Savage Nature (21 page)

Drake was glad she didn’t bring up her brothers again. He didn’t want to hurt her with his misgivings, but he had enough complications without adding her family to the mix. He simply nodded. He was armed with guns and knives. His leopard was close to he surface and his woman had a rifle and at least one knife. He wasn’t altogether certain she’d shoot one of her friends if she had to, but if they were attacked, she wouldn’t panic.

“Do you think Armande really was the one who clawed my back and bit me?”

“Yes.”

Saria shook her head. “I don’. I know him. I would have recognized his scent.”

That was true. But his own leopard had reacted with a fierce, abiding hatred, as if
he
had recognized the scent. As certain as Saria was that Armande had not been her attacker, Drake was certain that he was. But why? The claiming hadn’t been successful. Armande was not a young teen, he’d certainly been around and he held himself with great confidence. He should have known how to claim a female leopard. What in the hell was wrong with this lair?

Drake rubbed his jaw, wishing he’d told Jake to send his team. He was certain he could protect Saria, even if they came at him in a group, but he’d have to kill some of them, and he wasn’t sure she’d forgive him. Damn it all, they were fucked any way he looked at.

“Drake.” Saria’s voice was soft but compelling.

He looked up at her, meeting those enormous dark eyes. She looked so young and innocent, so out of his league he wanted to groan. She stood, one hand resting lightly on the helm, the wind ruffling her thick white-gold hair, her gaze meeting his without flinching. He was struck by the joy that flooded him, an emotion he’d only experienced in leopard form, running free in the rain forest. Now, looking at her, he knew his world was made up of one woman.

“Aside from the leopard factor, and my choosin’ you, I want you to know that if you’re in any kind of danger, I would stand for you. I took your money and that put you, like any other client, under my protection. That means something to me and anyone who knows me knows I would protect my client with my life against any danger in the swamp—and that includes humans or shifters. That’s just one reason. I did choose you. Whether my leopard accepted you or not, or whether it’s a permanent thing, I wanted you to be the man to see me through my leopard emergin’. That’s for me to decide, not anyone else, man or woman, lair or not. I stand with you. I give you my word.”

God. He couldn’t look at her, not with that lump in his throat and his heart expanding. Damn her. She was so far, so deep inside of him he couldn’t begin to think past her “whether it’s permanent or not.” He wanted to lay her down right there in the boat and ensure she’d never think of going to any other man to fulfill her needs.

He also had a need to comfort her. She was standing there, running them fast through the water, her legs absorbing the hard slap of the water beneath the boat, her body moving easily, with familiarity, her expression determined, but in her eyes there was confusion and fear—even hurt. His leopard leapt to protect her, reaching for her, just as the man wanted to do.

“This could get ugly fast, honey,” he warned.

She nodded. “I know. I just thought it was important that you knew I wouldn’t run—or betray you.”

“You didn’t have to tell me.” He still wasn’t certain she could pull the trigger against a friend or neighbor, but it was on him to protect her from having to make that coice. “But I appreciate it, Saria. Let’s just hope no one gets stupid here.”

“The tip of Fenton’s Marsh is comin’ up on our left,” she said, slowing the boat just a little. “Around the next bend there’s a small dilapidated dock. It’s mostly rotted, but we can tie up there and go in that way. It’s a little dangerous, but we’re at the furthermost point from where the others can get to us by land. I think you can take a look around and we can get out before they arrive, unless they follow by boat.”

“I’m game,” Drake said. “Let’s get it done. Take me to the dump sites. I’ll need to mark this territory fast though first. Stay in the boat and keep that rifle handy.”

She frowned at him. “Mark the territory?”

“If they come at me as a leopard and they’re in my territory, by law they’ll have to come one at a time.”

“It isn’t safe, Drake, and you know it.”

She knew if three had banded together as men hunting him, it was logical to think they would do the same as leopards. Of course, he’d thought of that, but he was going to be in the right, so if things went badly, Jake and his team would have the law on their side. He didn’t argue, he simply got out of the boat. The water was up to his knees. It was an eerie feeling wading through heavy reeds knowing an alligator could be near.

Saria stood in the boat, rifle in hand, gaze on the water. She was very still, all but her eyes, moving restlessly, quartering the area around him. He saluted her when he made it to drier land. The earth felt spongy beneath his feet and his leopard reached for the change in an effort to protect him. He breathed deeply to keep the change at bay. Pain streaked down his leg as he quickened his pace, reminding him of his wounds from the night before.

He made it into the comparative shelter of the first stand of trees not out in the water, knowing he wasn’t completely out of Saria’s sight, but his leopard was impatient to be allowed his freedom. There was a certain urgency the animal was exhibiting and over the years Drake had learned to rely on the instincts of his leopard. He tossed his clothes aside, uncaring that Saria would see him with all the scars and wounds on his body. The change was already on him, his leopard rising as he reached to embrace the transformation.

Power poured through him. Roped muscles stretched and he was running, the leopard raking trees and dragging leaves into piles to mark them as he raced against time to claim as much territory as possible to warn the other males away. It took longer than he wanted, as the leopard reveled in his freedom and untouched wilderness stretching out before him.

He forced his leopard to become aware their mate was unprotected, the one means he knew would deter the animal from continuing. Once he had him circling back, Drake processed the information the leopard had collected on the marsh itself. A beautiful place, it seemed relatively untouched by human or leopard and that struck him as peculiar. If a leopard was killing here, he would mark his territory. There was no scent trace, no markings, and no tree had been touched until Drake had raked it.

What leopard would do that? This lair was confusing. A leopard had a certain nature throughout the world. Instincts were ingrained. It mattered little what region the leopard was from, whether shifter or animal, most of the instincts were the same. Shifters generallyd for life, unlike their animal brethren, but there were very little differences in the nature. Lairs, regions where shifters lived in harmony, had specific rules that were enforced for the good of everyone. They lived by rigid rules to keep the aggressive and dominant males from harming others. Without those rules, no lair would survive. Was this one on the brink of chaos?

He returned to the tree where he’d left his clothes, only to find Saria sitting in it, waiting for him, the rifle across her lap.

“Wait,” she called to him. “Don’ shift yet. Is it safe for me to come down?”

Drake looked up at her, his leopard staring, curling his lip, wrinkling his nose and grimacing with an open mouth, indicating he found Saria’s leopard very attractive and close to her heat. Only Saria would chance sitting in the crotch of a tree bough with a rifle in her lap and casually ask afterward if she was safe. The leopard nodded.

She didn’t hesitate, skimming down the tree recklessly, although he noticed she faced the leopard the entire time and never lost her grip on the rifle. He could have told her his leopard would be on her in a second, far too fast for her to protect herself had she been an enemy, but he couldn’t help admiring the way she attacked life head-on. She was leopard and she chose not to fear it, but to take an opportunity to examine a leopard up close.

The measure of her trust in him humbled him. He hadn’t earned it. Her instincts had to come from a life together neither fully remembered, but their leopards did. Whatever the reason, he wasn’t about to let her down. He took a firm grip on his leopard, who all but knocked her over, rubbing himself all over her skin. He used his large head to rub and mark his scent glands over her.

She sank her fingers into the thick fur, her expression one of pure joy. Drake could tell she didn’t know the male leopard wanted his female leopard’s counterpart to absorb his scent throughout her body to warn any rivals away. He waited patiently, although he was aware of every minute ticking by, allowing Saria a chance to stroke and caress the leopard as much as she wanted.

“Can you shift with me touching your shoulder? I want to see it up close and feel it.” She looked the leopard right in the eye, unafraid of that piercing, intelligent stare.

He was going to be stark naked when he emerged, but if that was what his lady wanted, he could accommodate her. He was a big man, with a deep chest and the heavy, defined muscles of his kind. His thighs were twin columns of muscle, his waist trim and his hips narrow. Even for a shifter, he had an impressive cock, and as he shifted, with the same, quick transition, the sight of her gaze jumping to his groin sent a rush of hot blood filling him. She raised her eyes slowly to his face.

“No doubt about it, honey, my body definitely belongs to you,” he said and snagged his jeans. He drew them up carefully over his rather painful erection, willing himself to relax. She hadn’t run, although for the first time, she looked a little shaken.

“You’re very fast at going from human to leopard.”

“I have to be. I run a team that rescues hostages and protects people in dangerous situations. We have to have certain skills to be able to do that without getting killed.”

Her gaze moved over the injuries on his body, the old scars and newer raw wound made by the leopard fight. She had to have seen the terrible scar running down his leg—unless—her gaze had jumped to his groin again. The instant rush was hot and urgent. She licked her lips and his cock jerked, straining against the material of his jeans.

“What if I can’t take . . . I mean, Drake, you’re bigger than I imagined.”

“You grew up with men.”

“
Brothers
. I didn’ look at them. I’m tellin’ you, they were rarely there and when they were, inevitably I went into the swamp.”

He drew on his shirt and reached for her, catching her shirt and pulling her to him until her body was pressed tight against his. He transferred his hold to the nape of her neck. “You can take me. You were made for me, Saria. And I’ll make certain you’re ready. Keep trusting me, honey. I promised you I’d get you through this.”

Her dark gaze searched his face with a mixture of trepidation, confusion and serious speculation. That was his Saria, refusing to retreat. He kissed her. Hard. Deep. There was heat rushing like a firestorm through his system. She belonged just where she was, against his body, his mouth on hers. He could stay there forever. His hand slipped over her back, down to her bottom, to press her tightly against him. He kissed her until neither could breathe. When he lifted his head, she had that dazed look of desire he’d come to relish in her eyes.

“We’ve got to get this done,” he murmured, against her lips.

“Get what done?”

He laughed softly and kissed her again. “Take me to the dump site, honey. We’re going to have company soon and I’d rather we’re back at the bed-and-breakfast.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Saria blinked up at him.

He kissed her because he had to. He could live on her kisses. He’d kissed other women, but there hadn’t been—fireworks. Soaring. Lust crawling through his body mixing with something he feared was fast becoming love. Could it really happen that fast? Falling into her eyes? Addicted to her taste? Needing her until the clawing ache consumed him? He had seen a few of his friends fall, and he’d thought they’d gone a little over the edge. Had it been like this?

One moment he’d recognized her as his leopard’s choice, but the next, his leopard hadn’t mattered all that much because she was
his
choice. He could barely take his eyes from her. He loved that little stubborn chin. Those enormous dark eyes with all those beautiful golden flecks and sweeping long lashes. Her mouth, so soft, so hot and perfect. Her straight little nose. Her matter-of-fact way of approaching life head-on.

“You have to let go of me if we’re going to find the sites again,” Saria pointed out.

She stayed still, her arms around his neck, her face turned up to his, her body pressed close. Drake could feel her soft breasts against the heavy muscles of his chest. There was something so steady about Saria, like the rain forest he loved. The flow of the river, the wind blowing through the trees. The air he breathed. She was everything wrapped into one woman. He might be losing his mind, his thoughts so damned poetic he wanted to laugh at himself. What was it about her?

“Drake?” Her lashes drifted down over those dark, dark eyes.

“Yes, baby?”

“Kiss me again.”

“If I do, we might not get out of here.”

“Does it matter?” Her lashes fanned her cheek. Her lips parted in invitation, her face turned up to his.

He heard the soft groan escape his throat. This wasn’t her wanton leopard, this was Saria, her body moving restlessly against his, an innocent awakening, a giving of herself to him. There was no way to resist and he didn’t try. He lowered his head and took possession of that soft, amazing mouth. One hand slid beneath her T-shirt, fingers seeking the expanse of warm skin. She had a velvety, rose-petal feel to her skin accompanied by the faint scent of peaches.

He stroked her flat belly with the pads of his fingers, absorbing the feel of her, committing her to memory. Saria’s tongue danced and dueled with his, stroking and caressing, drawing him deeper under her spell. His hand closed over her breast, taking the slight weight of her into his palm. There was always something exquisite about a woman’s form, but Saria, he found, was different to him. The moment his hand claimed her breast, lightning jolted through him, a white-hot electrical surge that went straight to his cock. He felt full, bursting, yet at the same time, his heart seemed to leap right out of his chest. The mixture of such intense lust with such tender love was both shocking and exhilarating, an aphrodisiac he hadn’t expected. He hadn’t expected his heart to be involved so fast, but he’d long ago learned journeys took their own turns, and with this one, he was in one hundred percent.