He was proud of me. My hardass, overprotective big brother was proud of me.

  “You want to hold her while I drive?” Demon asked.

  I wanted to argue. I loved my brother, but I needed my mate right now. “Naw, she wants you. I’ll drive.”

  When Demon slipped his arms around me once again, I curled into his body, purring softly.

  “The bullet was a through and through, but I want you to stay in your cat form, Rian. You’ll heal faster.”

  I wasn’t going to argue. I was in pain and was just plain too exhausted.

  “Sleep, baby.”

  Don’t leave me.

  Never.

  15

  DEMON

  “She saved our lives, you know.”

  I sat by Rian’s bed lightly stroking her soft curls away from her face. We were at her work, in a makeshift hospital room next to the one Jagger occupied. She had yet to wake up after being shot, and I was about to go crazy. I knew she was okay, that she was just in a healing sleep, but that didn’t help. I needed to see those beautiful golden-brown eyes of hers. Needed to kiss those soft lips.

  “If she hadn’t taken out that sniper, more of us would have been hit after Jagger.”

  “Yeah,” I said absently, running my knuckle down the soft skin of Rian’s cheek.

  “She’s not going to quit Night Star, is she, Demon?”

  “I hope not,” I said, glancing over at Taz.

  “Why not?”

  “Because, doing what she does makes her happy. It’s who she is. I refuse to take that from her.”

  “Not even if it meant she would be safe?”

  Meeting his gaze, I shook my head. “Not even then.” It didn’t matter how much I hated the thought of her in danger, of her out there fighting against evil without me by her side, there was no way in hell I was going to ask her to quit.

  “You’re a stronger man than I am,” Taz muttered with a frown.

  “I will be whatever your sister needs me to be,” I said, my gaze going back to Rian. “She’s all that matters now.” Leaning in, I rubbed my cheek against hers, breathing in her scent. When I pulled back, my heart caught as her eyelids fluttered, and then slowly opened. “There you are,” I rasped, sinking my fingers deep into her hair. “I was wondering when you were going to come back to me.”

  A slow smile appeared, and then those captivating eyes closed again as she whispered, “I’ll never leave you.”

  “Thank fuck,” I growled, burying my face in her curls. “You had me worried, Hellfire.”

  I felt her light touch as her fingers skimmed over my back, then up to slide into my hair, holding me close to her. “Love you.”

  “I love you, too, baby.”

  Jagger?

  She hesitantly whispered her teammate’s name in my mind, afraid to say it out loud. Pulling back slightly, I gently kissed her lips, and then smiled, meeting her gaze. “He’s going to be fine. He’ll hurt like a bitch for awhile, but he’s alive and already telling Nitro how much he owes him for taking a bullet for his ass.”

  A trembling smile crossed her lips, one lone tear slipping free as she rasped, “He’s going to milk that for all it’s worth.”

  “You better believe it,” Talia said as she breezed into the room. “We are going to hear about how he saved Nitro’s life every day for at least the next six months, if not more.”

  Rian laughed, her eyes going to her friend. “Of course, we are.”

  Talia stood by the bed, her back to Taz, ignoring his presence. “Well deserved, if you ask me. I, for one, am going to enjoy watching this.”

  “Watching what?” Nitro asked as he strode in, coming to a stop at the foot of the bed.

  “Oh, nothing,” Talia drawled, her eyes lit with laughter and the corners of her mouth turned up into a small grin.

  Shaking his head, Nitro looked at Rian. “You have the next couple of weeks off, then I want you back here. Killian Reed is running scared. He’s going to make mistakes, and when he does, we are going to be there. We are going to find him and end him.”

  “Wait,” Rian whispered, her eyes widening in horror. “We didn’t get him?”

  Nitro shook his head, his gaze hardening in anger. “The bastard was gone by the time we breached the house. The sniper kept us busy long enough for him to get away through some underground tunnel that led out into the trees behind the house.”

  “It’s my fault,” Rian whispered, her face clouding over in self-condemnation. “If I’d just been faster.”

  “Bullshit,” Taz growled, moving from the back of the room to stand by Nitro. “You did good, little sister. Better than good. You were fucking amazing. You stopped that bastard from taking all of us down.”

  “But Reed got away,” Rian said, her hand going to mine and grasping it tightly.

  “Not your fault,” Taz said, reaching over to squeeze her ankle gently. “You remember what I told you before? I’m proud of you, Princess.” He held up a hand. “And before you go getting upset because I called you that, I don’t do it because I think you are a baby or weak. I call you that, because to me, that’s what you are. Fucking royalty. Beautiful, important, regal, strong. Everything you’d think a princess would be. That’s you, Rian.”

  I saw Rian’s eyes fill with tears as her brother tried to explain to her exactly what he thought of her. “Thank you,” she whispered, holding out a hand to him.

  Taz walked around the bed to slide in front of Talia, not even looking in the woman’s direction. Leaning over, he kissed Rian’s cheek. “I love you, sis.”

  “Love you, too,” she whispered back.

  Straightening, he glanced over at Nitro. “I’ve got some things I need to take care of. I’ll work on tracking Reed, and let you know if I come up with anything.”

  “I’d prefer you use the security of our network here to hunt him.”

  Taz glanced over at Talia, then back to Nitro. “Fine.”

  “I’ll get you a security pass so you can come and go as you want,” Nitro told him. “As much as I would like you on this full time, I understand you have a life outside of this world the rest of us live in.”

  “Rian is a big part of that life. As long as she’s in danger, I’ll be here,” Taz said gruffly.

  He didn’t mention Talia.

  I glanced down at Rian, hating the worry I saw in her eyes, but knowing it was there for good reason. She’s made her feelings clear, Rian. He won’t chase her.

  Maybe he should.

  He’s hurting.

  Rian’s grip on mine tightened. Why is she doing this to him, Brady?

  I don’t know, baby. She’s hurting, too.

  Can you look into her mind? See what’s going on?

  I sighed, running my hand over her soft hair. I could, but do you really want me to violate your friend’s privacy like that?

  No, Rian whispered. You’re right.

  “Come on,” Nitro said, oblivious to the talk Rian and I were having just between the two of us. “I’ll get you that pass.”

  As Taz followed him to the door, Talia asked, “When will you be back?”

  He stiffened, glancing back at her. “Why, so you can make sure you aren’t here?”

  Talia put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Something like that.”

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart, you’ve made your position perfectly clear.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Talia snapped.

  Taz shook his head, and I saw a muscle tic in his jaw before he replied, “You don’t want a mate. You don’t want me. I get it. I’ll stay out of your way.” With that, he turned and left the room without a backward glance.

  “Why, Talia?” Rian asked softly.

  Talia was quiet for a moment before she whispered, “I know I’m being a bitch, Rian, but it has to be this way.”

  “You aren’t making sense,” Rian argued. “Whatever you are going through, whatever you’re afraid of, Riordan could help. We all could.”

  Talia looked over at us, a lost look in her dark eyes, her voice void of hope as she said, “No one can help me.” Before either of us could reply, Talia left, leaving behind the scent of utter despair.

  “What do we do?”

  Placing my cheek next to Rian’s, I muttered, “Nothing, Rian. We do nothing.”

  16

  RIAN

  “Brady, please!” I was begging for release as I rode my mate’s cock, searching for that blissful moment when my body blew up in flames. I was so close, but not quite there yet.

  “Mine,” he snarled, grasping my hips tightly as he drove up into me.

  “Yours,” I gasped, my hands going to my breasts, my fingers lightly pinching my nipples. “Oh, God, Brady!”

  “You are so fucking sexy,” Demon growled, his eyes dark with desire, his fangs gleaming large and white in the darkness.

  “Bite me,” I demanded, wanting to feel those teeth in my skin, marking me, claiming me again. “Please, Brady, I need it.”

  I didn’t have to ask twice. One second I was riding him, the next he’d flipped me over on my back, still inside of me. Shoving a hand into my hair, he grasped it tightly. Tilting my head back, he sank his fangs deep into the skin on my shoulder, right over his original claiming bite. I cried out, arching into him, finally finding that release I’d been fighting for. It swamped me, fire racing through my veins, as I came around his cock.

  Demon snarled and growled at my shoulder as he drove inside of me. Finding my own mark on him, I licked over it. Demon stiffened, and I did it again, then bit down hard. He roared, his hard cock erupting inside me, making me come again.

  We stayed like that for several minutes, holding each other close, reveling in the mating bond that tied us together. Finally, Demon pulled his teeth free and licked at his mark. I did the same, loving him more than I ever thought I could love anyone.

  Pulling the covers over us, Demon snuggled me close, placing a kiss on the top of my head. “You go back to work soon,” he said quietly, as he gently ran a hand over my hair.

  “Yes.”

  “Killian Reed’s gone deep underground, from what Taz says. He’s going to continue hunting him, but right now, they don’t think any of our families are in danger.”

  “I agree,” I said, placing a row of soft kisses over his chest. “Brady?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you want me to quit Night Star?”

  He froze, his eyes meeting mine. “You would do that? Quit for me?”

  “I would do anything for you,” I whispered. I didn’t want to leave Night Star, but for Demon, I would.

  A slow grin crossed his face, love shining in his eyes. “Just knowing you would be willing to if I wanted you to is enough for me.”

  I hesitated, dropping my gaze to his chest. “I know you worry about me, Demon. I heard Shadow say something about your mother to Shyla. I… I don’t want to…” I wasn’t sure how to finish what I was trying to say. I knew his mother had died years ago, but I didn’t fully know what happened. I didn’t want to pry if he wasn’t ready to share the story with me, but I knew his fear for me while I was out doing my job was somehow tied to her.

  Sliding his fingers into my hair, Demon placed his lips to mine, then pulled me close and held me, my head on his chest. “It happened when I was ten,” he said, his arms tightening around me. “We’d been on the run for a couple of years already, after my brother and mom killed two members of the Lycaon Wolves MC. They finally caught up with us.”

  “Oh, Brady,” I whispered, gently stroking his side, offering him what comfort I could.

  “She was so scared,” he rasped. “The scent of her fear was like a thick fog. Fear for me and Griff.” He was quiet for a moment, then said, “They killed her. Stuck a knife right through her heart. There wasn’t anything I could do to stop the bastard.”

  “Of course not, Brady. You were just a child.”

  “I stopped being a child that day,” he muttered, putting his head down near me and inhaling deeply. “I’m terrified something like that will happen to you,” he admitted. “That I won’t be able to save you, like I couldn’t save her.”

  I closed my eyes, hiding my tears. Tears for the boy who lost his mother at a young age and had to grow up way too fast. Tears for the man who loved me enough to support me in whatever decision I made, even though he was filled with fear that I could be taken from him too.

  “I would never ask you to quit doing something you love.”

  “You didn’t,” I said, rubbing my cheek against his chest.

  “I want you to stay with Night Star,” he said, placing a kiss on the top of my head.

  I lifted my head to look into his eyes. “I want you to be happy.”

  “You make me happy, Rian.”

  “But you’ll worry.”

  He laughed, his hand coming up to cup my jaw. “I’ll worry no matter what you do.”

  “True.”

  “Night Star needs you,” Demon said gruffly. “What they do is amazing. You are amazing. I won’t take that from you.”

  Leaning into his hand, I smiled, “Thank you.”

  “Now,” he growled playfully, reaching down to grasp my ass and pulling me up until the head of his once again hard cock was slowly sliding into my wet heat, “what do you think we should do until you go back to work?”

  “Oh, I think we can figure something out,” I purred, raking my nails lightly down his side.

  “Fuck, I love you, Rian.”

  “Show me,” I growled, right before I sank my fangs into his shoulder again.

  * * *

  THE END

  Turn the page for a sneak peek at Feral Instincts, DLMC East Texas Chapter book 8!

  FERAL INSTINCTS

  DLMC EAST TEXAS CHAPTER BOOK 8

  * * *

  Chapter One

  Sienna

  “What’s your favorite part of being a club whore?” Lette asked while pulling a white tank top over her head.

  Our full-length mirror stuck to the back of our bedroom door didn’t do my ass justice as I peered over my shoulder. “These cut-offs short enough?”

  “Yeah.” Lette unhooked her bra beneath her shirt, slipped her arms free, and snapped the bit of lace my way, a smile apple-ing her bronzed cheeks. “Think I’ll go with the nipples showing tonight. Too damn hot. Now answer the question.”

  My favorite part of being a whore to an MC club?

  The satisfaction of saying fuck you every time I allow a man inside my body.

  “Dick,” I answered before she could question my hesitation.

  “The variety is nice.” A sigh escaped Lette as she came to stand behind me, her big, doe-like eyes checking out my front in the warped image in front of us. “I wish I had your curves.”

  “Brothers don’t care what you look like as long as they’ve got a wet, willing hole.”

  “Some of those assholes don’t know how to make a woman wet,” she muttered and turned away again. “Thank fuck for lube.”

  I sat beside her on the edge of our double bed and strapped on my fuck-me heels I’d nabbed from a second-hand store. “So, what’s your favorite part?”

  “When brothers get all animal-like, growling and shit, like they want to shift and rip you apart. Hot. As. Fuck.” Lette’s long dark curls fell around her face as she snickered and bent to pull on her cowboy boots. “Seriously, though, what’s made you stick around? When I first met you last month, I thought you were a virgin prude who’d never even seen a dick.”

  Oh, I’d seen one alright—and the memory of that night etched in my brain in vivid, sickening detail. I’d been whoring myself out to the Dark Leopards MC East Texas Chapter ever since, and I’d found something I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.

  “Freedom,” I didn’t hesitate to answer why I stuck around.

  Lette let out a snort. “There’s no freedom being a whore to those bossy fuckers. It’s spread your legs or wrap those lips around my cock,” she mocked with a deep voice, her fingers quoting the air around the lines we heard every time we partied with the brothers. She had a point, but she also didn’t know the ugliness, the darkness that had led to our paths crossing.

  “At least there’s no question about what they want,” I said, trying for a light-hearted tone.

  The heat of Lette’s stare warmed the side of my face, and I hopped up before she could question me further. “Like the heels?” I showcased my leg with a twist of my ankle.

  “I like your shorts better,” she said, eyeing the frayed denim. “Those things will be peeled off your legs before the end of the first hour.”

  “Half-hour,” I tossed back.

  “Fine.” She stood and held out her hand. “You get the first fuck, but I’ll get the most dick tonight.”

  “Any hole?” I asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

  Lette rolled her eyes. “I hate taking it in the ass, but yeah. Any hole.”

  I shook her hand, our crass betting twisting my stomach even though I smiled.

  Fuck you.

  Fighting to keep my jolly facade in place, I grabbed my bag and followed my best and only friend out into the alleyway, reminding myself I was a new woman. That my life was mine for the choosing. I could be who I wanted. Fuck who I wanted. Curse a mean streak and even take shots off Lette’s flat stomach if that’s what the brothers wanted.

  I could sin every second of every day and no longer fear the wrath of a strap, whip, or threat of eternal damnation.

  Blue still shaded overhead between the two buildings rising above us, the first hints of sunset streaking the sky and easing my mind of the shit of my past. I’d always enjoyed the outdoors, the lack of restrictions keeping me from seeing the entire sky. I’d always been envious of birds and the freedom they had to go wherever the wind took them. “Gorgeous night,” I murmured.

 

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