Ruby (2 page)

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Ruby ached all over. Sleeping on the cold ground wasn’t what she was accustomed to doing. Her life of learning and prayer hadn’t prepared her for being on the run. Since her escape, she’d managed to avoid the men searching for her by staying in the dark woodland. New men, more skilled trackers, had joined her kidnappers. The idea of so many males hunting her was terrifying. She suffered, so ill, her whole body burning, as if it were on fire. The primal wilderness wasn’t helping her hold on to her civilized humanity. The tiger wanted freedom. Ruby missed her warm, safe bed back at the house of worship. Her pussy throbbed, and she glanced up at the sky superstitiously. She’d been warned about the urges. She wanted meat, rare—raw, delicious meat. The desire struck her as odd since she’d grown up on a vegetarian diet.

Her mind wandered to the many ceremonies where the male devotees worshipped in the temple. Ruby remembered singing the hymns with passion as she observed the women riding the hard cocks of their silent lovers. Little arrows of excitement darted through her core as she imagined hairless, purified male bodies naked and chained. They lay in a state of helpless arousal during the full moon.

Her fingers brushed her mound through her tattered robes. She moaned. Pleasuring herself before her consecration was a terrible sin against the goddess, so she stopped and ignored the ache for release. If she didn’t get back to her planet, and the house of worship, she’d die. She’d escaped before they could deliver her, but somewhere on this world lurked the man who’d paid for her kidnapping. She’d heard the monsters talking. They knew her time was running out. Luckily, her change had given her the strength to escape, but now that power had left her. This world didn’t have the red burning moon of her home, but the lack of astronomical markers wasn’t stopping her body from the tormenting effects of her first heat.

Panting, she lay in the cool grass, trying to focus on the sensation of the cold dew instead of how much she craved the end of her virginity. If she were home, she’d be lying naked, awaiting the male worshippers who would unleash the cat inside her. Until today, she’d dreaded the experience, but now she needed sex.

A wave of dizziness hit her. Light-headed, Ruby sat up. The early-dawn light burned strangely bright. She lifted her hand to shield her eyes, and the action caused her to notice her nails. Gasping, she pulled her hand closer to her face. Her eyes widened, and her lip trembled. She squeezed her mouth tightly shut to stop the tremble. Terror gripped her. The bitter taste of bile rose up in her throat. The nasty flavor caused her to suck in a deep breath as she fought to maintain her composure. Her nails had grown into sharp claws, and each of her knuckles had a frightening patch of hair jutting out from her skin.

She wanted to kill prey and eat it. A consecrated youth learned the virtue of a sweet and serene attitude. Now she desired violence as her inner agitation escalated. Her stomach rolled. Hunger had always been a usual part of her daily routine. Showing restraint at all times, included meals, was part of her ritualistic worship practices, but she’d never experienced such a gripping demand for sustenance. Agony curled her into a ball. She took deep breaths through her nose and exhaled deeply out of her mouth. When the torment subsided, Ruby stretched. Sitting in the dirt wasn’t going to fill her belly. A strange urge to hunt made her restless.

She didn’t have the slightest idea about how to stalk prey, and yet her tiger wanted to do it. The beast had always been deep inside her, but this was the first time her inner animal was strong enough to control her. She didn’t like it. The sensation of losing control shook her with terrifying ferocity. Every moment she became more feline than human. Nothing made sense this morning. Her mind filled with images of animals running, but instead of thinking of them as creatures, she thought of them as delicious food. Her breath caught. She battled the impulse to run off into the wilderness and hunt. This foreign woodland taunted her with its majesty. Lost and alone, she wasn’t sure where to go. What remained of her rational thought reminded her she needed to find a way back to her sanctuary. The old mother would know what to do. The other tiger priestesses would help her through this transition.

A noise caused her to sit up. At least two light-footed creatures were running. Instinct changed the way her senses brought information to her brain. Everything hit her mind so much more richly and yet in a truly primal way that left her feeling off-kilter. She tried to stand, but the world spun, and she landed hard on her ass. Ruby moaned, closing her eyes. Cramps filled her stomach. This pain clawed her much worse than her monthly cycle, this fire burned through her—killing her. She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath.

“Who are you?” The gruff male voice terrified her. Ruby’s eyes opened quickly. She lay too weak to flee. She must have fallen unconscious for a few moments. Her body wouldn’t respond, as it stayed worthless for moving or fighting. This affliction had taken a great toll. Terror grew exponentially as her blurry vision sharpened, and she realized just how large and imposing the male’s body truly appeared. She could smell him. He wasn’t human.

“I am Ruby, devotee of the cat goddess,” she managed to respond. This man wasn’t one of her attackers. They’d been human. This male was like her. Shifter. His warm amber eyes weren’t cruel. His hair was long, black. He wore it tied back in a ponytail. He was handsome. She didn’t have much experience with men, but this one was so unmistakably perfect she was able to register his masculine beauty even in her condition.

“Shit! Damn it, Lilymann is fucking with us. This is the girl,” said the male who’d questioned her. “Do you smell her? I think we’ve been played.” Weakness lingered, and she couldn’t open her eyes, but he wasn’t talking to her.

“You’re right. The scent is different now, but it’s definitely her. She’s—oh gods, no, that spiciness—she’s a tigress,” replied another man. “That’s what smelled off about her scent. She’s never shifted. That’s why we couldn’t tell. Tigers don’t shift until they go into heat. Damn it!”

She managed to open her heavy eyelids. The second man was almost as beautiful as the first man was. His hair was much lighter, and she marveled at the various shades of blond, light brown, and red that glinted in the sunlight. This stranger had hair any woman would envy, but there was nothing feminine about the sculpted masculinity of his face. He was incredible. He was also…different. She’d seen men who wanted to serve, but these men looked ready to dominate. They frightened her, but she also found them fascinating. He glanced at her, and they made eye contact. His eyes were such a deep green they reminded her of the forest. The image of a wolf leaping over a fallen log filled her brain, and she drew in a deep breath. She sighed before the exhaustion became too much, and her eyes closed again of their own accord. Ruby laid her head down in the dirt as she gave up the struggle. The weakness was intolerable, but she knew no remedy except returning home to the goddess.

“We aren’t looking for a gem. She’s the ruby. Oh gods, how were we so stupid as to believe this hunt would be as simple of a matter as stolen property?”

She had no idea what property he referred to, and she didn’t care. She hadn’t taken anything from anyone. Ruby drew in another deep breath, and her brain registered what was bothering her. These men were shifters—wolves. Why wolves would agree to hunt another shifter was a mystery to her. Her curiosity didn’t last long. Pain raced through her abdomen, tearing a cry from her lips. She hurt so badly she curled into a fetal position. She didn’t care what happened to her anymore, because she was dying. No one could hurt this bad and survive. She agonized over the emptiness of life cut too short and unfinished days. She wished for another day—an hour even—just to enjoy existence. As she lost consciousness, the darkness swept away her pain, and she sighed with relief.

Chapter Two

Isser held the unconscious woman in his arms. When she’d gazed at Isser, her innocent face had been a mask of misery and helplessness. “Shit, shit, shit! What the fuck are we going to do about this? We can’t give this
Ruby
to the bastard. Do you have an idea how much a woman in her condition is worth on the slave market? An evil man would pay a fortune to be her first and have her bond with him.”

Isser entered the shuttle first and carried her toward the back of the craft. The dim blue light in the shuttle shone on her beautiful face. The reality of what they likely planned for her after her kidnapping made him sick. As a shifter, the violation angered him deeply. He turned to glance back at his brother. “If Lilymann knows what he’s doing, he will help whoever owns her keep her in heat. She’d be a willing slave for whatever depravity they ask of her, at least, until the fever kills her.”

He considered Sol as the younger wolf gave the female in his arms an appraising look. Sol’s eyes widened in horror. The truth sank in. She needed a mate. They were all she had.

“No. No way. Uh-uh. There’s no way we should do this,” Sol protested. He kept glancing up into Isser’s face and then back at the girl. His brother’s reaction was almost comical, but nothing about what was happening to this woman was funny. “I—I thought they were extinct. My grandfather told me much about the tigers, but he told me they were all gone. I’ve heard that tigers have a spicy scent before they shift. She’s really a tiger?” Sol’s last question came out in a low whisper. He stared hard at the woman. Isser pulled down the sleeping platform at the back of the ship with one hand as he kept her cradled in his other arm. Her light and undernourished body required no strenuous work to hold.

Her soft moan told him she remained alive. “I saw the tiger in her face. The morph happened just before she passed out. She’s going into heat. I can smell it. The scent is unusual,” Isser replied. “I have heard about the feline cult, but I didn’t believe it honestly existed. About six years ago, I went out after a bounty, and I met a man in a bar. He had scars on his face. They looked like claw marks. He told me he foolishly tried to steal from a secluded convent. The place stood on a high peak filled with wild women who turned into tigers.”

“How old do you think she is?” Sol asked.

“I remember reading about this. A tiger woman goes into heat and shifts on her twenty-fifth birthday. I guess this is how she’s going to be celebrating.”

“Why the hell would Lilymann want to mess with a tiger? They aren’t telepathic like wolves, so they don’t have the same grip on their humanity after they shift. That’s the reason for the great hunt. They are dangerous,” Sol said with a note of awe in his voice.

She wasn’t a wolf. Ruby was a shifter. Isser couldn’t let her die. He glanced at his brother.
“I know we need to get money and get home to our pack, but if we take her to Lilymann, she’ll die. She needs sex. She needs us, both of us.”

Sol nodded.

“You know she’ll bond with one of us. I don’t believe in destiny. If we don’t do this, we won’t be responsible for her. If a true mating takes place, we can’t just leave her. She’d be a mate, not just a quick tumble. Tigers aren’t like wolves. Their mate is the first shifter who satisfies their sexual appetite. If she bonds one of us, our wolf will claim her. If we do this, we have to bring her home. Do you really trust a tiger with the pups?” Isser said the words aloud because they were important.

“We really need the money. As much as I hate to say it, we need the money. I don’t want to send another shifter, even one as dangerous as a tiger, into slavery. This is a mind fuck, Bro. Jewel and the pups need care. I don’t know this woman, but I know I love our pack. But we aren’t monsters.”

“I know. She is dangerous, but I saw her eyes. She didn’t want to hurt me. I don’t think she’ll attack us. It’s not as if we’re going to bring her home in tiger form,” Isser replied. As much as he wanted to collect the money and be done with this whole business of a tiger woman, the vulnerable way she’d peered at him wouldn’t let him sell her to Lilymann and abandon her to a fate worse than death.

“If she becomes dangerous, can you put her down? What if she bonds with you and becomes your mate?” Sol’s tone clearly said he already knew the answer to the question.

“I won’t have to, but yes. I would do what I have to do to protect the pack.” Isser spoke confidently, but deep in his heart he knew he’d never be able kill his own mate.

“Liar!”
Tenderness infused Sol’s telepathic accusation. “I couldn’t. I’d kill anyone who threatened my mate, even if they had good reason,” Sol replied. The girl moaned, and Isser sucked in a deep breath as her big yellow-brown eyes slowly opened. Beautiful. They were like two stones of precious amber. His breath caught and held in his throat. She appeared so innocent and weak. Her soft whimper, almost a meow, filled his ears. He smiled down at her. His heart swelled with tenderness. When he caressed her cheek, she closed her eyes again and turned her face into his palm. She was an angel, only he knew this angel had claws—very sharp claws. It had been so long since he’d enjoyed a woman’s body. This tigress had a sleek, lithe form.

“Wolves and cats don’t mix,” Sol complained. His brother’s voice broke the spell, and Isser closed his eyes.

“You’re right. You should get some rope. We need to hurry. There’s only one place that a secret temple to the cat goddess might still operate safely. We should get her back to her people before the heat hits her,” Isser said as he opened his eyes.

“You’re right, Bro, but damn, the idea of having a sex-crazed woman under me sounds great,” Sol teased.

“She’d eat you alive, pup,” Isser said drily.

Sol gave a snort of laughter as he rummaged around in tall storage compartment near the sleeping platform for rope.

Isser gazed down at the girl. She lay on her back, with an arm stretched haphazardly over her head. Asleep she appeared as innocent and peaceful as any other sleeping female. He’d never have suspected she was dangerous. The changes happening to her as she slept would push her into an evolution beyond simply being a woman and into her base animal form. She would wake as a predator. The woman would be violent and sexually demanding while attacking every man she saw until one was strong enough to overpower her and mount her in the tiger way. As a wolf, he found it both erotic and repulsive. To be in animal form without human communication was too much like death for his comfort.