STORY EXCERPT

I was so lost in thought that I didn’t hear someone join me. While the stories about not having sight would lead to the other senses being heightened were bullshit, I relied on my other senses more than others would. For instance, when a person smelled something foul, they’d turn to see what it was. Their sight would confirm the smell.

That wasn’t an option for me, so I learned to discern different scents better than most. Same with sound. I couldn’t see someone approaching, so I’d learned to listen better. It wasn’t that my senses of smell or hearing were stronger than other people’s. I’d just adapted to use them more when most people leaned on their sight to guide them through life.

“Who knew the cheetah who was hiding all the time would be the most important one to me,” a deep voice said from my left. I cursed the heavens that I’d finally found one of my mates and I couldn’t see him.

“Yeah, would have been nice to know my mate was here all along.” I agreed, but then thought it might have been better. I was so lost, and while I’d finally ventured out of my seclusion, meeting my mate earlier wouldn’t have been the right time with everything going on in my head.

“I’m Curtis Booth,” he said, taking a step closer to me.

“As in Harold Booth?” I asked, still not turning towards him. What was the point? I still couldn’t see him if I did. “That sucks to be related to him.”

“Yeah. It’s hard, especially now that his death sentence has been carried out.”

“Why is that?”

“He wasn’t always a bad guy. There was a time when he was a loving older brother, and those memories seem to conflict in my brain and heart with the man he became. It makes finding closure harder for me.” Curtis cleared his throat, sounding as if emotion was swarming him. “I’m sorry for your loss as well, and my brother’s part in all of it.”

“You’re not him, and it’s not for you to apologize for what happened.” Harold had been involved with the Hunters that had killed my parents. They wanted the two litters of cheetahs for their freak show circus, but my parents fought them off so we could escape. “But I thank you for your condolences.”

“If you’re not upset that you’re mated to the brother of a monster, then why won’t you look at me?”

I gestured to the cane leaning against the stone bench I was sitting on.

“My god, you’re blind,” Curtis gasped, and I was instantly lifted into his arms. “I’ll take good care of you, baby.”

“I’m not a child! Put me down this instant,” I shouted, pushing at his massive chest. Just how big was this guy? He set me on my feet as I shook with rage and grief over my mate’s reaction. “I don’t need to be taken care of, Curtis. I’m a fully functioning adult. Sorry fate stuck you with what you think is a defective man.”

“No, baby, that’s not what I mean,” he said, his voice taking a higher pitch. My cat wasn’t having any of it, though. As much as a huge part of me just wanted to jump his bones, I wouldn’t be with someone who saw me as broken. That would never work for equal partners in life.

The change swarmed over me as it did when shifters felt intense distress. It was ingrained in our animals to take over and protect us when any threat or person put us on the defense. I cursed in my head,  over my ruined clothes though. I’d really liked that sweater and jeans.

“Please, cheetah, don’t leave,” Curtis begged as I turned to face him. I could at least see my mate now. Shit! He really was huge! No wonder he picked me up like that. My small five-five frame had to be toy size to his six-eight. And while I had the orange with black laced hair of a cheetah, he had dark blond. His eyes were so light blue they almost looked lavender. Though I’d never seen mine, I knew I had deep green eyes like other cheetahs and most cats.

I snarled loudly when he took a step toward me. Damn! Didn’t this just pile on more grief to my already overwhelming load. Before he could say anything else, I flicked my tail in agitation a few times so he got the idea to leave me alone. And then I raced from the courtyard.

A few people in the hallways on the way back to my room jumped out of the way. I bet it wasn’t every day that they saw a one hundred forty pound cheetah racing through a vampire compound. But right then, I didn’t care if I was breaking the rules or freaking people out.

When I reached my room minutes later, I shifted back so I could turn the doorknob. I was grateful no one was there to see me buck naked. Once inside, I slammed and locked the door before throwing myself on the bed. If this is what I got for leaving my solitude, I’d just stay alone forever. Or for as long as I had before I got sick and died from not claiming my mate now that I’d smelled him.

I still didn’t care that I was signing my death sentence. I refused to be mated to someone who didn’t see me as whole. Consequences be damned. Right then, I didn’t care. I was too busy cursing the heavens for dealing me a bad hand yet again. Wasn’t there some limit as to how much shit one person got?

ADULT EXCERPT

“I’m pretty sure I don’t deserve you, Curtis.” I wanted to smack myself in the forehead for admitting that, but it slipped out before I’d even realized it. “I–I just mean, you’ve thought about this already and think these nice things about me. All I’ve got so far is you’re hot and sweet.”

“Shem, you’re a little distracted with the drive to claim me,” he said gently as he pushed us both up so we were kneeling. Curtis wrapped his arms back around me and turned his head. “I feel the pull to your blood, Shem. I’ve been feeling it for a while before I met you, and while it was hard to stay away, I knew eventually we’d find each other. But it’s nothing like what you’re describing and experiencing.”

“Wait, I thought you didn’t know I was your mate?” I gasped, pushing to get away from him.

“I knew my mate was close, but I didn’t know it was you, angel.” Curtis kept his hold on me until I stopped struggling and held him back. “It’s like a homing beacon. I felt the pull and knew my mate was somewhere near. But with everything else going on, I felt it better to wait until I had my head on straight. And then I stumbled on you and realized that was silly because just being near you fills me with peace.”

“How about this? Does this make you feel calm and peaceful?” I asked as I pulled out and thrust back into him deep. I was all for serious talking and getting to know Curtis, just not right this second. It was my first time having sex, and I wanted to enjoy it and feel everything. Not think so much.

“No, no calm isn’t what I’d say,” he groaned and moved back onto all fours. “Hot. I’d go with completely hot and horny for you, angel.”

“This is good for you, right?” I asked as I grabbed his hips and started thrusting in a slow, smooth motion.

“Does it feel good to you, Shem?”

“Yes, but I want to go faster,” I answered as I was fighting to hold back the animal in me. My cat wanted to fuck Curtis into the bed so he couldn’t walk for a week and remember this forever.

“Then go faster, angel.”

“Don’t do that,” I growled loudly and smacked his ass. “I’m asking what you want, too. I know you want to make this perfect for me, but I want to do the same for you. Don’t just say whatever I want works. We’re both in this.”

“I didn’t mean it that way, Shem,” he said softly as he glanced at me over his shoulder. “I meant, it all will feel good to me, hard, fast, slow, gentle. It doesn’t matter because it’s with you, and that makes me love it. I want whatever you want to give me.”

“Are you always this easy to please and easygoing?” I groaned when I started taking him faster, loving the way his hole sucked me right back in every time as if it knew that’s where I belonged.

“Pretty much,” he gasped, and I guessed I was rubbing over his sweet spot. “Harold might not have always been a bastard, but he was always a control freak. I learned early in life to just go with the flow.”

“I’m the same way,” I grunted as I thrust harder. “Our other mate better be someone who likes to be in charge, or I can just imagine the three of us never making decisions because we all are like that. Even picking a restaurant will be hell.”

“Oh, I like to be in charge.” He growled and pushed back hard against me. If I hadn’t been gripping his hips tightly, he would have thrown me off of him. “I just don’t always have to be in charge and can listen to others. I’m not very demanding, but I can be a good leader.”

“I don’t doubt it,” I said firmly. I wasn’t sure what his statement meant, but I knew this wasn’t the time to discuss it. “Fuck, this is so much better than I ever thought it would be.”

“Yeah it is,” Curtis moaned loudly and met me thrust for thrust. The closer I got to my climax, the harder and faster I pounded into his ass. When I knew it was time, I leaned back over him and started stroking his cock. “Bite me, angel. Claim me as yours.”