STORY EXCERPT

“Close your eyes.” Price’s words carried on the night breeze. “Think about your wolf, Sara. See her in your mind.”

There was a quality about the tone of his voice that Sara hadn’t heard before. It was deeper, more compelling. It wasn’t hypnotic, but Sara almost felt called to obey him. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

When Price spoke again, his voice was softer. The tone was just as strong, though, and it resonated through Sara’s mind. “Do you see her, Sara? Can you feel her?”

“Yes.” Her voice shook.

“Take some deep breaths. I need you to drop your guard. I need you to be able to let her take control.” Price’s persuasive voice remained soft. “Now call to her.”

Sara shivered, but Price’s voice and words were having a profound impact on Sara. Her will seemed to be diminished, as though she were handing it over to Price to control. She took several more deep breaths, becoming calmer with each one. She kept her eyes squeezed shut and focused on the large beast that had haunted her for so many years.

How was she supposed to call it? Did she need to say something? She thought of the pet dogs some of her friends owned and how she greeted them when she visited her friend’s homes. In her mind, she saw herself bending down, reaching out to the pacing shape in her thoughts.

Come here, girl.

She gasped as the beast leapt forward in her mind, a blur of grey and white fur. Sara’s body tingled as though a low-voltage electrical shock traveled through her, not painful, but startling. She shook for no more than a few seconds, and then it was over. All was silent around her, aside from the breeze rustling the leaves on the trees around her.

She cautiously opened one eye, then the other. She still stood in the same place she had been before, but now she was looking directly at the back of Price and Dylan’s butts. She felt short. She looked down. Shock and terror shot through her as she saw two, large, furry paws where her feet should have been.

Sara tried to scream, but the only sound that came out was a high-pitched whine. Startled, she scurried backward, tripping over her two back paws. She tumbled to the ground and trembled, her breaths coming in fast, shallow gasps.

“Sara, it’s okay. Listen to me.” Price rushed to her, with Austin right behind him. Price reached her first and knelt on the ground next to her. He stroked her head and cheek before lifting her muzzle up so that she was looking into her eyes. “Deep breaths, Sara. This is normal. You’re okay.”

She concentrated on Price’s voice and the intense concern in his gaze. She forced herself to take a deep breath, then another. She stared into his eyes, his strength and calm assurance washing over her in waves.

“Good, Sara. You’re doing great.” Price’s gaze raked over her. “Damn, you’re gorgeous, actually.”

That got Sara’s attention. Gorgeous? Really? She turned her head in Austin’s direction and cocked it sideways, a small whine coming from her throat.

Austin chuckled and stoked her neck, a grin sliding across his face. “He’s right. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a prettier wolf.”

In spite of the weirdness of the whole situation, Sara’s ego appreciated the compliments. She imagined she would have blushed, if she wasn’t covered in fur. Feeling bolstered by the men’s comments, she craned her neck around and looked down at her side and legs. Yep, lots and lots of fur. She took more deep breaths, trying to stay calm, then took a couple more for good measure. The men’s fingers laced through her fur as they continued to stroke her. Their touch felt reassuring.

After a few moments, Sara felt calm enough to stand. With shaky legs, she pushed herself up. It felt strange to stand on four legs and even stranger to be so short. She had a sudden urge, almost like an itch, and she shook her whole body from head to tail. It felt good. Really, really good.

Another urge struck her and she looked up at Price, then at Austin, and whined. Realizing she couldn’t speak, she pawed at the ground with one of her front paws, hoping they would get the message.

Price chuckled. “Give us a minute to shift, then we’ll run for as long as you want.”

Both men took their jackets off and then proceeded to take their shirts off. Embarrassment raced through Sara as she realized they needed to strip in order to shift, just as she had. She spun around and ran to the nearest tree, hiding her head behind it so she could see them. Both men chuckled, but she tried to ignore them.

“Sara, as soon as we shift, we won’t be able to talk to you.” Price’s warning sent a bolt of fear through Sara. She hadn’t thought of that. What if something happened? What if she needed help? “When you get ready to shift back, I want you to walk up to me and touch your nose directly to mine. Do you understand?”

Relief flooded through Sara, glad that Price had thought of that ahead of time. She let out one short yip in response.

“Good. Now, Austin and I are mountain lions, so don’t be alarmed when you see two big cats standing here, okay?” Price’s voice sounded amused and Sara could just imagine him grinning.

She heard clothing drop to the ground and her curiosity grew by the second. When she couldn’t stand it any longer she poked her nose out from behind the tree and peeked around it.

Price stood naked in the moonlight while he draped Sara’s clothes over a low-hanging tree limb. His thoughtfulness was almost enough to distract her from the fact that he was naked. Almost.

ADULT EXCERPT

“I need you.” She glanced at Austin and then back to Price. “I need both of you.”

Price wanted just a little bit more from her. “And what do you need us both to do?”

Sara’s gaze dropped to his lips and her breathing quickened. A wave of her unique scent rose around them and Price knew exactly what she needed, he just wanted her to give voice to those needs.

“Fuck me. Please.” The desire and desperation in her voice was all Price needed.

He claimed her mouth again, while he dragged the hem of her tank top up, breaking their kiss only long enough to yank the shirt over her head. Sara wasted no time doing the same to his shirt, before spreading her hands across his bare chest.

Price unhooked her bra and slipped it off of her, letting it fall to the floor. He cupped one of her breasts in his hand and flicked the pink nipple with his thumb. Sara gasped and arched against him, lifting herself to him. He lowered his head and sucked the nipple between his teeth, flicking his tongue across the stiff peek.

Paige pressed herself against him and twisted her fingers into his hair. Price moved his hands to her waist and unfasted her shorts before pushing them over her ass and down her lean legs. Her hands seemed to be everywhere, his shoulders, his back, his chest. He could tell her hunger was reaching desperate levels.

Price knew Austin wouldn’t mind watching for a few minutes, which was a good thing, because there was no time to get Sara ready to take both of them at once. There would be time enough for that once he’d sated her immediate needs. Right now, though, he sensed she was too frenzied to wait. The smell of her sex rolling off of her in waves was enough to tell him that her newly-released hormones were running rampant through her system.

Her hands dropped to his waist, and she fumbled with the clasp and zipper on his jeans. He took over for her and made short work of the job, discarding his boots and jeans in the growing pile of clothing on the floor.

He pulled her to him again, descending on her lips while he walked her backwards to the king-sized bed on the far side of the room. When their progress was stopped by the bed, he lifted Sara onto the edge and spread her legs wide. Her lower lips glistened with her desire, and her scent flooded Price’s nostrils. His lion growled with impatience, and Price grinned, he and his beast intent on the same thing.

Price dropped to his knees and inhaled deeply, appreciating the thick, musky smell that drove his lion wild. He spread Sara’s wet lips and swiped his tongue across the pink flesh. Her taste exploded in his mouth and sent heat pooling in his groin. Sara gasped as his tongue flicked her sensitive clit. She arched her back and pressed against his face, but this was not how Price intended to let her reach orgasm. The first time she came for him would be with his dick buried deep inside her.

An unopened condom package landed on the bed next to Sara, and Price glanced up at Austin, who was standing next to the bed with a handful of the necessary accessory in his hand. In his hurry to satisfy Sara, Price had forgotten that there would be the potential for her to conceive if they didn’t use protection. Their kind might not have to worry about sexually transmitted diseases like normal humans did, but their ability to impregnate a female in her mating phase was all too easy.

Price ripped open the package and quickly rolled the condom onto his stiff cock. He pushed Sara toward the center of the bed and crawled over her, dropping kisses onto her heated flesh as he stalked his way up her body. Her panting grew faster, and she dropped her knees, spreading her legs even wider to accommodate his hips as he settled against her. Price gripped his hard and throbbing dick in one hand and pressed against her opening. His swollen tip slipped inside, her juices easing his entry. She was so wet, so slick, and Price could tell by the way her body sucked him in that he didn’t need to go slowly.

With a hard thrust of his hips, he plunged into her, sinking balls-deep inside her. She cried out and lifted her hips to meet him, but he reversed course and pulled almost all the way out before driving back into her with even more force. She clung to him, her fingers digging into his back and her legs wrapping around his hips. Price thrust again and again, his rhythm unmercifully pounding into her.

He’d thought he probably wouldn’t last long this first time, and he’d been right. In what felt like only a minute to him, her muscles clamped down on his dick and began to spasm around him. Her whole body tensed under him, and her legs locked around his hips. With one last thrust of his hips, Price’s balls drew up close to his body and spasms shook him as his own orgasm exploded through him. Sara’s muscles sucked everything from him, and he ground against her, riding out the wave.

Price stared down into Sara’s eyes as their bodies recovered. Price knew there would be more to come over the next few hours. Much, much more. Her sated expression stirred a smugness in his lion, but smugness was an emotion Price had never encouraged. He sent a silent reprimand to his beast, but his cat’s single word retort rocked Price to his core, sending his mind reeling with surprise and denial.

Mine.