Saving the Beast (12 page)

She kissed him softly on his chest. “But you have to find Kenzie. You’d never forgive yourself if something happened to her while we were here. I’d never forgive myself, either. Besides, the sooner you find her and figure out who’s out there, the sooner we can get back. Then I can have my wicked way with you over and over again without worry.”

He groaned and dropped his head, meeting her mouth again with his and taking them both deep with a kiss. She was the one who stopped him, pushing against his chest and inching away.

“I didn’t think to bring you more than one shirt,” she whispered, running her hands over his chest.

“I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “I need you to lock the door when I leave. That means both bolts.”

She nodded. “I will.”

“Don’t open the door for anyone but me.”

“What if Kenzie shows up?” Diane asked.

He shook his head. “Send her to find me. I mean it. Do not open the damn door.”

“I got it,” she muttered.

“Hey,” he said, pulling her into his arms again. Christ, he couldn’t keep his hands off her for five minutes. What made him think he could possibly leave her? “I just want to know you’ll be safe while I’m gone.”

“I know,” she replied. She tugged his head back down to her and their mouths met and meshed again. She was as insatiable as he was.

“I don’t want you to leave me again,” she moaned, clinging to him.

“Diane.” He groaned her name.

“I know,” she said again. “I understand, but that doesn’t mean I like it.” She blinked up at him. “Will it always be like this between us? This intense need.”

He nodded. “It might not be as constant as it is right now. Between my fever and your body going into heat, the urge to mate is controlling us. It won’t always be like that. The need will remain but it will be more tempered, easier for us to control instead of it controlling us.”

“I’m not sure I want to control this,” she murmured with a smile.

“I need to go,” he said after a moment. “The sooner I leave, the quicker I can get back here to you.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“As long as I know you’re safe, I’ll be okay,” he promised.

“I’ll be here waiting,” she said.

There was so much more they had to talk about, things he longed to know about her. Did she have family out there somewhere? Where had she grown up? What did she love to do when she had free time? What was her favorite food? Color? Flower? Did she want a big family? Did she want children at all? Of course that could be a moot point by the time her body left its fertile period behind. She could become pregnant. Part of him longed to see her belly swollen with his child, but a bigger part of him was selfish enough to want to keep her to himself for a while longer.

He headed back toward the front door and picked up the packs, walking over and dropping them in the corner. He patted the bed and watched dust fly up in the air.

“It’s dusty but still seems in pretty good shape.” He lifted it up, checking the underside. “Doesn’t look like anything’s been in here nesting. That’s good. You could put the sleeping bag over it and get a little more rest while I’m gone,” he offered.

“I might do that,” she agreed with a smile.

“I haven’t been too rough on you, have I?” he asked softly.

“No,” she answered. “Not even close.”

“Good,” he said and found his feet tracing a path over to her again. Fuck! He tried to think of Kenzie in an attempt to keep his hands from reaching for Diane again. It didn’t work.

He pulled her against his chest and trailed kisses over her face. She lifted into him, gripping his shoulders and rising onto her tiptoes to meet his lips with hers. Once again, he had her pinned against the door with his hands all over her. He trailed his lips down her neck, tugged her shirt up again and found a tight pink bud with his lips. He sucked greedily on her nipple and heard her moan as she threaded her fingers through his hair.

“Kenzie,” she said and he knew she was doing as he had, trying to remind them both why he needed to go.

He moved his mouth over to the other hard point and offered it similar tribute before straightening again to his feet.

“Get some rest,” he ordered her. “I have plans to keep you busy for hours when I get back.”

She gasped and caught her bottom lip with her teeth. Her gaze was dark with need. He would think of her waiting for him like this. Shirt lifted over her full breasts, both nipples swollen, red and wet from his mouth. His dick jerked behind his zipper, and he wanted nothing more than to release it and take her again. But one more time would never be enough. He would only want her again and again.

He took a deep breath, fighting for control. He stepped away from her and fisted his hands at his sides.

“Lock the door then rest,” he commanded her again, as she slowly pulled down her shirt and eased away from the door. “When I get back, I’m going to fuck you again.”

“Yes,” she squeaked out, making him grin.

“And, Diane,” he said after he stepped on the porch. “We won’t leave that bed for days.”

Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed as desire seemed to ride her hard. He forced himself to turn and leave, trusting her to follow his instructions on locking herself in. He was already counting the minutes until he came back to her.

Chapter Eight

Diane paced the cabin after Zane left. He’d told her to go to sleep, but her body was strung too tightly right now to allow for that. She ached between her thighs, but it wasn’t because of all the sex they’d had. It was with the need to feel Zane there again. God, it made no sense. He’d turned her into a sex addict in less than twenty-four hours.

Now, he was gone again, and though it wasn’t the same as when he’d left before, she couldn’t ease her worry. How long would it take for the fever to rise to the point where his animal fought to seize control again? How long would it take for the fever to leave Zane now that he had his mate? Or would it? Why hadn’t she thought to ask Orsai or Clara these questions before she’d set off after Zane?

She took another glance around the cabin. Maybe she should try to clean it up a bit. There was a water pump over the sink, and she’d seen a broom and dustpan in the corner. He’d said they wouldn’t leave the bed for days. She eyed the mattress warily. His advice was to throw the sleeping bag over it, but she preferred to at least try to get the dust out of it. She gripped the edge and tried to lift. Shit! Zane had made it look as light as a feather the way he’d raised it and glanced underneath. It was heavy—maybe too heavy for her to prop against the wall.

She struggled but finally got the mattress off the frame and flipped on its side against the wall. Grabbing the broom from the corner, she crossed over and hit the mattress with all her might. Dust filled the air, choking her and making her cough and wheeze. Maybe Zane had had the right idea after all. Still, the mattress was already up at this point. She beat the hell out of it with the broom, venting her sexual frustration.

Where was Zane at now? Was he okay? Had he shifted back into his panther? Would he? What if something happened to him? She’d thought she was losing it before when he’d been gone, but that would be like a picnic compared to how she’d feel now that she’d tasted him, mated with him. She dropped the broom and heaved the mattress until it fell back on the bed. With a bit of tugging she had the mattress in place again. It wasn’t clean by any means, but it was definitely better than it had been. Now she could see following Zane’s order to rest.

She walked across to where he’d put the gear and took the sleeping bag, releasing it and laying it out on top of the bed. She curled up inside and let her eyes droop closed. She was sure she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep, but her body had other ideas. Within moments, her racing thoughts settled, and she drifted off with visions of Zane pleasuring her again filling her mind.

She wasn’t sure what woke her, but she bolted awake with her heart in her throat. She sat eerily still, waiting, listening for something she wasn’t sure she’d recognize even if she did hear it. Maybe it was the fact she was straining so hard to listen, or maybe it wouldn’t have mattered, but when the hard knock came at the door, she screamed with real fear.

“Whoa, whoa,” a deep male voice called from the other side of it. “Didn’t mean to scare you. You okay in there?”

The doorknob rattled as he obviously tried it, and Diane bit her nip nervously. What was she supposed to do now? Zane had been adamant that she keep the door locked. He’d known there was someone else out there, and that definitely wasn’t his voice. Who was it? And why the hell had she given herself away with a damn scream?

The wood shook with his next knock. “Are you okay in there?” he demanded again.

Fuck! He knew she was there. What did she do?

“Yes,” she finally managed, easing off the bed and back onto her feet. She looked around for something to use as a weapon just in case he managed to get inside. The cabin was one room, no windows. Surely she would be okay.

“Good. Good,” the man said, and she could almost picture him leaning against the door while he talked to her. “I’m Gabriel, but most people call me Angel.”

She snorted a laugh at that. Who was this guy?

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Really funny,” he grunted. “What’s your name?”

She didn’t answer. She had the broom in her hands again. Not much of a weapon, but the only one she could find. She had no idea where the phone was that she’d brought with her. Hell, she hadn’t even thought of it while she was with Zane. She wondered if Kenzie had called Tah. She prayed so as she didn’t relish the idea of him coming after them or sending someone. She didn’t want anyone’s blood on her hands.

“I’m not a bad guy,” the voice spoke again. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just saw the cabin and thought I heard someone inside.”

Had she been talking in her sleep? Moaning? Good grief with the dreams she’d been having of Zane, anything was possible.

“I get it. You’re not going to open the door for me. Smart. I would have told you the same thing. But I need you to listen to me, Diane, because I don’t have a lot of time here. Shit’s about to get real fucking serious, and I need you with me when it does. No, scratch that. Your mate’s going to need you. I’ll just be the guy keeping you safe until we get to him.”

He knew her name. Shit! Who was this guy? Gabriel? Angel? She didn’t know him, didn’t recognize the name or the voice. How the hell did he know her name?

“Who are you?” she asked, coming over to stand by the door.

“I’m usually referred to as Angel. Sometimes they put a ‘the’ in front of it.” He sighed, and she could hear a bit of frustration in the sound. “I’m not going to hurt you, Diane. I swear. Zane’s walking into some really serious shit—a group of hunters out this way doing some recon. He’s not going to be completely focused, and that could cost him. We need to get to him.”

Zane was confronting hunters? She had to help. Zane had already informed her his focus was centered on her, which would be great if he were still with her. Shit! What should she do?

“You’re in heat,” Angel stated matter-of-factly. “I can smell it. Any shifter could. That would be bad enough. But I caught his scent. I know he has feral cat fever. That will fuck any shifter up. No matter how strong and sane he seems to you, I promise you he is extremely vulnerable right now. For a seasoned hunter? He’s easy prey.”

Oh, God! What did she do? She had to think logically. “How do you know any of this?”

“I’m ‘the Angel’,” he replied. “It’s my job to know everything.” He paused for a moment. “You can trust me, Diane. Tah would want you to.”

Tah? He knew Tah? Why hadn’t he said so from the start? She jerked back the bolts and opened the door. The guy on the porch was huge. Not just in height or build, but his very presence. His hair was a shade of blond that made her think of burnished gold at first, until the sun caught it. Then she could see the streaks of reddish orange and a pale shade that almost looked white. It hung to his shoulders in soft waves. A lion’s mane. That’s what it made her think of. Yet, it was more than that.

He pushed open the door and shut it behind him, shaking his head at her. “That was very foolish. All I had to do to get you to open the door was tell you Tah wanted you to?”

She backed away from him. His eyes glowed a deep shade of aqua as if they couldn’t decide if they were blue or green. It made her think of Caribbean waters.

“You said—”

“A seasoned hunter would say anything to get to you,” he scolded. He reached out and jerked the broom from her nerveless fingers as if it were nothing. “Do you have any idea how important you are? You could have just placed yourself in a situation sure to get not only yourself killed, but everyone in that pride you belong to killed, as well. I expected better from you. I expected logic.”

She flicked her glance nervously around, searching for something else, anything else she might be able to use to protect herself.

“You should never go anywhere without a gun,” he said and reached behind him. He pulled out a deadly looking black handgun. “This is Beretta nine-millimeter. Great handgun. Each magazine holds fifteen rounds.” He met her gaze. “You should learn to protect yourself. Not only do you live with the pride, you’re their doctor and now the full mate of one of their shifters.”

“What do you plan to do?” Diane asked, lifting her chin and feigning bravado she didn’t have.

“Exactly what I said. We’re going to head to your mate. It may not seem like it right now, but I am one of the good guys.” He tucked away his gun. “I’ve been tracking this group of hunters since they left Montana. Your mate’s walking into a full party. I know of your man. Normally, I wouldn’t worry. But right now, he’s off his game.”

“He went looking for someone else,” Diane said.

“There’s someone else out there?” Angel demanded, then inhaled deeply again. “I’m not picking up a fresh scent here other than yours and Zane’s.”

“She didn’t come here with us.”