UnleashingtheAnimal (6 page)

Gripping her cheeks, he spread her and she jerked when she
felt his face there, the stubble on it rubbing against sensitive skin.

His tongue snaked out and swirled around her puckered hole
and she lay still, getting used to the new sensation. He pulled back and she
felt one of his fingers there, pushing gently for entrance.

She tried to squirm away but he held her too tightly.

“Just lay still, baby, stay relaxed and let me have this.
Please? I’ll be careful, I promise.” He pleaded and she didn’t want to tell him
no, she wanted to give him as much pleasure as he had just given her.

“Okay,” she conceded after a moment’s hesitation. “What do I
do?”

“You have never done this either?” he asked, but he didn’t
seem surprised about her lack of experience anymore.

“No.”

“You don’t have to do anything, baby, just stay relaxed and
tell me if I hurt you.”

“Okay.” She was getting more nervous by the second so that
was easier said than done.

He wet her again with his tongue and gently worked his
finger in. It was incredibly intense and he rubbed her back and cheeks with his
other hand to keep her relaxed.

She heard him rummage in his clothing again and then
something cold and wet was coated on her and he worked it inside her back hole.

She felt him shifting around behind her and then he was
there, his warm chest pressing into her back. He put his legs on the outside of
hers, forcing hers to press together.

Bracing his weight with one hand, he reached between them
and, grabbing his own cock, he worked it in the right position. She felt the
pressure and he slowly but steadily pushed. Then all at once the large head
slid in and she shrieked and tried to move away.

He pulled back instantly and turned her head so he could
reach her lips with his mouth. Kissing her gently, he held her close.

“Do you want to stop, Blair?” he asked quietly. “It’s okay
if you want to. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Is it supposed to hurt?” She was curious about it now. His
finger there had felt good.

“No, of course not. It just takes some getting used to,” he
answered. He was still laying on her and rubbing any skin of hers that he could
reach.

“Let’s try again, Shane.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

He smiled and kissed her before reaching between them again.
His finger slowly worked its way back in and she released a deep moan.

Very carefully he replaced his fingers with his cock and
gently worked the head back in. It wasn’t as painful this time but it was
intense. The pleasure quickly overrode the pain.

“Relax, baby, it’s okay. The worst part is over,” he
murmured in her ear and pushed her hair away from her face. “Breathe, baby.”

Blair sucked in a breath and released it slowly,
concentrating on doing what he asked. His hands came up to her shoulders and
rubbed in gentle circles as he kissed the back of her neck. Little by little
her body relaxed and gradually the pain went away.

This time when he pushed in a little farther it didn’t hurt
at all and she found she liked the feeling. He pushed in little by little until
she could feel his hips pressing into her ass. He lay down fully on her so she
could feel his body from her shoulders to her waist and their legs tangled
together.

Taking her hands, he spread her arms out and laced their
fingers. She was helpless under him as he began to move.

“Oh god.” He groaned and moved faster, ripping a scream from
her as she climaxed again. Clamping around him, she felt each twitch of his
cock as he came with her. His open mouth on her shoulder muffled his moans and
his teeth sank in as she bucked under him. But the pain from his bite only
added to the pleasure.

Carefully he pulled away and Blair lay limply as he fell to
the bed heavily next to her.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he rolled to face her.

“Mmmhmm,” was all she could manage.

“Is that a yes?” he asked as his fingers trailed up her
arms.

She nodded. It took too much energy to talk.

Lifting her in his arms, he carried her to the bathroom,
setting her on her feet carefully and turning on the faucet in the tub. When it
was full and the water was steaming he helped her in. Quickly he joined her,
sitting in the back so he could pull her back against his chest and wrap his
arms around her.

He was quiet and after a few minutes of the warm water
washing away her sleepiness she realized she had a ton of questions.

“Shane?”

“Yeah?” he answered quietly.

“Why did you leave me on the shore?” It still hurt and she
wanted to understand.

“I’m sorry, Blair. I just didn’t expect you to be a cat.”

“Why does it matter?”

Sighing, he grabbed a cloth and dunked it in the water then
brought it up to squeeze out on her chest. It felt amazing on her chilly skin
and she leaned her head back, moaning when he did it again.

Swiftly she popped her eyes back open and stilled his hand.
He was damn good at distracting her but he wasn’t getting away with it this
time.

“Why does it matter that I’m a cat, Shane?”

“It doesn’t. I just thought you were my mate. I don’t want
to be alone anymore. I want a wife and family and I thought you were the one.”

“Your mate? Like together forever and soul mates?” She
wasn’t surprised to hear he wanted a wife. He was one of those men who inspired
thoughts of forever.

“Yeah, just like that. But now…”

“But now what?” she asked, turning to look at him.

“Now I know you aren’t.”

“I’m not your mate?”

“No, you can’t be.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“Because dogs and cats don’t mix,” he told her bluntly.

“Then why did you have sex with me?”

“Don’t do that Blair, you wanted me just as much.”

That might be true but she didn’t have to like it. “So,
that’s all it was to you? Sex?” His silence gave her the answer.

She couldn’t be his mate? Her mind struggled to catch up.
Then it hit her—he didn’t want her to be. Because of what she was. It might not
be for the same reasons as before, but she was still hearing she wasn’t good
enough. It was the same thing happening all over again and she didn’t want to
hear any more.

Standing up and getting out of the tub, mindless of the
water falling off her body and onto the floor, she turned to face him, fire in
her eyes.

“Get out,” she flung at him as she stomped from the
bathroom, throwing on her robe as she went.

“Blair, wait!” she heard behind her but she didn’t pause.

He met her in the kitchen fully dressed seconds later.

“Blair, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Just leave, Shane.”

He nodded and went to the door but she wanted to hurt him
like he had hurt her.

“You know, Shane.” He paused at the door but didn’t turn to
face her. “I don’t know what made you think that I would have you anyway. After
all, you are a little below my social scale. I don’t need your help. I can take
care of myself. It was fun while it lasted but it was little more to me than
great sex.”

She saw him flinch but he still didn’t turn. Instead he
nodded once and opened the door to disappear in the night.

As soon as the door closed behind Shane, Blair burst into
tears and lowered herself to the floor. It had hurt more than she would have
imagined throwing those words at him. She had figured out too late that she was
in love with him. But he didn’t want her.

When the tears subsided she pulled herself up off the
kitchen floor and went to bed. But sleep didn’t come easily. She was already
missing his arms around her and his warm body next to her.

Her cell phone rang and she let it go to voicemail,
promising that she would call her mother back in the morning. She couldn’t
listen to her ramblings tonight. She was more determined than ever to stay and
prove her words true, that she really could take care of herself and she didn’t
need anyone. All she needed were a few blank canvases and some paint.

She was ashamed of hitting him with the low blow about her
social scale. She had never fit in with her parents’ friends and she couldn’t
believe she had said that.

Slowly her eyes got heavy and just as she was dozing off she
heard the distant howl of a wolf. But this time she was sure a wolf could be
sad.

Shane howled at the unfairness of life, the pain of it
pouring out long and deep. To have her, claim her as his and then have her be
ripped from his grasp.

He knew he had hurt her and she had just been lashing out.
But what if she really meant it? Just the thought of it had a sharp pain spearing
into his chest, right where his heart was.

His travels had put him in more contact with other Shifters
than most and he had spent time enough with them to know that mating with
another breed was dangerous. He had heard terrible stories of people falling in
love and then turning on each other when they were in their animal forms.

But besides that it wasn’t accepted by most to live with
someone outside of their own species. A cat couldn’t live with a dog and a bird
couldn’t live with a cat. It was just the way it was. Why couldn’t she just
have been a wolf?

He didn’t understand. But as he ran through the trees, anger
and desperation driving him on, he realized he really didn’t care what was
accepted or not. He loved her enough for that not to matter.

But then he thought about children and what would happen to
them, or if they could even have them. Would their differences affect any
children they might have from being healthy? He needed some answers because he
was going to make Blair his, damn the consequences. But he needed to at least
know what they would be facing.

Taking off for home, he dressed quickly and, jumping in the
truck, he headed for the city. He knew the answers were out there, a person
just had to know where to look.

Blair awoke with the birds despite her nocturnal activities.
Her newly finished painting of the wolf drew her gaze and she knew what she
needed to do. Throwing on a jacket and grabbing her painting, she took off
across the yard and to the path that led to Shane’s.

She had to apologize. If he didn’t want her then she would
learn to live with it, but he was still a friend and she didn’t want the last
thing she said to him to be what had passed her lips last night.

He had helped her through the most amazing thing to ever
happen to her and she owed him. They were still neighbors because she wasn’t
going back. This was where she belonged.

Reaching the field, she paused, more nervous than she wanted
to admit. She was committed now—he might have already seen her. She continued
walking until she reached his door. Knocking several times, she didn’t receive
a response. Sitting on the step, she waited an hour for him but he didn’t show.

Leaving the painting propped against the door where he was
sure to find it, she went home.

Desperately she waited all day for him to come over. Night
descended and called to her. Even though she was worried about doing it alone,
she let the change take her and ran through the forest until she was too
exhausted to think.

She was slowly learning how her cat body worked and she was
learning how to use her other senses. Shane was always in the back of her mind
and she hoped she might run into him while she ran the forest. But he never
showed himself.

Showering and climbing into bed, she waited for the call of
the wolf but it never came.

Blair waited for him the next day and then the day after
that. Slowly she realized it really was over between them. Making a trip to
town, she made her days busy, doing anything that kept her mind off Shane.

But at night she ran, her cat body slinking through the
trees. She always looked for him but he was never there.

She threw herself into her painting. The two completed
projects were some of her best yet. But both of them had a black wolf in them,
peering at her from between the trees or standing proud at the lake’s edge.

Glancing around her, all she saw was him, staring back at
her out of his green eyes. She missed him but this was too much.

She stood abruptly and started turning the paintings around
until all that was left was the back of the canvas staring at her. Taking the
half-finished canvas off her easel, she set it aside.

Blair got back to work, painting the lake in the moonlight,
the exact view of what she could see from her window. Even though she thought
about her wolf and that one night that had changed her forever, she didn’t
paint him.

That night she stayed in. Wrapping up in a blanket in front
of the fireplace, she decided she couldn’t stay here. But she wasn’t going home
either.

Thanks to Shane and the cat side of her, she was confident
she could go and find the perfect spot to live and paint.

She looked around sadly at her little cabin. She did love it
here but Shane had been here first. This was his home and she didn’t want to
invade his territory.

It would only take a few hours to pack—she could leave
tomorrow afternoon.

The next day she had her last cup of coffee on her little
porch. She had already talked to the realtor and it wasn’t going to be a
problem to put her little cabin back on the market. Her stuff was packed, her
paintings safely stowed away in her jeep.

She still had to stuff her clothes in the backseat but she
couldn’t resist a break to sit on the front steps one last time.

She saw him the second he stepped from the trees. Her heart
stopped and her hands got sweaty.

Her eyes greedily devoured him as he came across the yard
toward her. His dark hair was standing on end and his eyes were weary. He
looked as if he had slept in his clothes and his boots were untied.

He glanced up suddenly and he stopped when their eyes
locked. Then he started toward her again but he didn’t break the eye contact.
Standing and stepping off the stairs, she was pulled to him.

They stopped when they were only a few feet apart.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” she mimicked.

She glanced away then and she heard him sigh. “Look, Blair I
wanted to…” His voice trailed off when he noticed the jeep doors open and the
boxes on the front porch.

“What are you doing?” he demanded.

“I’m leaving.”

“What? Leaving? For good? Running home, Blair?” He took
another step closer.

Her eyes narrowed at him. She had foolishly though he had
come to make amends. “Yes, I’m leaving but no, I’m not going home. Not that
it’s any of your business.”

“Then why are you leaving?”

“You were here first and I’m invading your space.”

“I like you invading my space.” He gave a rueful laugh.

“You didn’t a few days ago. I assumed you wouldn’t want to
share your space with a cat,” she answered.

“I know I acted like an ass. That’s why I came. I wanted to
apologize and thank you for the painting. You didn’t have to do that.”

“You’re welcome,” she answered quietly.

Running a hand down his face, he paced away and then paced
back. “Look, I know I made some mistakes and I hurt you. But I don’t want it to
end like this.”

Blair bit her lip to keep from yelling out that he was the
one who left. But she didn’t want it to end nastily either and she didn’t want
the last words she ever said to him be the horrible things she had said the
other night.

But then he stepped closer. Close enough that she had to
tilt her head back to see his face.

“Blair, I don’t want this to end at all,” he whispered. “I
tried to walk away but I can’t, I’m in love with you and I think we could be
happy together if you were willing to give us a chance.”

“I don’t know, Shane. One minute you say you care about me
and the next you are running in the opposite direction. How can I ever trust
you?”

“Give me a chance to try to gain your trust, please.” His
eyes were pleading and he reached for her hands.

She wanted to fall into his arms and tell him she would love
him forever, but she needed him to know she wouldn’t sit idly by while he
changed his mind every two minutes.

“You hurt me, Shane, and I want you to know I won’t let you
do it again.”

He smiled at her then because he knew he had won. “I have
every faith that you will hold me to it. I love you, Blair.”

His hands came up to cup her face and Blair felt the tears
spill over and run down her cheeks.

“I love you too, Shane,” she choked out.

He smiled as his mouth came down on hers.

“Wait,” she stopped him. “What about the whole cat and dog
thing?”

“I went and did some research, it’s where I was this week. I
found out that it’s not unheard of. Shifters of different species have fallen
in love before and it’s worked out just fine and our kids will be fine too. So,
apparently I was wrong.”

“Our kids?” she said in surprise.

“Yeah, our kids,” he said with a smile as he tried to lower
his mouth again.

“So it wasn’t that you didn’t want me, you ran because you
thought it would be dangerous?”

“Is that what you thought? How could you ever think I didn’t
want you? You are beautiful and sexy and smart and have amazing talent, anyone
would want you.”

While she didn’t believe him, it was still nice to hear. He
wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest, squeezing her
against him.

Pushing out of his arms, she stood with her hand on her hip.
“And you didn’t feel the need to let me know where you were going?”

He looked a little sheepish at that. “Sorry,” he said with a
little grin.

“How did you find all this out?” she questioned.

“You just have to know where to look. But there will be
plenty of time for me to teach you all I know about Shifters.” Bending down, he
wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her to twirl her around. She
giggled and cradled his head as they kissed.

Suddenly Shane pulled back and stared down at her. “Since
you are already half packed why don’t you just move your stuff to my place? I
can’t think of a better way for you to learn to trust me. What do you think?”
he asked. Blair thought about it but didn’t get a chance to answer because
behind them a car door closed and they heard someone clear her voice.

Blair turned to look over her shoulder. “Oh shit,” she
whispered.

“Who is it?” Shane asked, gazing at the woman staring at
them.

Shane set her back on the ground when she pushed against his
arms. “It’s my mother,” she whispered.

“Hello, Mother,” Blair called out as she went over to kiss
her mother’s cheek. “What are you doing here?”

Her mother looked perfect as usual, not a hair out of place
and her designer suit neatly pressed. Blair was suddenly very aware of her
jeans and paint-stained t-shirt.

“Well, I see why you haven’t been answering your phone,” her
mother said as she gave Shane a once-over, shock coating her words.

“I was going to call you,” Blair said as a vain hope to
please her.

“Well, you didn’t and I have been worried sick about you!”
It was the same voice she had used when Blair had been twelve.

Blair quickly decided she was done with this. “I am an adult
and I am sorry if I worried you but I need the space to live my own life.” Her
hands clenched into fists. “So if you can’t give me that space then I can no
longer be a part of yours.”

Her mother blinked back at her, surprised at her outburst. “Is
that really how you feel, Blair?”

“Yes. It is.”

“All you had to do was say so. Contrary to what you may
think, I do love you and just want you to be happy.”

“Really?” It was Blair’s turn to be surprised.

“Yes, of course. That’s all any mother wants.”

Blair hugged her mother without warning and after a
surprised second her mother hugged her back.

Pulling back, Blair motioned Shane over to them.

“Mom, I want you to meet Shane,” Blair said as he came to
stand next to her.

“Mrs. Sanford,” he said he stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet
you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Shane,” she said as she
shook his hand gingerly.

There was an awkward silence until her mother noticed the
boxes on the porch. “Blair, are you moving?”

“I, umm…” Blair stumbled.

Shane put his arm around her, making her feel stronger just
by being close. “Yeah, I am moving in with Shane, Mom. He lives in the next
cabin over.”

If Shane was surprised he didn’t show it but his face broke
out into a grin.

“Blair, do you think that’s wise? You haven’t known him for
very long and you know how your father and I feel about living together out of
wedlock.”

“Mom, really, no one believes in that anymore.”

“Actually, Mrs. Sanford…” Shane cut in, “I can try to take
care of that for you right now.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out a ring.
Blair felt the color drain from her face.