Shattered Restraint Read online

  Pulling back, Danny blew on her nipple, sending a tingling sensation all the way to her core. Then he repeated the sexy torture with her other breast until she was moaning so loud she was sure everyone within five miles heard her.

  Frantically, Quinn reached down to try to get her hands in Danny’s shorts, but she couldn’t in her current position. Her hands fisted in his hair, tugging it hard.

  Danny released his hold on her breast and gave her a sexy grin. “Did you want something, beautiful?”

  “I need to touch you,” she said, her voice even more husky than usual.

  “Not nearly as much as I need you to touch me,” he said, and the raw lust in his eyes made her quiver.

  Danny quickly stood and stripped out of his shorts. Quinn got to her knees and reached out to stroke his erection. Danny’s cock was hard and ready for her, and a fine shiver ran through her body at the thought of how good it was going to feel inside of her. Her hand moved up and down his shaft, and Danny’s head dropped back.

  “Having you touch me feels so fucking incredible. I’m almost afraid I’ll embarrass myself,” he ground out.

  “I want you inside of me,” she said, releasing his cock and licking her lips. “I want to taste you.”

  Danny shook his head. “Not this time, beautiful. This time, I want to be buried inside of you while you come undone around my dick.”

  Quinn shuddered again and nodded. She slipped off her shirt. The entire time, Danny watched her with longing like she’d never seen in any male’s eyes. Her hands shook ever so slightly when she undid her shorts and let them drop to the ground. Panic rose in her as her mind told her there would be no going back if she gave in now, but she pushed those worries aside. She’d had casual sex before, and there was no reason to assume things would be more than sex with Danny, despite what her uncle wanted.

  Danny drank her in with his eyes. Her body was trim, with slender hips and small pert breasts, and Danny clearly liked what he saw. While Quinn had never doubted her own physical attractiveness, she’d never had a male make her feel this desired. When he leaned into her, his kiss was gentle, almost adoring.

  Pulling back slightly, Danny continued to cradle her face while brushing her lower lip with one thumb. “I’m going to lay you down on the ground and fuck you until you can’t remember what’s bothering you. Would you like me to do that?”

  “More than anything,” she said in a breathy whisper.

  Danny made a pillow out of their clothes and guided her onto the ground with a gentleness that was at odds with the fierce need she saw in his eyes.

  Settling on his knees between her legs, Danny stroked her wet folds, testing her readiness. “You are so hot and wet,” he murmured. “I really want to taste you again.”

  “Please, no more waiting,” she pleaded. “I need you inside of me.”

  Danny covered her with his body. His chest hairs tickled her nipples, and the head of his cock pulsed between her legs. Without taking his eyes off of hers, he reached down to position himself at her entrance. He slid into her slowly, stretching her and making her ache in a delicious way.

  “You’re so tight,” Danny said with a groan. “God, you feel fucking incredible.”

  Arching her hips up to meet him, Quinn whimpered with pleasure. His thrusts began slowly, clearly testing her, making sure she was ready for him. Then they picked up pace and intensity. Soon, his body was slamming into hers as she raised her hips, straining to get even closer. Her nails dug into his ass, and she leaned up to bite his chest, which made him even wilder. He met her aggressiveness with his own, slamming into her body so hard, she was sure she’d feel it the next day.

  When he slowed his pace again, Quinn was certain she was going to lose her mind. Her teeth sank into his chest, and she let out a frustrated groan.

  “You’re killing me, beautiful,” Danny rasped out. “I want to make this last longer, but you’re making me crazy.”

  “I’m so close,” Quinn whimpered. “Please, fuck me harder. No one’s ever made me feel this good.”

  Danny’s restraint completely shattered, and he thrust into her body hard and fast. While he pushed her body to the limits of ecstasy, he continued to watch her. Quinn saw the possessiveness in Danny’s eyes, and it frightened her a little. It also aroused her. Fear and arousal were a heady combination. Her body was wrapped so tightly that she came completely undone with his next thrust, spasming around him.

  Danny lunged forward, and his teeth touched her throat.

  “Stop!” she said urgently, hoping he wasn’t too far gone.

  Danny froze, his mouth still on her throat, and his teeth pressed against the sensitive flesh. Part of her ached to have him continue with what he was about to do. Danny was preparing to mark her, and she knew damn well it was not a conscious decision. Some instinct driven part of his mind had taken over.

  “I don’t want this,” she said softly.

  Danny pulled back and blinked twice, like he was waking up from a strange dream. Finally, he nodded and leaned down to kiss her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rolled her hips against him. Within a minute, he groaned into her mouth as he found his own release inside of her.

  “I’m sorry,” Danny said, looking a little embarrassed as he pulled her on top of his chest.

  “You should be,” she teased, poking him in the ribs. “How dare you give me the most intense orgasm of my entire life.”

  “Quinn,” he warned, giving her ass a pinch. “You know I’m talking about trying to mark you.”

  “Let’s not talk about that,” she practically pleaded.

  Danny looked like he wanted to argue, but he let out a sigh instead and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “The most intense orgasm in your entire life?” he asked with a grin.

  “Definitely the most intense,” she assured him around a yawn.

  “Is it safe to nap out here?” he asked.

  “There are guards no more than five hundred feet in each direction,” she said.

  Danny groaned. “So every one of them heard us?” he asked with a strange mix of distress and pride. Males of all species really could be idiots.

  “Get used to it,” she told him. “Unless we’re really quiet, the shifters will hear us if we have sex in my home. I guess, if you start to suck in bed, they might not know what’s happening.”

  “Brat,” he said, just before dozing off.

  Chapter Thirty

  Danny had woken up completely sated and confused as hell. He’d tried to bite Quinn for the sole purpose of putting a scar on her neck to mark her as his mate. Even the term still seemed strange to him. At the human settlement, where he’d grown up, they hadn’t used that term. Some of the vampires used it, but most didn’t. Perhaps being around the shifters had changed his views. Of course, he knew that wasn’t all of it. There was a lot going on that had no logical explanation.

  Quinn was obviously just as confused as him, because she took off as soon as they woke up. She had a good excuse for leaving without talking. They all had work to do, and she was supposed to be sewing clothing with some of the other shifters that afternoon. When he’d asked to tag along, she’d given him some bullshit line about him being a distraction and told him to go bother one of her cousins.

  Up to this point, he’d found a quiet place to brood. That had been something he’d been working on perfecting over the last couple of months.

  “What’s bothering you, human?” Cam asked as he sauntered up to Danny. “Shit!” Cam cursed and dropped down beside him on the ground. “Sorry about the human thing. Got used to calling you that because it bothered you.”

  Danny shrugged. “I kind of forget about being a vampire myself, and I’m the one cutting my tongue with the fangs. It’s a damn good thing vampires heal quickly.”

  Cam chuckled. “I never even thought of that. Those things do stick out quite a bit. Can you still eat regular food? I’m guessing that would make it even harder to avoid biting yourself.”
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  “Born vampires can,” Danny explained. “But not turned vampires. I kinda thought I’d miss it, but I don’t crave it at all.”

  “I guess that’s good,” Cam said. “Not sure I could handle that. Then again, I like to eat some of my meals pretty fresh, and it’s got to do with more than just hunger.”

  “Shifters would make terrible vampires,” Danny said thoughtfully. “Where have you been?”

  “You miss me?” Cam asked, leaning into Danny’s side affectionately. “Something tells me you had plenty to keep you occupied while I was gone.”

  “Your father wants me to make Quinn my mate,” Danny said, since he wasn’t sure if Cam knew any of this.

  Cam was quiet for a long time, just sitting there with his head resting on Danny’s shoulder. Danny wondered if the shifter was going to say anything, when Cam finally spoke. “When you look at her, do you see your mark on her?” he asked. “Is it almost an obsession you can’t explain?”

  Hearing someone so accurately describe his feelings was a relief because he hadn’t been sure anyone would understand what he was going through. “That’s exactly what I feel! I didn’t until Zane and Jase told me about the mating process earlier today. Now, all I can think about is biting Quinn’s throat. I know the exact spot I want to bite. I almost did it too. If Quinn hadn’t stopped me, I would have marked her without even asking her permission first.”

  “She stopped you?” Cam asked, giving him a sympathetic smile.

  “Yeah,” Danny said in frustration. “I mean, stopping me was the right thing to do. We barely know each other, and I’m pretty fucked up. I can see why she’d hesitate to take me as her mate.”

  “That’s not how true mating works,” Cam said. “No lie, I didn’t believe in that crap until I met Claire. I always figured it was just an excuse to claim someone you found sexy as sin. I was hot enough for Layla that I would have marked her, but it was easy to let her go. Then I met Claire, and everything inside of me screamed she was mine. I would kill anyone who tried to take her from me. I ache when I’m not with her.”

  “She’s not agreeable to being your mate?” Danny asked.

  “No,” Cam said angrily and pulled away to sit up straight. “I hunted her down and acted like a complete ass around her. The possessive crap might turn the shifter females on, but Claire isn’t a shifter. Actually, it turned her on, but it still pissed her off.”

  “Sorry to hear that,” Danny said.

  “What the fuck are we doing?” Cam asked with a laugh.

  “Sitting around talking about our feelings,” Danny said. “Pretty pathetic, huh?”

  “Yeah, let’s go fight.” Cam stood. “I can’t wait to see how good you are.”

  Danny grinned. “Now, that’s an offer I can’t refuse.”

  “If you tell me it’s the best offer you’ve had all day, I’ll be obliged to kick your ass for insulting my sweet cousin,” Cam warned.

  Danny got to his feet and looked in the direction Quinn had gone. “No need to worry about that. Your offer is nowhere near the best I’ve had all day. Now, let’s go beat the hell out of each other until we can’t remember why we’re both in a piss poor mood.”

  “I do have some good news for you,” Cam said with a smirk.

  “What’s that?” Danny asked.

  “My father assigned you a place to stay while you’re here,” Cam said.

  “Where’s that?” Danny asked, assuming he’d be staying with Cam or one of his brothers.

  “Quinn’s house,” Cam said and then laughed when Danny nearly tripped over his own feet.

  Danny had to give Max credit for his persistence.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The search for Danny was not going well, making it hard for Roger to maintain his self-control. Two fucking days with no sign of the bastard! He hated being away from the safety of his compound, but he couldn’t sit around waiting for his followers to locate Danny. This was too important. That meant he was trudging through the woods with a contingency of guards.

  He still couldn’t figure out why Craig had betrayed him. He’d given the pitiful little man power he never could have had on his own. Craig had never been a strong man. No, he’d been weak in mind and body. The only reason he’d stayed alive so long was his scientific knowledge and his exemplary ability to suck up. At least, that was how he’d managed to survive so long under Graham’s leadership. Graham had been an egomaniac who needed constant praise.

  Roger knew himself to be above that sort of thing. While he’d enjoyed Craig’s nervous groveling because the fear of others was nearly intoxicating, Roger preferred to be surrounded by stronger people. Even if he planned to break someone—strip them bare emotionally and expose every fear—he liked more of a challenge. No, Craig had only been useful for his mind.

  “Why do you think Craig killed himself?” asked Jeff.

  “How would I know why the fool killed himself?” Roger snapped. “I was hardly his friend.” The truth was, Roger had his suspicions about why Craig had killed himself. Craig likely knew Roger would blame him for Danny’s escape, and the punishment would have been worse than death. There was no way Danny could have had the strength to escape without Craig giving him extra blood during and after the change.

  “Too bad he’s dead,” Jeff said in a far off voice. “Would have been fun to question him about Danny’s escape.”

  “We’ll find others involved in the escape and get the chance,” Roger said. “I’m sure we’ll have fun with Danny once he’s back in our possession.” Roger’s mind raced with ways to punish Danny for making him leave the compound. “He’ll beg for death before I’m done with him.”

  “I’m thinking Claire had something to do with this mess,” Jeff said without looking at Roger. “Might be a good idea if I question her when we get back.”

  Roger’s jaw clenched at the shortsightedness of this fool. “You are not to go anywhere near Claire,” Roger ground out. “Her role is far too important.” Much as it pained Roger to admit that, it was the truth.

  Jeff gave a nervous nod and had the brains to keep his mouth shut.

  There was rustling in the brush just before five shirtless men emerged. “Just what we need, more fucking vampires,” growled the one at the front of the group.

  There was a bestial aggressiveness to these men that led Roger to the conclusion that they probably weren’t human. There was also the fact that they wouldn’t be confronting him so boldly if they were human.

  “This isn’t a good place for vampires,” said another one of the shirtless men.

  “We’re looking for someone,” Roger said, ignoring their implied threat. “He’s a vampire with red hair, about six feet tall.”

  “He’s dead if we see him again,” the one Roger assumed to be the leader spat out.

  “I think we may be able to help each other, my friend,” Roger said with a pleasant smile.

  “We aren’t your friends,” one of the men said.

  Making a tsking noise with his tongue, Roger merely shook his head. “We have a common enemy. I’d say that makes us friends. If you help me get that vampire back, I can guarantee he’ll wish he was dead.”

  The leader grinned. “Now you’re speaking a language I understand, but tell me why I should trust you. More importantly, tell me why I need your help.”

  “You aren’t human,” Roger said thoughtfully. “In fact, you smell like one of those creatures who changes shape.” He was bluffing. His sense of smell wasn’t strong enough to pick out the creatures who changed shape, but the men before him didn’t know that.

  “Careful, vampire,” the leader said. “You could get yourself killed talking like that. We don’t like outsiders in our business, and we don’t like vampires.”

  Roger laughed because he really was amused by all the macho posturing. This was a man he’d enjoy toying with—a man he’d enjoy breaking. For now, getting Danny back was his top priority, so he wouldn’t be able to act on that impulse. With the
tranquilizers Roger and his guards were carrying, they could easily take down the five creatures and then transport them back to the lab. Without Craig, the experiments wouldn’t be quite as scientific in nature, but Roger had some ideas he was dying to try. Reining that desire in, Roger focused on getting Danny back.

  “I’ve had problems with some of your kind recently. They turn into lynx,” Roger explained.

  One of the men spit on the ground. “Fucking lynx bastards,” he muttered.

  “It seems we share more than one common enemy,” the leader murmured thoughtfully.

  Roger could tell the shapeshifters didn’t want to work with him. If they refused, he and his guards would tranquilize them all and take them back for experiments. Either way, Roger was assured a positive outcome to this meeting.

  “What’s your name?” he asked the leader.

  “Cord,” the leader answered after a short pause. He didn’t introduce the others, an act Roger commended. Why offer the names of those below you if it wasn’t useful?

  “Roger,” he introduced himself, offering nothing more. It seemed best to let Cord consider his offer of an alliance.

  “Why do you want the vampire?” Cord asked.

  “Quite simply, so I can stop the beating of his heart,” Roger replied, offering as little information as possible.

  “I’d like that too,” Cord growled.

  “If we work together, I get to take care of that detail,” Roger insisted.

  There was obvious hesitation, revealing a weakness the shifter possessed. Those who were comfortable lying didn’t take time considering whether or not they should agree. Roger would agree to anything to get what he wanted, even knowing he’d later go back on his word.

  “Fine, you can kill the vampire,” Cord said. “I only care about getting the female he took.”

  Roger’s amusement grew. “All of this upset over a female?”

  “She’s my mate,” Cord insisted, but Roger heard the lie in his voice—not that he cared if the shifter lied to him about any of this.