the hallway, to devour him like with their first kiss. Onyx didn’t. Instead, his hands traveled over Ivory, mapping every inch of skin as if wanting to take his time and accustom himself to Ivory. Ivory admitted that he himself felt awed. The contrast they made struck him once more as Onyx’s dark palms caressed Ivory’s pale body. It was the most beautiful thing Ivory had ever seen, and only because of Onyx. His panther. His mate.

The realization struck him with such intensity that he gasped. Onyx looked up at him, a hint of unconcealed concern in his eyes. “Ivory, are you all right?”

It meant the world to Ivory that Onyx felt comfortable enough with him to show vulnerability. With others, the panther always put up a brave, cool front, but Ivory was exempt from that. In that simple reality, Ivory found the strength to reveal the truth in his heart.

“You’re my mate,” he told the panther. “Onyx, you’re my mate.”

He had no idea how to explain so that the other man would understand. This was a foreign concept for both of them, even if they had seen it happening with their friends. But to Ivory’s surprise, Onyx just grinned, his smile clear and open perhaps for the first time since Ivory had met him. “It’s a rush, isn’t it?”

“You knew?” Ivory gaped at the other shifter, squirming under Onyx in outraged protest. Here he was, fighting with a world-changing realization, and the panther had known all along. “When? And why in the world didn’t you tell me?”

Onyx chuckled, flicking Ivory’s nipple. “Stand still. You’re not getting away from me that easily.” The panther nibbled on Ivory’s earlobe, and any resistance Ivory might have put up melted like ice in front of the scorching rays of the sun. “And to answer your question, my naughty little fox, I only realized it today.”

There was a pause as both of them remembered just what caused that understanding. But Ivory didn’t allow those nightmarish events to spoil the best thing that had happened to him in a long, long time. He pulled Onyx in for a deep kiss, losing himself in the panther’s taste, forgetting the bitter flavor of fear for the addictive one of passion. Onyx quickly took control of the lip-lock, and once more, Ivory expected to be ravaged. However, the panther did no such thing. He kissed Ivory gently, almost leisurely, not rushing in the slightest. And while he fed on Ivory’s mouth, he never once ceased touching Ivory. Their bodies melded together, perfectly fitting against each other. The heat of Onyx’s cock burned Ivory, and he yearned to feel it pounding deep into his channel, branding him from the inside out.

When Onyx once more broke the kiss, Ivory released a moan of dismay and need. “Please, Onyx. Fuck me.”

Onyx’s lips twisted into a quick smile, but he didn’t reply, at least not through words. Instead, he started to kiss down Ivory’s chest, sucking, nipping, and teasing every inch of skin within his reach. He zeroed in on Ivory’s nipples, and the bits of flesh tightened and peaked, as if seeking the panther’s attention. When Onyx bit down on one of the coppery nubs, shocks of pleasure coursed through Ivory, and he nearly came right then and there.

Only Ivory’s desire to fully couple with Onyx kept him from finding his peak. He wanted to feel Onyx fucking him before he came, and he refused to settle for anything less. He bit the inside of his cheek, the pain distracting him from the pleasure of Onyx’s touch.

It must have been that very same distraction that caused him to miss Onyx’s intention. Indeed, he only realized what Onyx had planned seconds before it happened. Without a single word of warning, the panther swallowed down Ivory’s cock, taking the shaft deep into his throat.