He closed the distance between them, his hands encircling her forearms. “No. I want you where I know you’re safe.”

“I’d be fine there.” She didn’t mention her stepfather or how she hated the way he looked at her as a sex object. She also worried about him figuring out there was something slightly different about her. For some strange reason she couldn’t fathom, her mother loved the jerk, and she’d hate to cause problems within their relationship. “I’ll get my paycheck and move to a new place. Besides that, I have a job I can’t afford to get fired from, and that’s exactly what will happen if I don’t show up at work tomorrow.”

“You’ll call in sick until this is over and I’m not letting you out of my den until I have a handle on my pack. I’ll also find the males who are not members of my pack and deal with them. You may not understand this but they know about you now. They will have declared a hunt.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means they won’t stop looking for you until they find you or until I make sure they know I’ll take out anyone who harms you.”

Stunned, she gaped at him. “Take out?”

His eyes darkened to near black. “I’ll kill them if they hurt you.”

“You don’t even know me. Why would you say something like that? I mean, you can’t really¯”

“You think like a human.” He pulled her against his body, staring down at her with a concentrated look on his handsome face. “Your human world exists one way and shifter world is a whole other lifestyle. If you’re under my protection and someone harms or kills you, it’s not only my right but my duty to avenge you. Whoever dares violate my claim knows I’ll come after them.” His tongue darted out to wet his lips. “Is it so foreign to understand that I’d do whatever it takes to protect you?”

Shannon lifted her hands slowly, opening them up on his chest. Her gaze lowered to stare at the hot skin under her palms. “Yes.”

She felt the vibration of a soft growl. A flash of lust gripped her. For whatever reason, when he made those sounds, it seemed to excite her body into wanting him desperately. Heat from his body penetrated the shirt she wore and she took a deep breath, pulling in that musky, masculine smell he carried. Her eyes closed and she leaned closer to brush her nose against his sternum. A soft noise came from her and it shocked her anew when she realized it sounded exactly like a purr. Her eyes flew open and she jerked away.

“What is happening to me?” She flashed a frightened look at Anton.

One of his hands released her arm and tangled with her hair, cupping the back of her head. His face descended and his mouth covered hers before she could think. He didn’t kiss as much as brand her with his lips, opening hers. His tongue invaded, tasting.

The only thing that existed was his mouth and the burning need to kiss him back. His other hand released her arm and wrapped around her waist, yanking her tighter against his large frame. Shannon clung to him as he lifted her higher, her feet left the floor, and on instinct she wrapped her legs around Anton. His open jeans fell lower until her inner thighs hugged his bared h*ps above the band of his briefs.

The sensation of his tongue melding with hers, rubbing and exploring made thinking impossible for her until he dragged his mouth away. Both of them were breathing hard and as her eyes opened, she found herself nose to nose with him, staring into passion-filled, black eyes. The shape of them appeared slightly different, narrower, and exotic.

“Don’t fight it,” he ordered, his voice deeper than she’d ever heard it.

He took a few steps and then bent, taking them both down onto his bed, pinning her under him. He used his elbows to brace his weight. Shannon realized the shirt she wore had ridden up to her waist when he pulled his arm out from under her to free it, arched his stomach up, and his hand reached between them.

With her legs still wrapped around his waist her thighs were spread open to his seeking fingers, which zoomed to her sex. She was soaking wet with need as he spread her labia and rubbed her clit. Shannon threw her head back, crying out as pleasure swamped her.

“Just feel me.”

Shannon bucked her h*ps when Anton massaged her faster, strumming her clit. Her nails dug into his shoulders. Moans and purrs tore from her mouth as she struggled to get air. His hair tickled her neck and then his tongue licked her throat a second before he bit her on that spot. The sharp pain only rocketed the devastating ecstasy up another notch. Shannon gasped in one more lungful of air and then screamed out when her world blew apart from the violent cl**ax. Her body bucked but Anton held her down, forcing her to ride through it until he stopped touching her clit.

The sound of tearing material registered to Shannon but she had no idea what caused it. She also didn’t care. Her vaginal walls shook and twitched from how hard she’d come. Each one made her gasp and the pleasure eased just slightly until something hard and thick brushed against the seam of her pu**y.

Her eyes opened and she followed Anton’s gaze down their bodies where he concentrated with a tense expression on his handsome face. The front of his underwear had been destroyed, ripped open, and his heavy, thick c**k nudged her pu**y again, sliding in the slick heat of her release. A snarl came from Anton when he pressed against her again but instead of entering, the bulbous tip of his thick shaft glided higher to rub her cl*t and ended up on her pelvic area.

“Fuck,” he roared and suddenly pushed off her, and tore away from her body completely. He stumbled away from the bed.

Shannon lay there with her legs still spread as Anton turned away from her to flash his rounded, amazing ass. He roared out again, the sound piercing the room from the pure rage behind it. He bent, yanked his jeans and briefs from around his ankles, tossed them aside, and then spun to face her. Fear punched at her, from the raw fury showing on his features.

Chapter Six

“What’s wrong?” Shannon remained frozen where she lay sprawled on top of his bed, gawking at the totally na**d man.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” The muscles in Anton’s arms and even the ones cascading down his stomach stood out as though he’d been heavily exercising. “You’re small and too tight.”

She swallowed hard, her throat going dry. Her hands shook as she flattened them on the mattress, pushed up to a sitting position, and drew her knees closed. She huddled on his bed.

His lips parted, revealed some sharp-looking canines, and it struck her why his face suddenly appeared so frightening. He had started to shift a little into his wolf. It wasn’t just the shape of his eyes that had slightly transformed but his lips looked fuller, his strong chin seemed to jut out a little more than normal, and those teeth weren’t human. Her breath caught.

They watched each other and then Anton stepped closer, then paused. His heated gaze ran over her body, lingered on her legs, and then he stood at the end of the bed.

“Take off that shirt and roll over.”

Fear and uncertainty kept her frozen. Anton softly cursed and then bent. His hands gripped her thighs and he flipped her over without warning. Shannon gasped, found her face pressed into his bedding, and then his hold changed when strong fingers curled around her hips. He jerked her up to her knees until her ass lifted high into the air where he kept her suspended.

“When is the last time you had sex?” His tone turned rough, harsh.

It took Shannon a few seconds to react. Clawing sheets, she pushed up to her hands and knees. She threw her hair out of the way by tossing her head and stared at him over her shoulder. She wiggled but the grip on her didn’t ease, making it clear that he wasn’t about to let her go. He put his knee on the bed, pressed against the back of her thighs, leaving her no choice but to spread them to make room for him.

“Answer me,” he snarled.

“I…” She couldn’t think when he climbed onto the bed, his body caging hers under him when he bent over her, his stomach pressing down against her back. The position forced her to lower her head and chest closer to the mattress.

“We’ll go slowly.” He took a ragged breath. “Spread wider for me.” He removed his leg from between her thighs and placed his knees on the outside of hers in a wide stance that gave her room to do as he demanded. “Now.”

Their size difference frightened her. He had to have over a hundred pounds on her, weight he could use against her if he chose to, and with his abnormal strength she knew it would be a useless attempt to fight if she wanted to.

“Kitten,” he rasped, his voice softening. “I smell fear and there’s no reason for it.”

Her mind started to work. He wasn’t forcing the sex, in fact he didn’t try to enter her at all, waiting for her to move her knees apart. “You didn’t get a condom.”

The second the words were out, Shannon wished she could take them back. She should have mentioned her first concern—her fear that it would hurt since he happened to be the owner of one major hard-on. None of her previous lovers had come even close to being built as thickly as Anton.

“You’re right.” His eyes closed. “I’m not thinking clearly.”

“We touch and that seems difficult to do for both of us.” The fear eased from her body while she craned her neck to get a better view of his face.

He smiled, his tense features relaxed, and then he studied her. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Your eyes have gone totally black. I can’t see even a hint of brown anymore.”

“It happens when I’m shifting.”

“I’m not doing you as a wolf. That’s just wrong on so many levels.” She suddenly smiled, her sense of humor returning. “Besides, you may get an uncontrollable urge to chase me or something since I’m part cat.”

Shock blanked his features for an instant and then he laughed. “I wouldn’t do that. I’m battling with my inner beast. We both want you pretty bad but I can hold my skin. It’s just that when we’re dueling for dominance, I can’t hide what I am. My eyes darken, my teeth slide down, and it feels as if I’ve plugged my body into an electric current that makes every muscle tighten.”

“Your bone structure slightly changes too.”

“Really?” He reached up, explored his face with his fingertips, and then sighed. His hand dropped. “That doesn’t normally happen. This is a mood killer, isn’t it? I’m sorry. Let’s eat before the food grows cold. I never meant to frighten you and I sure don’t want to hurt you.”

Shannon hesitated. “Get a condom.”

“I think it’s best if we calm down a little first. I need to get more control before I accidentally hurt you. As much as I want you, I did swear not to hurt you. I always keep my word even if I suffer blue balls as a result.”

“I’m not afraid anymore.”

“You should be.” His gaze dropped to her ass and a soft growl tore from his throat. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew how bad I wanted to f**k you. I’m going for sainthood at this moment. Trust me on that.” His hand curving her hip flexed, gave her a gentle squeeze, before he pulled it away. “Let me get dressed.”

He kept his back to her while he put on pants. Shannon hesitated and then climbed off the bed. Her hands trembled when she tugged on the discarded shirt. The dampness between her thighs a reminder that he’d gotten her off but he’d been denied that. She watched him fasten a pair of jeans, but he didn’t bother with a shirt or shoes, and then he faced her.

“Let’s eat.”

Her gaze lowered to the front of his pants. The defined bulge displayed there was unmistakable.

“Don’t look at me.” His voice came out gruff. “I really want to get more control before we attempt that again. I would have been too rough with you. I know you’re mostly human but my wolf doesn’t seem to want to grasp that.”