Nature of the Beasts (15 page)

“Are you trying to get me drunk?”

His lips twitched in amusement. “That’s a compelling idea, but no. I just want you to relax a little.”

She took the wine from him and swallowed a quick sip. She handed it back with a grin, and he held it for her while she took another bite of her sandwich.

“So,” she asked while chewing, “I’ve never asked you this, but were you born a wolf or were you created like Dastan?”

“I was born.”

“What was it like? The Ascension?”

Dmitry shrugged one shoulder. “I was prepared for it. The first time I shifted, it hurt, but after that I didn’t notice it. Now, I feel nothing when I shift.”

“That’s what Dastan said. It’s strange how vampires and shifters both ascend at the age of twenty-five.”

“It’s probably because that’s when the body is truly fully grown.”

“Makes sense.”

Dmitry reached out and combed his fingers through her hair.

“Comparing?” Sarah asked in a teasing tone.

One side of Dmitry’s lips quirked. “No. Imagining.”

“What are you imagining?” she asked just before taking another bite. She really needed to get her mind off how his touch set her on fire. She needed to stop thinking about how his stare made every inch of her body burn with excitement.

“I’m imagining what it would be like to tug your hair as I fuck you from behind.”

Like that comment helped to get her hormones under control. Sarah stopped chewing and turned to stare at him. He’d said it so seriously but at the same time casually. The images his words put into her mind had her wet between her legs so fast, she could hardly breathe.

“You’re crazy,” she whispered.

“Why?” he asked, watching her closely. “Because I said it out loud, or because I mean it?”

Sarah swallowed and quickly turned back to her sandwich. “You’re crazy because statements like that are liable to get you attacked.”

Dmitry chuckled. “I don’t doubt it.”

Sarah hungrily took another bite of her sandwich, trying her best not to take a bite of Dmitry. He looked so good sitting next to her. His sensual smell surrounded her, and she inhaled deeply.

Dmitry leaned over and placed a soft kiss at her temple. Sarah let out a shaky breath. Dmitry’s lips slid just a bit lower and brushed across her skin. Sarah’s heart raced as his lips teased the side of her cheek. What was left of her uneaten sandwich fell back to the plate. Her fingers trembled slightly as she struggled with what to do with them.

A loud bang coming from downstairs instantly interrupted the sensual seduction. Sarah jumped and turned wide, frightened eyes to Dmitry. “What was that?”

“It’s probably Dastan. I’ll check it out. You stay here.”

Sarah watched him go, then narrowed her eyes in anger. Why should she stay here? She set the plate aside and climbed from the bed. As silently as possible, she followed Dmitry to the second-floor landing.

DASTAN THREW ANOTHER cup against the wall in frustration over losing Razeen and watched as the glass shattered and clanked against the hardwood floors. He’d jumped forty feet into the freezing river only to get caught up in the current and be pushed past where Razeen had climbed out. Damn son of a bitch got away again.

“What the hell are you doing?” Dmitry demanded from the second floor.

Dastan put his hands on his hips and looked up. Sarah stood just a few feet away from Dmitry, a look of worry on her face. He would hate himself if he’d scared her.

“Just getting rid of some frustration.”

“Dastan?” Sarah asked as she came closer to the railing. “Are you wet?”

Dastan looked down at his wet clothes. “Yeah.” With a wave of his hand, he dried himself off.

“How did you get wet?” she asked as she rushed down the stairs, Dmitry close behind her.

“It’s nothing, princess. I just went for a little impromptu swim.” He gave Dmitry a pointed look, but Dmitry just snorted in response.

“In your clothes?” she asked skeptically.

“Why not? In order to get dry, all I have to do is wave my hand. Like this.” He waved his hand and changed his clothes.

Sarah rolled her eyes. “What’s going on, Dastan?”

He knew instantly Sarah wasn’t going to accept anything but the truth, so he might as well tell her. It would probably be best if she knew anyway. “Well, it seems our shifter isn’t the only visitor we have on the ranch.”

Dmitry raised an eyebrow, but it was Sarah who demanded, “Who?”

“Mike Sims.”

“What’s the sheriff doing on the ranch?” Dmitry asked.

“Snooping. Unfortunately, I think he got a little more of a show than he bargained for.”

“Why? What happened?” Dmitry asked.

“Razeen attacked him as a wolf.”

Sarah gasped and put her hand over her mouth. “Was he hurt?”

“No, I was there to intervene.”

“As yourself or the wolf?” Dmitry asked.

Dastan sighed. “The wolf.”

“Great,” Dmitry murmured.

“I chased off Razeen, but Mike followed us. Razeen went over the cliff and into the river. Mike saw me jump in after Razeen. He actually yelled at me or the wolf to stop.” Dastan’s lips twisted. “Not sure what the point in that was, but…” Dastan shrugged.

“Cliff?” Sarah asked, her eyes wide. “Is that when you went for an impromptu swim?”

“That would be the time, yes.”

Dmitry frowned. “Are you talking about the cliff at the gorge? The forty-foot drop into the river below?”

Dastan nodded.

“Are you insane?” Dmitry and Sarah both yelled at the same time.

Dastan sighed. “I’m assuming at the moment that would be debatable.”

Sarah smacked him on the shoulder with the back of her hand. “What were you thinking? You could’ve been killed!”

Dastan started to say something, but Dmitry’s question stopped him. “What happened to Razeen?”

“Razeen made it to the side and got out. I got caught in the damn current and was swept downstream. By the time I got out, I had lost the trail.”

“Damn it,” Dmitry mumbled.

“No kidding,” Dastan growled. “If I had jumped just a couple more feet farther out, I wouldn’t have gotten caught.”

“You shouldn’t have jumped at all,” Sarah snapped.

Dastan cupped her face. “I’m fine, Sarah.”

She slapped his hands away. “That’s not the point.”

“I had the sheriff behind me. What else was I supposed to do?”

“Walk away?” she asked sarcastically.

“I have a feeling he would’ve followed me home.” Dastan raised an eyebrow and waited for his point to sink in.

“You could’ve run and lost him, Dastan. You didn’t have to make that jump.”

“I had to try. I wasn’t going to let Razeen get away again.” Dastan frowned at her angry expression. “What’s all this really about?”

“You could’ve died. That’s what this is about.”

It was then Dastan understood her anger. She was scared of losing him just like he was scared of losing her. His frustration evaporated as quickly as it had come. Sarah had become his world. He wasn’t sure when or how. He just knew she meant everything to him.

“Sarah. I want you to go back to the protected dimension,” Dastan said.

Sarah frowned. “No.”

“Sarah—”

“No!” she yelled stubbornly. “He’s after you, not me.”

“He may use you to get to me.”

She lifted her chin in a move that at any other time, Dastan would find adorable. “I can take care of myself.”

Dastan gazed helplessly at Dmitry, who stood close by but said nothing.

“Dmitry isn’t going to help you,” Sarah said firmly.

Dmitry’s lips twitched in amusement. “I’d be almost afraid to at this point. She might turn me into a toad.”

Sighing, Dastan put his hands on his hips. “
I
may turn you into a toad.”

“I’m going to turn both of you into toads if you don’t stop babying me.” Sarah adjusted the belt around her robe as she sent Dastan a pointed look of agitation. “Now with that said…”

She moved to the center of the room and held a palm up toward the windows facing the back of the house. She whispered a few words, then spun a quarter turn and repeated the gesture. Dastan frowned and glanced toward Dmitry, who shrugged and went back to watching Sarah.

She repeated the steps four times, one for each of the four corners. “There,” she said. “Now no one will be able to get in here.”

It was then Dastan knew what she’d done. She’d covered the house in a protective shield. No one would be able to get in or out, he realized. Not until she lowered it.

“You realize you’ve trapped us in this house,” Dastan murmured.

Sarah nodded. “Yep. At least that way we can get some sleep without worry.”

Dastan fought a grin. “You really think you’re going to be sleeping?”

Sarah opened her mouth, then shut it quickly.

Sarah swallowed as her gaze moved from Dastan’s to Dmitry’s. Her heart raced with the prospect of both of them seducing her together. She’d been with each of them, but not
together
. Could she even take both of them at once? Each alone was big enough to make her feel like they could split her in two.

Was she ready for this? She knew she wanted it. The lustful light in each of their eyes let her know they wanted it too. As a life mate to both of them, this was what her world would be like from now on. Two gorgeous, sexy men vying for her attention, her body, her love.

It made her feel so bad. Her lips quirked slightly at her mind’s choice of words. It was bad. It was crazy. It was incredible. And above all else, it was right.

But should she give in so easily? She took a small step back, determined to make them work for it.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Dastan asked, his gaze intent.

Sarah could hardly speak as she stared into Dastan’s eyes—gray eyes that had darkened in lust. His body was hard, tense, his stride like a predator’s as he came toward her. He grabbed her waist and tugged her against his firm chest. The muscles of his thighs bunched as they came in contact with hers.

So much for making them work for it.

Dastan kissed her like a man starving. She reached up and grabbed the back of his arms, holding tight to keep from falling to the floor. His tongue invaded her mouth, exploring and teasing. All Sarah could do was moan and kiss him back.

Not to be left out, Dmitry took her elbow and pulled her away from Dastan. Before she could utter a word, Dmitry lowered his lips to hers. His kiss was just as wild, just as demanding as Dastan’s. Sarah gave in to it and lifted her arms around his neck. Dmitry’s arms snaked around her waist and pulled her closer, fitting her body flush against his own.

The beating of his heart pounded in rhythm with her own. She heard the soft growl deep in his throat as their tongues mated, and a small tremor of excitement raced up her spine.

Dastan’s hand landed across her hip. The sting caught her by surprise, and she broke the kiss to gasp at the mixture of pleasure and pain. Heat flushed her face as she realized just how much she liked that.

Dastan grabbed a handful of her hair and tugged her head back, forcing her to look up at him as he stood beside her. He wasn’t rough but dominating enough to make Sarah’s whole body shiver in delight.

“Get that adorable ass upstairs before we take you right here on the floor.”

He released her hair. Sarah swallowed and moved quickly to do what he’d commanded. Their footsteps echoed on the stairs behind her. She wanted to look back, but knew if she did, it wouldn’t matter if they made it upstairs or not. She’d let them take her here in the middle of the staircase.

Possible images of them having sex on the stairs raced through her mind, which only fueled the desire burning in her veins. She rushed toward her bedroom door and pushed it against the wall in her haste to get inside. Her lust was like a wild animal clawing its way free. Every part of her ached to feel them inside her. It was like the first time all over again.

Panting, she turned to face the first one through the door. Dmitry. She wanted to rip his clothes off, bury her hands in his hair, and tug his lips toward hers. She didn’t have to. Dmitry had his mouth on hers before she could even catch her breath.

As they kissed, he walked her back toward the wall. Dmitry took her hands and moved them over her head, forcing her back to arch. Her nipples rubbed against his chest, and Sarah moaned at the pleasure that little bit of contact caused. He slid his hands down her arms toward her sides.

Sarah started to lower her hands, but Dmitry pushed them back up. “Leave them there,” he murmured against her lips.

He slid his lips to the side of her neck and gently nibbled. He lowered his hands along her arms with painstaking slowness. Sarah clenched her fingers, waiting in anticipation for him to touch her skin. Dmitry spread her robe open, exposing her breasts. He palmed them and squeezed, making Sarah cry out at the feel of his hands on her aching breasts.

Dmitry worked his mouth lower, kissing across her collarbone, then the valley between her breasts. Using his hands, he pushed her breasts together and rubbed his thumbs over the nipples as his mouth teased the gentle rise of each.

Over Dmitry’s head she could see Dastan. He stood just a few feet away, slowly removing his clothes as he watched them. Sarah couldn’t take her eyes off his chest, then his washboard abs. Dmitry’s mouth covered one of her nipples, and she moaned just as Dastan lowered his jeans, revealing his massive cock to her gaze.

Dmitry moved his mouth to her other nipple. He sucked harder, and Sarah arched her back, pushing her breast more into his face. Dmitry groaned his approval and sank his teeth into the tiny, sensitive bud. Sarah couldn’t stop herself from squirming. As good as this felt, he wasn’t touching her where she wanted most to be touched, where she needed it most: between her legs.

She lowered her hand and placed it lightly against Dmitry’s shoulder. With one thought, she removed his clothes, leaving him gloriously naked. Dmitry chuckled and stood to his full height.

“Is someone getting a little impatient?” he teased as he untied her robe.

“Maybe just a little,” she whispered.