Changing Times (12 page)

Slade slowly drew the leather belt across her buttocks then
slapped her hard with it. Maggie gasped then wiggled her ass at him. Slade hit
her again with the belt and she lifted her ass slightly. He hit her again and
again until her ass was bright red. She moaned as he moved between her legs and
impaled her. This, this was what he wanted. Slade had become very adept over
the years at discovering what turned his lovers on the most and giving it to
them. Though he didn’t really enjoy spanking or tying his lovers up he was
willing to do whatever was necessary to make them happy. It was definitely a
win-win situation.

Slade pulled Maggie away from the desk slightly as he leaned
over her to bite at her neck, making sure he didn’t bite hard enough to leave a
mating mark. Domination and control, those were the hallmarks of sex with
Maggie. She was near her peak. He could tell by the way she tightened on him.
Slade slammed into her harder and faster. Maggie growled then shoved away from
the desk, forcing him to pull out of her body. Slade was surprised since she’d
never done that before.

Pulling him to the floor with her, Maggie straddled Slade as
she took him deep into her body. His hands were on her hips then moved up to
her breasts as she rode him. Slade wasn’t sure he liked her being in such a
dominant position, but he did enjoy watching her breasts bounce and the feel of
her warmth surrounding him. Reaching up to dig his fingers into one breast, he
cruelly tweaked the other’s tight high nipple.

Maggie’s nails left bloody furrows on his chest as she
climaxed again. Slade rolled with her then put his arms behind her knees,
spreading her wide to his thrusts, taking her hard and fast. His climax felt as
though it started at his toes and he howled as he finally let go. Slade
collapsed on top of Maggie and tried to remember how to breathe.

He grabbed the condom as he rolled off her and lay flat on
his back. Maggie curled onto her side then traced one of the bloody furrows in
his chest with her forefinger. Sex and blood scented the air between them,
overriding Maggie’s normally sharp lemon scent. She brought her finger up to
her mouth as she met his eyes.

Slade chuckled as Maggie moved closer to him. She licked the
blood off his chest until he pushed her away. Slade got slowly to his feet and
disposed of the condom then reached for his jeans. He threw his shirt to Maggie
since he’d ruined her clothes. She picked it up and put it on but didn’t button
it.

“Do you want something to eat, lover?”

“No. Go away for a while, Maggie. I need to think.” Slade
dropped into the chair behind the desk and started to pick up the things he’d
knocked off earlier. He didn’t even look up as Maggie left the room though he
would have been surprised at the look on her face if he had.

An hour later Slade looked up as Cutter and Maggie dragged
Shelly into the room. He could smell her fear from where he sat. Slade smiled
slowly and moved around the desk to face her.

“Hey, Shelly. How’s it going?” Somehow the soft scent of
roses reached him even through Maggie’s sharp tang and Cutter’s more earthy
scent.

“What do you want with me, Slade?” Shelly wouldn’t look
directly at him, submissively keeping her eyes down. Slade knew the marks from
Maggie’s nails were still showing on his chest though they had quit bleeding
long ago.

“Oh nothing, baby, you’re just the bait. See, I’ve always
wanted to go fishing and now’s my chance. I think Micah will come here if he
knows you need him and you will need a ride home, won’t you, baby?”

“No, look, Slade, I’ve tried to stay out of this. I don’t
want to be involved.”

“Oh, but you are involved, baby. You’re involved up to your
pretty red head.” Slade moved closer, growling at her refusal to do what he
wanted and sniffed at her neck. Maggie growled when she thought he got too
close, tightening her grip on Shelly, causing her to wince. Slade reached out
and touched Shelly’s neck with one hand even as he stroked Maggie’s face with
the other hand.

“You haven’t been with him or anyone else in a long time,
have you, baby? Have you been lonely, Shelly? I’m sure Cutter would make you
happy, wouldn’t you, Cutter?” Slade cut his eyes at his second-in-command.

“Sure, Slade, you give the word and Shelly and I will have a
party. Maybe with the whole pack watching?” Cutter moved closer to Shelly.
Shelly closed her eyes but kept her composure.

“What do you want from me?” Defeat laced her words, drowning
out the earlier defiance.

“Simple, baby. When the time is right we’re going to ask
Micah to come get you. He’ll do it, won’t he? He’ll come if you ask him. Is he
in love with you, baby? Did he fuck you while he was here?”

“No!” Shelly’s voice sounded loud in the quiet room and both
Cutter and Maggie growled softly at her. “Micah was, I mean, he is my friend,
that’s all.”

“Well, we’ll see, won’t we?” Slade moved away from her
slightly. “Take her upstairs and lock her in. We’ll need her later when we’re
ready for Micah.”

Cutter and Maggie left. Slade started whistling softly to
himself as he plotted his next move. He knew all about the celebration tonight,
knew that Micah was expected there. He also knew that Tony and Carly were at
the party. It was time to take Micah out of the picture.

Slade sat forward to make a phone call.

Micah smiled as he watched Nolan and Derik among the other
couples on the dance floor. The two men were almost the same height but Derik’s
white blond hair and bright blue eyes contrasted with Nolan’s brown locks and
tanned skin. They moved together with the ease born of nearly twelve years as a
couple. Micah sipped at his water as he moved among the shifters and humans in
the noisy club.

His senses were on full alert for some reason. He had seen
Tony and Carly leaving earlier. He hoped that meant that Tony had finally put
his demons regarding Jenny to rest. Micah looked down in surprise as his cell
phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out to see an unfamiliar number
displayed.

“This is Micah.”

“Hey, Micah, how’s it going?” Micah heard the amusement even
through the phone line, recognizing Slade’s voice right away.

“What do you want, Slade?” He wondered for a moment how
Slade had gotten his number. Micah let the impatience show in his voice,
knowing the other shifter would hear it.

“Now is that the attitude to take with me? I’ve done you and
your friends a favor. After all, if it weren’t for the Turn Skins, little Susie
would still be in jail. Oh, that reminds me, another good friend of yours
stopped by tonight. How long has it been since you saw Shelly?

“She looks good, Micah, damn good. Having that kid didn’t
ruin her figure at all. She’s in fine
fighting
shape, you know?”

Micah felt his blood run cold. “Where is she?”

“Well, she’s here at the compound. Did you know Curtis
deeded it over to me before he died? Nice of him, wasn’t it? Twelve acres of
prime real estate and this huge house. Why, there are so many bedrooms here I
don’t even know what goes on in half of them.” Micah narrowed his eyes as Slade
laughed. He had to know the picture he was painting in Micah’s mind.

“Let her go, Slade.”

“Why don’t you come out here and give her a ride? I’m sure
she’d appreciate not having to walk home, you know?” Slade disconnected and
Micah shoved his phone into his pocket. He figured with traffic being fairly
light this time of night, it would take him about ten minutes to get out to the
old compound.

Micah stood perfectly still for the span of about two
heartbeats, knowing it was a trap and knowing he had no choice. He had to do
what he could to get Shelly away from Slade.

She’d meant something to him once and they were now very
good friends. Shelly had a child that Micah treated like one of his many
nieces. He wouldn’t intentionally allow anything to harm either of them and he
couldn’t stand by while Slade did so. Micah left the club without looking back.

He let himself reminisce on the drive out to his former
home. He and Shelly had enjoyed a brief relationship but he’d known she wasn’t
meant to be his mate. She’d known it too. They’d parted on good terms and
remained friends even after she’d met someone else and gotten pregnant. She’d
left the compound shortly after he had due to Curtis’ increasing mental
illness.

Curtis had been a good friend to Micah, allowing him free
run with the New Orleans Pack even though Micah had never joined the pack.
Curtis had understood that his friends in Wisconsin were his chosen Packmates.

Things had been so different when Curtis was alive and
healthy. His illness had affected his mind as well as his body. It had turned him
into someone none of the older pack members would have known, his appetites
becoming darker and stranger as time passed.

That was when Micah had left and Slade had appeared on the
scene. As far as Micah was concerned, things had definitely gone downhill with
the pack from that point.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Micah called Tony’s
house. He left a message on the machine telling Tony the time and that he was
headed for the estate. He figured that Tony would stay with Carly, meaning he
wouldn’t get the message for several hours but that at least someone would know
where to start looking for him if he disappeared.

* * * * *

Tony pulled up in front of Carly’s place, parking the car
carefully. What he really wanted to do was drive straight over the curb to her
front door then drag her inside and take her hard and fast. Carly got out of
the car before he could open her door.

Unlocking the front door, she led the way inside. Tony
followed her into the living room where Carly tossed her purse onto an end
table. She paused and he saw the blinking light on her phone. He knew that as a
doctor, she couldn’t ignore the messages, even though all his thoughts were
focused on getting her into bed as quickly as possible.

Tony walked up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her
even as she picked up the phone. She listened to her messages as Tony slowly licked
and kissed her neck and jaw. As soon as she put the phone down, Tony scooped
her up in his arms to carry her upstairs. He kissed her as he walked unerringly
down the hall toward her bedroom.

Carly lifted her head away from him in surprise. “How do you
know where you’re going?”

“Scent,” he growled as he nudged the door open with his
foot. “I can smell you strongest in this room. This is where your scent deepens
while you’re sleeping.” Tony kicked the bedroom door closed as he put Carly on
her feet. “Don’t go anywhere. I want to make a sweep of the outside.”

Tony walked over to the French doors of her balcony and
stripped then opened the doors. He changed mid-leap, landing on the soft ground
on four feet, then made a quick circuit of her house and yard. There were no
strange scents here. Everything was as it should be. Still, something bothered
him. They should have heard something from the Turn Skins by now.

Tony glanced back toward the condo to see Carly standing
just inside the French doors. She couldn’t see him in the darkness of the yard,
but surely she knew he was out there, possibly watching her. Carly slowly
unbuttoned the sundress she’d been wearing and let it fall to the floor, then stepped
out of her shoes.

She stood framed in the French doors wearing a blue silk bra
and matching panties. Though she hadn’t made any overtly sensual moves, just
the fact that she’d do this for him, a private show to arouse him, caused his
body to tighten and his desire for her to skyrocket.

Tony ran forward, claws digging into the ground, muscles
bunching as he gathered himself for the leap up to the second-story balcony. He
landed easily inside the bedroom then slowly moved toward her. Carly backed up
until she reached the bed, then she sat down abruptly, never taking her eyes
off his face.

He could feel her trepidation and excitement as she stared
into his golden cat eyes. Just for a moment he wondered if she would back off,
turn him away. That fear disappeared when she reached out and touched the side
of his neck. He shivered, allowing his change to begin. When he regained his
human form, he was on his knees with his hands on either side of her hips.

Carly cupped the back of his head as she leaned forward to
kiss him. Tony returned her kiss even as he moved closer to her. Tony moved his
mouth over her neck and shoulders, pulling the straps of her bra off as he did
so. Carly put her hands on the front hook, but Tony moved her hands. He dropped
his head between her breasts. Carly laughed softly as he unhooked it with his
mouth. Then she leaned back as he pushed the lacy bit off.

Tony wallowed in her scent. This was what he yearned for,
what he wanted so desperately. He had to have more of her in his system. He
didn’t know why this human meant so much to him only that she did and he had to
taste her. Tony moved his mouth over the center of her chest then licked the
underside of her breast.

Carly gasped and grabbed the back of his head as his tongue
moved over her slowly. For just a moment he let her feel the harsh rasp of a
feline tongue but before she could react he took her nipple in his mouth to
suckle her.

Tony lavished attention on her breasts with his hands and
mouth. Time ceased to exist. He didn’t know if he had been gently nibbling her
nipples into points for hours or minutes. Carly was moving under him as he slid
his mouth down her body.

Slowly, he removed her silky panties, licking and gently
biting her legs as he did so. He could feel her pulse in the center of her
body, he could almost hear her heartbeat there as well.

Tony took his time, laving her thighs and gently curved
belly softly and completely before moving his mouth over her and truly tasting
her for the first time. Carly cried out as he pushed his tongue inside her
body. Tony growled deep in his throat as she came apart under his mouth. He
wanted more, needed more. Pushing her thighs apart, he licked and suckled at
her sweet body. Carly’s hands gripped his head. No shrinking violet, this
responsive human female let him know exactly what she liked.

He felt her fingers tightening in his hair as he found the
perfect spot. Suckling at her clit, licking it from time to time, Tony slowly
eased two fingers into her body. She made a sound of pure pleasure as he curled
his fingers up slightly, finding her sweet spot. Carly started to move her hips
on the bed, a slight side-to-side motion.

Tony moved his fingers deeper into her body then pulled them
nearly all the way out. Carly arched her back, pulling at his hair, and he
pushed his fingers into her again, this time adding a third. She widened her
legs even more, still making little noises of need.
Enough
.

Concentrating solely on her pleasure, Tony pulled enough of
his cat forward to change the texture of his tongue. The rough rasp against her
swollen clit along with the thrust of his fingers into her body caused Carly to
arch her back and scream out his name. Tony wasted no time in removing his
fingers and pushing his tongue as deep into her body as he could. Her hips
jumped under his hands and mouth as he fucked her deep and hard with his
tongue.

Finally, he pulled away just long enough to grab his pants
and pull a condom out of his back pocket. Carly lay flushed and beautiful on
the bed, her body still open to him. She watched through half-opened eyes as he
moved up the bed to lie beside her, condom in place over his nearly painful
erection.

With the sexiest smile he’d ever seen in his life, Carly
rolled onto her side then moved over his body. Tony put one hand at the base of
his cock as she took him deep inside her body. His knuckles brushed her
sensitive clit, and Carly hissed in pleasure as she tossed her head back. Tony
put his own head back as she started a slow rocking motion guaranteed to drive
him crazy in no time.

* * * * *

Micah moved quietly through the wooded area surrounding the
compound. He stopped long enough to center himself, preparing for the battle to
come. A light gleamed through the darkness in a clearing that had once been
used for ritual challenges. His blood ran cold as he took in the sight that
awaited him.

Shelly lay staked out on the ground. He couldn’t see any
injury that had been done to her but that meant nothing. She cried softly,
trying to hold the sobs back in her throat and Micah felt his own heart
breaking. He hadn’t been able to return the love she felt for him but he did
care for her.

As he watched, she pulled fruitlessly at one of the ropes
holding her down on the ground. Micah scented the air. He knew immediately why
she couldn’t pull free. Shelly had been drugged. He could smell the opiate from
where he stood.

Shaking his head, Micah stepped out of the woods. Slade,
Cutter, Jack, Maggie and two others he didn’t recognize stepped out to meet
him. Micah stared straight at Slade nodding once.

“I’m here. Will you fight me?” Micah purposely pitched his
voice to carry across the distance that separated them.

“Oh now, Micah, you know the rules. You want to challenge me
you have to fight your way through the pack.” Slade laughed as four more of his
Beta males stepped out of the darkness to surround the circle. “What do you say,
Micah? You fight the Betas for the woman. You win, she goes free. You lose,
they get to party with her.”

“No, Micah, no.” Shelly’s voice was soft but he could hear
the fear in it. Fear for him. Micah sighed as the mentally reviewed the odds.
Eight to one, nine if he counted Maggie, and Micah knew better than to dismiss
Maggie from any fight. If there hadn’t been a strong enough male around she
would have taken over the pack after Curtis’ death.

“As you wish.” Micah pulled off his boots and proceeded to
strip. Chanting softly under his breath, he asked for guidance and strength for
himself as well as forgiveness for the deaths that would follow. The three who
would challenge him first stripped as well then the four of them stepped into
the center of the clearing. The first fights would be simple—the least
experienced among them would be the first to attack.

Standing perfectly still, he waited for one of the three to
make a move. It came as they circled him. The one directly behind him shifted
as he leapt at Micah’s back. Hitting him with one arm, Micah caught the
inexperienced fighter across the windpipe. He heard the neck break, watching
with only a small twinge of conscience as the wolf fell dead at his feet.

The other two who had been circling him came at him
together. Micah shifted as the first one attacked. Soon the harsh growls and
sounds of fighting filled the clearing. Biting and clawing at one another, they
all vied for the best hold, the fatal blow.

* * * * *

Slade stood at the outer perimeter watching. He knew if Micah
survived the fight with the Beta males that he’d have to take him on. Honor
among the pack would demand it. Slade had no intention of fighting Micah. He
knew Cutter and Jack would handle him if the younger males failed. Slade felt
Maggie moving closer to his side.