Shifter's Price Read online

  It was just a kiss, she thought and closed her eyes. It took forever, but his lips brushed hers once, and her knees buckled. Honestly, that doesn’t happen. It just doesn’t.

  “I think I hear my mother calling,” Lisa said and shifted into a bird and took off flying.

  “Your mother?” Bethany was still dazed by the potent kiss.

  “Mother Nature.” Lucas winked, pulling Bethany into his arms.

  “Okay, buster, that’s enough fooling around,” she said shakily, all too aware that she was about to throw caution and probably her panties to the wind. “There’s bad people out there that want to kill me.”

  “It’s not fear I smell on you. It’s excitement. The way your breath quickens and your heart races when I do this?” He leaned in, his lips almost touching hers. She felt the vibration of his words on her parted mouth. And when she turned her head, his breath heated her neck and made the little hairs on it rise in reaction. “I want you. For you. Not for a repayment of a debt.”

  She swallowed hard, and wished she could believe him. “After what happened in the Tech cabin, do you think we should let down our guard?”

  “I’ve had my share of bad ideas,” Lucas admitted. “This doesn’t feel like one.” He dropped a silken kiss on her throat, then slid his mouth up to her ear when she didn’t protest.

  “Maybe they’re still out there,” she said, gripping his hair to pull him back to stare into his eyes.

  “Maybe they were hunted down and killed,” he said and then abruptly released her. “Come on, we grabbed some space just over this hill. You probably could use some rest more than sex, anyway.”

  “And just like that you’ve changed your mind?” Bethany heard the words come out of her mouth before she could censor herself. She hurried to keep up with him.

  “I think you have a point.”

  “I do?” Bethany wasn’t sure she wanted to have a point.

  “We’re too exposed in a tent. Once we get on a train or in a pack—a traveling pack, we can continue to explore each other.”

  Bethany nodded, strangely crushed. They walked in silence for a little while. The night was getting chilly, but Bethany thought that the chill she was getting was more from reaction than the cold.

  “Did you hunt them down and kill them?”

  “Would you be afraid of me if I said yes?’

  She shook her head.

  He nodded his.

  “Good,” she said. “But you probably should have left one alive for questioning.”

  “Maybe next time. When they haven’t threatened my mate.”

  “Is this mate talk for show?”

  He shook his head this time. “You affect me.”

  Hope fluttered in Bethany’s chest. Maybe they could have something real. “We should talk about this.”

  “We will. Once the danger is past.”

  “Should I go talk to Lewis and Clark now?”

  “No,” Lucas said. “They’ll be busy tonight...interviewing.”

  “Shouldn’t I interview?”

  “Over my dead body,” he said in a low, warning growl. “Besides, you’re a Tech. You’re already hired.”

  “You sound so sure.”

  “One in five left in this part of the world. You’re worth your weight in gold.”

  “So,” Bethany said. “You think there will be a next attack?”

  He nodded. “But not on my watch. You and Lisa can take the tent.”

  “Where did you get the tent? I thought you came here with nothing.”

  He scowled into the night. “Lisa is very resourceful.”

  “I cleaned up after the Tech bombing and was paid for it. You have a suspicious mind,” Lisa said from inside the tent.

  “I’ll switch to cat form and guard the perimeter,” Lucas said, ignoring his sister, but his frown eased slightly.

  “What about you? Don’t you need to sleep?”

  “I’ll catnap.” He grinned at her.

  She pulled her gun out of his pants.

  “Careful now,” he warned.

  “The safety’s on.”

  “The safety is a mechanical device, and mechanical devices are known to fail now and again. When was the last time you fired that thing?”

  “Not often enough,” she said. “I can’t bear to waste the bullets. When times get tough, I use them to hunt bunnies.”

  “It helps if you call them rabbits. Or dinner.”

  “Not with my aim.”

  “Could you hit something if you wanted to?”

  “I find a man’s chest at point-blank range an easier target than a bounding bunny in a field.”

  Lucas grunted and pointed to the pavilion-style tent. “There should be plenty of furs and blankets to keep you warm. Don’t shoot the cougar,” he said and shifted into a gorgeous cat, flicking his tail across her knees.

  Chapter Six

  Lewis and Clark Expeditions

  “SHIFTERS CAN BE MORE trouble than they’re worth,” Clark looked at his partner Lewis, who was lounging naked on large pillows covered with heavy, white furs. He was stroking his large cock almost idly. His olive skin contrasted against the furs and for a moment Clark could only stare at him. Swarthy, with a heart as dark as his black eyes, Lewis entranced his lover.

  “They’re animals in bed,” Lewis said. “And we could use a little distraction from the Pureblood idiots.”

  Clark felt himself grow hard and he adjusted himself. “You might want to slow down. We’ve got a long night ahead of us.”

  “I like how you look at me. Come join me.”

  Clark shook his head. “Not yet. I’ve got to put on the professional face.”

  “Who’s on the menu tonight?”

  “That’s the beauty of it,” Clark said. “Whatever you want.”

  “What do we need?”

  “A Tech.”

  Lewis stopped rubbing his cock. “Do we have one in the waiting area?”

  Clark shook his head. “Of course not.”

  “Let’s save the Shifters for last, when our energy is plummeting and we could use a boost.”

  “Do you want a man or a woman?”

  “Yes,” Lewis said. “I want to fuck a husband while the wife watches.”

  “Can she watch with my cock inside her?”

  Lewis grinned. “Send them in.”

  “Yes, let’s fill up this pavilion. You look almost lost in here all alone.”

  “I am feeling bereft.”

  Clark rubbed his hand roughly over the bulge in his pants, but then gave up and just put his clipboard in front of it. He let the heavy tent flap fall behind him. Clark’s office was supposed to be empty, but a woman stood there. She was wearing overalls and had hands like a farmer. But she had striking blue eyes, and Clark grew intrigued.

  “I’m sorry Ma’am,” he said politely. “But you’ll have to wait your turn.” He could hear the line outside growing impatient.

  “Name’s Jesse. I’m a horse woman.”

  “We’re riding via trains.”

  “You’re taking horses. I saw them. That feller Damon got me in here to talk to you.”

  “I’ll have to have a word with him. What did he rook you for?”

  “I blew him.” She stuck out a tongue pierced with a barbell.

  Clark tossed the clipboard on the table. “Show me and be quick. If you’re good and don’t mind partying a few nights a week, then you’re in.”

  Jesse’s hands were sure on his belt. She had his underwear halfway down his legs and was licking the tip of him when he grabbed her hair tightly.

  “I like your eyes. Keep them on me.”

  He shoved his cock roughly into her mouth, deliberately going deep. She swallowed and grabbed on to his ass with both hands. He yanked her hair back and let her mouth fuck him, all the while staring into her blue eyes.

  “Talented,” he breathed, liking the little pricks her nails were making in his buttocks. He pushed harder. “No gag reflex.”
/>   He grunted as she sucked harder, her cheeks hollowing, her tongue swirling. He came down her throat and nearly swooned. “That was . . .” He slipped out of her mouth. “Satisfactory. If you could go through that flap, you’ll find your second interview.”

  “Second? That’s not fair.”

  Clark backhanded her and his cock twitched at the spot of blood on her lip. “You can always leave.”

  She probed the spot with her tongue and looked at him with blue fire in her eyes. But she went back to see Lewis. Feeling settled and energized, Clark fixed himself up and went to face the crowd. They fell silent when he stepped out of the pavilion into the night air.

  He saw his first choice right away. Looters, by the look of them. She was a red head, with a long braid down her back and a good set of breasts in a leather halter. Catching him looking, she put her hand into her companion’s. He looked hungry and mean, muscled with gleaming black skin and scars on his neck.

  “You two, come with me.”

  They followed him in.

  “Please, have a seat.” Clark waved his hand to two folding chairs while he perched on the edge of his desk. “Tell me about yourselves.”

  “I’m Flint,” the man said. “I work with knives.”

  “So does everyone else. What new thing can you offer me?”

  “I don’t mind killing.”

  Clark shrugged.

  “I can hold my own in a fight.”

  “Where did you get the scars?”

  Flint stroked his neck. “You won’t believe me.”

  “Try me, but if you bore me, your wife has to take off that halter and interview topless.”

  Flint looked like he was going to walk out, but the woman barked in laughter. “Oh, it’s not a boring story,” she said.

  “Shut it, Lynn,” Flint said.

  “What do you do Lynn?” Clark liked that she didn't look away from him. She even leaned forward slightly so he could take a good look down her shirt.

  “I can do all the usual stuff, take care of myself." She trailed a hand over her chest, to rest it between her legs. "But I can sense things.”

  “What type of things?” Clark was intrigued in spite of himself. Lynn wasn’t a beauty. Didn’t have eyes like Jesse, but he was going to enjoy fucking her. Flint too, probably.

  “That’s Flint’s story.”

  Clark turned his head to Flint.

  “I come from the Midstates. Iowa.”

  “What brings you all the way up North?”

  “He’s running,” Lynn said.

  “I said shut it. I ran. I’m not afraid to admit that. Damn lizard nearly tore my throat out.”

  “Lizard?” Clark took his eyes off Lynn's fingers that were slightly moving over the seam in her pants..

  “Dragon,” Lynn said.

  “No such thing,” Flint corrected her. “It’s like one of those iguanas only bigger and can fly.”

  Clark thought that could probably be called a dragon, but didn’t interrupt.

  “Anyway, I was harvesting some corn. It still grows in Iowa.”

  Clark nodded. “So you’re a farmer that likes to play with knives.”

  “He ain’t a farmer anymore,” Lynn said, but shrank back at Flint’s glare.

  “When this critter comes out of the sky and starts tearing into the plants like it’s dying of hunger. I had to stop it. It was going to ruin the crops. They were all I had to survive the winter. So I tried to fight it off with my shovel and hoe.”

  “Not your knives?” Clark said, amused at the mental image.

  “Too small to do any real damage.”

  “Why aren’t you dead?”

  “It decided I would make a better dinner for its babies.”

  “Babies?”

  “Four of them. Dropped me in the nest and they tore into me.”

  “Again, why aren’t you dead?” Clark asked.

  “Me,” Lynn said.

  Clark swiveled his head to her. “You forgot to mention dragon slayer to your list of . . .” he eyed her chest again. “Attributes.”

  She shrugged out of her halter and two melon like breasts perked up at his glance.

  “Lynn!” Flint sounded scandalized.

  “I wasn’t bored,” Clark said.

  Lynn shrugged, “It was coming off anyway, wasn’t it?”

  Clark grinned. Her nipples were large and pink a darker hue formed a large circle around them. “You have my full attention.”

  “They like Shifter meat,” Lynn said.

  “Well, who doesn’t?” Clark thought, but before he could say anything, she continued.

  “I threw them pieces of one I cut apart and grabbed Flint and ran.”

  “Tell me about your senses,” Clark said.

  “I can smell a Shifter. Feel if a critter is close. I can pin point its location with an arrow. I don’t have to see it.”

  Clark felt a pang of disappointment that there wouldn’t be a need for a second interview. “I would like to offer you a place on the team.”

  “We accept,” Flint said.

  Clark cocked his head. “The offer was for Lynn.”

  “We’re a team,” Lynn said.

  “I’d have to run that by my partner,” Clark said, brightening at the knowing look in Lynn’s eyes. “How bad to do you want the job, Flint?”

  “Bad enough to go back through the lizard lands.”

  “Tell me about your teamwork.” Clark eyed him up and down.

  “It’s like that, huh?” Flint smiled grimly.

  “Told you,” Lynn said.

  “Shut it.” This time it was Clark that said it.

  “What do you want me to say?” Flint said.

  “We’re going to be travelling a long time. My partner and I have varied tastes and get bored easily. Being part of this team, you will need to contribute in ways other than your knives.”

  “For the loot you’re offering, I’ll do anything,” Flint said.

  “That’s so good to hear.” Clark hopped off the desk. “Go into the next room and speak with my partner.”

  When Flint stood up, Clark grabbed him by the back of his head and kissed him roughly. Flint tensed, but relaxed into the kiss.

  “I see we understand each other,” Clark said. He tweaked Lynn’s nipple as she passed.

  She giggled and rubbed her hand over his crotch. “Are you coming?”

  “Eventually,” he said. “I have a few more interviews to conduct.”

  “I’ll look forward to it,” she sashayed after her husband.

  Clark cleared his throat and went back to his clipboard. It took him about an hour to go through the rest of the candidates. He sent back to Lewis two medics, two weapon smiths, three hunters, three gatherers, and four Shifters. Each one was chosen for a feature that was unique. In some cases, it was just a matter of picking a different color of skin or eye. Others it was a talent that no one else had, although none were as unique as Lynn or had Jesse’s blue eyes. Speaking of which, Clark stepped out of the tent for the last time.

  “We have filled all positions. Thank you for your interest.”

  The grumbles and swearing didn’t bother him. In fact, Clark was hoping some entrepreneur would shadow the caravan. He’d have backup positions in case of losses and he wouldn’t even have to feed them. Of course, he ran the risk that there might be duplicates. But he’d cross that bridge when he came to it. It was important no two were the same. Lewis needed to be satiated or bad things happened. When Lewis grew bored, disaster struck. It struck three times already.

  Clark was already undressing when he went into the back of the pavilion. The smell of sex was heavy in the air. His eyes went to Jesse who was tied to the center post of the large tent. Her blue eyes tracked him, even as the Shifter fucked her. Clark tried to remember the brute’s name. Timber, as in the wolf not the tree. A female Shifter played with herself while another whipped Timber with a cat o nine tails. Each flash of the whip made Timber frenzied. Jesse’s prett
y eyes closed in bliss.

  But as entertaining as watching Jesse get off was, Clark wanted to play with his lover. He spotted him immediately, surrounded by couples enjoying each other’s bodies. Clark watched Lewis ease into the medic who had his ass in the air, eating out a gatherer with tiny breasts and a luscious mouth that was servicing a hunter. The sea of flesh washed over him and he watched Lewis’s face contort in orgasm as he shuddered with his cock buried deep into the medic’s ass.

  Clark sampled here and there, amusing himself while Lewis finished up. He caught up with his partner just as Lewis was easing himself into the wide metal tub.

  “Join me in the bath?” Lewis asked him. The tub steamed and a layer of bubbles covered the interesting bits.

  “How did you get hot water if we don’t have a Tech?”

  “The old fashioned way,” He gestured to Flint who was carrying buckets of water and filling up tubs around the large pavilion, while Lynn was tending the fires that heated the water.

  “You saved them for me,” Clark said.

  “I love you best,” Lewis said simply. “Now let’s see how much water we can drench the floor with when I fuck you.”

  Clark stripped quickly and stepped into the tub. He pulled Lewis up to his knees. Squirting the liquid soap into his hand, Clark rubbed Lewis’ cock. The hot water and the slick soap made his hands a silky sheath.

  “Do you think this will be enough?” Clark asked.

  “There’s a lot of potential here.” Lewis squirted the soap over Clark’s chest and rubbed his hands over the hard muscles he found there. “You had the little whore with the blue eyes.”

  “She took the edge off.”

  “I’m displeased.”

  “Jealous?”

  Lewis kissed him hard enough that his teeth clacked against his lips. Blood trickled in and Clark slanted his mouth so Lewis could sip it.

  “Trying to appease me?” Lewis said.

  Clark was jerking him off hard. “Her tongue ring did it.”

  Lewis dipped his head back and laughed. Clark swooped in and bit his neck hard.

  “Yeah,” Lewis grunted. “Turn around and watch her while I fuck you.”

  Clark gave him another kiss before Lewis shoved him roughly on all fours. Water sploshed over the sides.