Sylvia's Torment (Enforcers and Coterie Book 2) (33 page)

Heat burned through the thin material where his fingers gripped her hips. He leaned down, capturing her lips with his, and she eagerly opened for him. His tongue slid inside, dancing with hers, mimicking what she needed.

She wanted to beg, plead, take. Her body ignited, demanding relief. This man, this one man had the ability, and he wanted to deny her. Her fingers gripped his hair, holding him in place, refusing to stop.

He ripped his mouth from hers, panting while he rested his forehead against hers. “Damn it, Lori. We can’t. I want to. You have no idea how badly I want to. But we can’t.”

“How is leaving me sexually frustrated any better than us having sex?” she whispered, hoping to entice him and break down his resistance.

“Because the way I’m feeling right now, it won’t be soft and gentle. It’ll be hard and rough. I don’t have the self-control for tender.”

“Oral then. Gives us both some release. Please,” she breathed into his ear. “Let me suck your cock, and then you can eat me.”

A shudder went through his body, and she knew he couldn’t resist any longer.

“Lie down, let me take care of you.” Placing a hand on his chest, she encouraged him to obey. Too far gone for even a token protest, he cushioned his head with his arms. She unbuttoned his jeans and freed his heavy erection.

Licking the tip, she then swirled her tongue around his head, delighting in his involuntary twitch.

“Hard and fast, darling. You have me so horny I won’t last long.”

A grin stretched her lips, loving his reaction to her. He did the same to her. In one move, she circled his cock with her hand and sucked him deep into her mouth. A shout burst from him as his hips bucked.

Tightening her fist, she stroked him, letting him pick the pace. Fingers burrowed into her hair. A harsh moan of her name. Salty seed hit her tongue before she swallowed it. One last suck and she released him.

Glancing up, she saw his bright green eyes studying her. Voice husky, he said, “Your turn now. Lie down, and let me take care of you.”

Not needing another invitation, she took his place on the ground while he tucked himself back into his jeans, leaving them unbuttoned. At her questioning look, he explained, “Pleasuring you turns me on. No sense in tight jeans. Now, legs apart.”

Déjà vu struck her, and she almost chuckled. She knew just how much pleasure she’d get form his talented tongue and fingers. Petting her lightly, he tested her wetness before sliding in a finger.

“Damn, darling. You’re making me regret my control. I want my cock inside you.” Before she could respond, he covered her clit with his mouth and tongued her. One, then two fingers deep inside her, moving in time with his tongue.

Needing to see, she tilted her chin and watched his mouth bring her closer to the edge. An orgasm built, and she chased it. Nearly incoherent, she moaned, “Ooh, oh yes, like that. I’m almost there, I’m…”

Clamping her thighs tight against his head, she lifted her hips up, and her body exploded. Drifting down from the high, she sprawled limply on the ground.

“That was…fantastic.” She gave him a lazy smile when he came up for a kiss.

“Now, my gorgeous woman, can I carry you home so you can recover?”

“Yes. Yes, please. I think I could sleep for a few hours and then some.”

One arm under her legs, the other supporting her neck, he cradled her to his body. The tender care melted her heart. That tiny voice surfaced again, stating the obvious. She’d fallen in love with him.

Shit…

Chapter Ten

Lori wandered Yonge Street. The cold air of October didn’t discourage the hearty Canadians from their shopping. Instead, they moved at a brisk pace, peeking in shop windows while sipping on coffee in disposable cups. Humans mingled with werewolves and mages. Before her Change, she would’ve been clueless at spotting the different races.

Now the scents and other telltale signs gave them away. Humans wore coats, scarves and toques to ward off the chill air. Werewolves and mages had no need for them, albeit for different reasons. A werewolf’s temperature ran hot, enabling them to withstand near freezing weather in shorts and a tee-shirt. Mages, though, had spells to keep them protected. The aroma of ozone tickled her nose each time a magic user came close to her.

Studying the pedestrians kept her mind off the more serious issue at hand, one she desperately wanted to ignore. Was she Tariq’s or did she cling to him because of familiarity?
Had
she fallen in love with him in such a short time? Did she mistake feelings of comfort and lust for something more?

“Damn it,” she muttered, skirting past several humans. Shops had thinned out, replaced by suburbia. “Quit my job, changed species and now love? Way to take things slow.”

“Werewolf, you’re trespassing on human territory.” Authority wrapped around the cold words, freezing her.

She looked sideways to the cop standing next to his car. Bold letters across the vehicle proclaimed him as police, but his uniform and stance would’ve tipped her off either way. His hand hovered near his gun, the snap undone. He assumed she was dangerous?

A glance around surprised her. Houses lined the streets, immaculate and near perfect. Not a single store marred the view. She’d ventured deep within the suburbs without realizing it.

Her new speed meant an hour’s walk had taken less than thirty minutes. And she wasn’t even winded. She hastily hid her growing smile at this realization. Unwarranted happiness wouldn’t please the cop currently giving her a hard stare. His fingers twitched, brushing against the handle of his weapon.

“Wait, human territory? What are you talking about?” This was the first she’d ever heard such a term, and she’d grown up human! Stunned, she scanned the area, then wished she hadn’t.

Early Saturday morning meant more families were home, enjoying a peaceful day. Or at least, it would’ve been peaceful without her here, apparently. Angry faces scowled at her from windows and doorsteps. The bolder ones moved closer, guarding their driveways against the horror of a lone woman.

How had they amassed so quickly? Did they have some kind of warning system in place?

“Your kind is not welcome here. Leave peacefully. I have silver bullets, and I will use them.” The cop’s hand now rested on his gun, his stance aggressive, although he kept his tone even.

“Okay, fine. I’m going. I didn’t do anything wrong.” The injustice galled her. That tiny,
smart
voice told her to shut up. Instead, she folded her arms, glowered at him mulishly and opened her mouth, “Bunch of racists. Because I’m a werewolf, I can’t walk here. There’re no signs saying it’s off-limits. I’m not breaking any laws.”

Too much damn change had been thrust upon her, and she’d finally reached her breaking point. Now she had to stay away from certain sections of town, like she was a criminal or a rabid animal out to eat their children? Hell no!

Irate mutterings erupted, and the words “monster”, “baby-eater”, and a host of other offensive terms were thrown her way. Shocked, her filter disappeared, the one that normally said,
Shut up before you piss off the angry mob! They’ll find pitchforks if you don’t.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You think I eat babies? Are you all mental, or do you proudly wallow in stupidity and ignorance? Werewolves don’t eat humans. We eat the same as you. I bet most of you are too bitter to eat anyway.” Her arms waved in the air, punctuating her outrage.

“Ma’am, leave. Now. You don’t belong here.” The cop gripped the handle of his gun, and his eyes darted to the growing crowd.

“You’re right, I don’t belong. I’m not a damn bigot! Narrow-minded assholes.” She glared at the people nearest to her. They glared back, hatred gleaming in their eyes. Rational thought had deserted them, leaving behind self-righteous fury. Others, made daring with their mob mentality, circled Lori and the police car. The cop gave her a shrug, as if to say, “I warned you.”

Cold reality slammed into her. Her stupid mouth had dragged her into a sticky, and soon to be painful, situation. These people didn’t view her as a person, merely a monster they needed to obliterate. She’d wandered into their territory, and now they would punish her for it.

If she defended herself, they would cry foul, claim they were victims of a werewolf. See how evil they are, attacking humans on the streets? Claws and teeth against soft human flesh. See, evil! The human media outlets would latch upon the story, distorting the truth, and claiming the “animals” should be put in cages where they belong.

Stupid, so fucking stupid.
She berated herself. Less than a month as a werewolf, and she might have caused a horrible setback for the pack. Better just suck it up then.

Werewolves could take a beating, right?

Something smashed into the back of her knee, and she almost went down. Her training in Okichitaw kept her upright, and she adjusted her weight. Falling down meant vulnerability and broken bones. Mind racing, she searched for a way out, a hole to dart through. She dodged fists and feet.

A few of her moves put her into the path of wild swings. Kidney punch, uppercut to the jaw, another vicious kick to her leg. Pain melded together. Her body no longer recognized individual parts, all just one massive, unending ache.

Fingers coiled into her hair, and yanked. Her head tilted back, exposing her throat. Another took advantage and jabbed hard, making her cough. Air burned going down, forced past her bruised larynx.

And still, she didn’t lift a hand against them. The thought had slithered in to her mind, tempting her. She could defeat them with ease, wouldn’t even break a sweat. Her wolf side demanded retribution, one little nip to put fear into them. Show them they were nothing but tasty snacks, lower on the food chain. Harming another, though, would only give a moment’s satisfaction, fueled by the same hatred they felt.

She wouldn’t lose herself to the mindlessness.

Growls, feral and mean, cut through the shouting, and several people were shoved aside. Tariq, Kurt and Rafi’s familiar faces sent relief flooding through her. The twins snarled, and those nearest cringed, fearful for their limbs.

Tariq zeroed in on the cop and curled his lip, exposing sharp canines. “Since she’s not human, she doesn’t warrant your protection? I’ll be speaking to your supervisor.”

The cop shrugged again and adjusted the hip resting against the hood of his car. “Makes no difference. I work for humans, not your kind. If I wanted to deal with you freaks, I would’ve applied for the Enforcers.”

Lori limped closer to Tariq, and he draped an arm over her shoulder. His warmth cocooned her, insulating her from the harsh glares wishing death upon her. In that small moment, a painful truth emerged. Weakness wasn’t relying on another. Weakness was hardening her heart against love, demanding complete independence. No one went through life without support. Her pack had come for her, protected her.

“And this
will
come to the attention of the Human Coterie. Don’t want a werewolf here, fine. We can’t stop your racism. Attacking one of us, though, is a different matter.” Tariq’s eyes swept the crowd, and his arm tightened around Lori. She rested her head against his shoulder,  resisting the urge to kiss his neck. It was a sign of trust on his part to allow her near such a vulnerable spot. “We will be walking out of here without any further incident. I’m a Delta for Derek Quinlan. I’m sure you know what that means. So lay another hand on my lifemate, and you won’t live to regret it.”

Lori stiffened, shocked he claim her. His arm tightened on her shoulder, keeping her from pulling away. His face was shuttered, only simmering anger showing through.

Several humans took a fearful step away. Bigots had an odd desire to learn everything about their “enemy”, wanting to use every pressure point possible. They twisted facts, distorted words and searched for ways to undermine anyone who didn’t agree with them.

Lori had met a few of them throughout the course of her life. It was shocking to hear how much knowledge they had about the object of their hatred, and yet they couldn’t impartially view that information.

The ones surrounding them had also done their research. Fear etched their faces. A lone submissive werewolf was easy pickings, like tormenting a small child. A Delta for a Top Alpha meant throwing sand in the face of a trained killer. There was only one way to get that position, by being meaner and smarter than those now below him or her.

Kurt took lead, snapping at any who ventured near, although not many were stupid enough to do so. Rafi followed behind Lori and Tariq, his quiet menace ample warning.

Lori whispered to Tariq, “How in the nine hells did they know that I’m a werewolf?”

“Black market mages. They’ll sell their services to anyone with money,” he responded, and curled his lip in disgust. “They have wards set around areas like this one. When a non-human crosses them, a warning is sent to each home and the cop monitoring them.”

Rafi shouldered a human out of his way and walked side by side with Tariq and Lori. They left behind the angry mob, not sparing them a backwards glance. Lori wished she could also leave behind the feeling her life had been a big lie from the beginning. How had she missed this rampant racism?

“Human disappearances in the past few years have increased. Some groups have noticed and blame us,” Rafi said, an unusual sadness bleeding through. “The preternaturals are again the scapegoat for everything bad that happens to humans.”

“Why wasn’t I told about this?” Lori demanded.

Tariq slid his hand down Lori’s arm, leaving a trail heated awareness, and threaded his fingers with hers. “I’d honestly forgotten. With your Change so close and having to accelerate your training, I forgot to warn you. There aren’t many places like this one in the city. Most are still quite friendly with us. Come, we’ll speak with the Human Coterie leader, let her know the situation.”