Shattered Restraint Read online

  Rather than shying away from her comment, Danny gave her a slow, sexy grin. “I am a bit hungry. Lucky for me, I caught a tasty morsel.”

  “What are you going to do with me now?” she asked, feigning distress.

  With his erection resting between her legs, Quinn had little doubt where this encounter was heading. “What did you expect to happen when you ran from me?” he asked.

  “This,” she said, pushing against his erection.

  Danny groaned and nipped her neck. “Behave,” he warned. “You wanted me to dominate you, and that’s exactly what you’re going to get.”

  “Who said I wanted you to dominate me?” she panted out because his teeth on her throat felt too good.

  “You did when you ran,” he said. “You wanted to test my vampire instincts, and you wanted me to catch you, even knowing what would happen.”

  “What’s going to happen?” she asked, running her tongue along her bottom lip.

  Danny nipped that lip lightly before staring into her eyes. “I promised to make you scream my name.”

  Quinn’s eyes closed, and she let out an involuntary moan.

  “Don’t you dare move a muscle,” Danny warned as he released her hands. “Keep your hands right by your head.”

  “Or what?” she taunted.

  He chuckled. “I am going to feast on your body,” he said in a husky voice. “If you move, I will torment you. I will bring you to the edge and deny you orgasm over and over again until you learn how to follow orders. I caught you. Now, you’re mine.”

  Quinn couldn’t stop the little whimper that escaped her lips at Danny’s sexy threat. There was no denying that she liked the idea of him teasing her.

  “Are you going to be a good little mage?” he asked.

  Quinn nodded and watched as Danny slid down her body. He tugged at the fastenings on her shorts until he got them undone. Then he slid them down her legs, baring her body to his hungry gaze. Hungry was the only way to describe Danny’s expression. He needed both sex and blood.

  “Take my blood,” Quinn said, tilting her head to expose her throat to him.

  “If I get my fangs anywhere near your throat, I’ll end up marking you,” he warned. “Can I take it from your thigh?” he asked, running his fingers along her inner thigh.

  With a nod, Quinn watched Danny’s mouth descend on her thigh. There was a sharp pain. Danny maintained eye contact with her while he fed, and the slight pain quickly turned to arousal that made her burn from head to toe. She moaned and almost moved her hands down to grab his hair. Danny’s warning growl was all that kept her in place. The intense orgasm that crashed through her body was enough to make her scream and buck her hips in the air.

  When Danny finally pulled away, he gave her a sexy smile. “Thank you,” he said, his voice rough with arousal. “I hope you don’t mind me practicing with another one of my vampire abilities.”

  She stared at him in confusion.

  “I can make feeding sexual for the person I take blood from,” he said. “I know it usually is for shifters anyway, but this seems to magnify the effect.”

  “It definitely magnified everything and made me want to feed you more often,” she said honestly. Her mind was working better now that the pulsing of her orgasm had died down, and she felt completely relaxed. That is, until Danny spoke again.

  “I’m still hungry for more of you,” he said as he stroked her thigh with his tongue.

  Quinn’s body instantly craved him again, but he was clearly in the mood to tease her. His tongue moved up and stopped at her hip bone, passing by the place she wanted it most, as he licked his way up to her belly, swirling his tongue in her navel.

  “No teasing,” she said and reached down to tug at his hair.

  Danny gave her a sharp look. “What did I say about moving those hands?”

  Quinn gave him a defiant look because she wasn’t very good at taking orders.

  “I can wait all day to do this,” Danny warned.

  With a laugh, Quinn put her hands up next to her head. “You are such a liar.”

  “Okay, I can’t wait all day, but I can wait until I get you back to your house where I can tie you up,” he warned.

  “I’ll behave,” Quinn said, only because she felt much too impatient to make it back to her house.

  Danny lifted her legs over his shoulders which caused a rock to dig into Quinn’s back. “Ouch!” she squealed.

  “Are you okay?” Danny asked, getting to his knees and lifting her into his arms.

  “A rock was digging into me,” she admitted. “Sorry about ruining the moment. You know, sex in this clearing has always sounded good, but I’d never realized how rocky it is.”

  Leaning forward, Danny brushed his lips against hers. “I guess I’ll just have to go with plan B and tie you up at your house.”

  Quinn smacked his chest. “Don’t even think about getting me turned on again and then leaving me like this.”

  Danny chuckled. “What’d you have in mind?”

  “Standing up?” she suggested.

  Danny laughed even harder. “Are we really gonna sit here and try to find a good position?”

  She sighed, and Danny kissed her until she was panting and aching for more.

  Finally, Danny tore his mouth from hers. “Stand up and undress,” he ordered.

  When she did, Danny quickly stripped out of his clothes, covering a small section of ground with their clothing. Then he returned to his knees, his erection standing at attention. “Straddle me,” he ordered. Quinn did as he said, sliding down his cock. Danny had her positioned so her feet were on the ground.

  Danny’s cock twitched inside of her. “You’d better start moving soon,” he said on a groan.

  He didn’t need to tell her twice. She’d never tried this position before, but it left her in complete control of the way their bodies moved. Sliding up and down Danny’s hard cock made her whimper and pulse around him. Soon, her movements became more frantic. One of Danny’s hands rested on her lower back, while the other toyed with her nipples until they were sore in the most delicious way imaginable. When he pinched one harder than he had before, it was enough to send her over the edge.

  Screaming his name over and over again, Quinn spasmed around Danny’s cock as he came hard inside of her.

  “You’re fucking incredible,” he murmured, leaning forward to kiss her. Danny had said she was his, and the part of her that believed that was practically purring. The other part was terrified of him trying to mark her again. Quinn pushed back any worries about her reaction to his attempts to mark her before. For now, she just wanted to enjoy the male kissing her.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “You haven’t marked her yet.”

  Danny set Quinn on her feet, jumped up, and took a defensive stance. He couldn’t figure out how he’d been distracted enough to miss the sound of someone approaching, or how Cord had managed to get past the border guards. Yet, there the cougar stood.

  “What do you want?” Danny demanded.

  “Max will kill you if he finds you on his land—especially after what you tried,” Quinn added.

  “Relax,” Cord said with his hands in the air. “I’m just here to talk, not to start problems.”

  “What do you want to talk about?” Danny asked wearily. There was no way he was trusting Cord when the shifter obviously wanted Quinn.

  “I ran into someone you know,” Cord said. “A vampire by the name of Roger seems eager to get his hands on you.”

  “And you thought you’d just come into the lynx territory and try to take Danny?” Quinn asked, pushing her way between them. She would never be the kind of woman who let him protect her. “You couldn’t beat him with five cougars backing you up, yet now you think you can do it alone?”

  Cord glared at her. “First, there were only three cougars with me that day. Second, I’m not an idiot. If I were here to take the vampire, I’d have brought back up with me. I’m here alone to prove I’m
not going to try anything underhanded.”

  Danny placed his hands on Quinn’s shoulders. “Just let him explain.”

  Quinn huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest, which pressed her breasts together in a very tantalizing way. The way Cord’s gaze drifted down proved he’d noticed it too. Danny pulled Quinn to his left and tucked her under his arm possessively.

  “Roger said something about sharing common enemies making us friends,” Cord said with a snarl before putting out a hand toward Danny. “You and I share a common enemy, friend.”

  Danny stared at his hand, not sure if this was a trap or not.

  “I don’t blame you for not trusting me,” Cord said. “If our situations were reversed, I’d have a hard time trusting you.”

  “How do I know this isn’t a trap so you can get your hands on Quinn?” Danny challenged.

  “Or hurt Danny,” Quinn added.

  “You don’t,” Cord said with a shrug.

  “That’s all the answer I get?” Danny asked incredulously.

  “What more can I say?” Cord asked simply. “You don’t know whether I’ll stab you in the back or not. Hell, you don’t know shit about me. Even Quinn only knows what she’s been told about me and my clan.”

  “I also know you tried to kidnap me and force me to take you as my mate,” Quinn snapped.

  Cord merely shrugged. “Things didn’t go the way I’d expected that day.”

  Quinn snorted. “Obviously, they didn’t. I’m sure you never expected anyone to come along and stop you.”

  Cord let out a humorless bark of laughter. “I never expected you to turn me down. I’m attractive and the leader of my clan. Females throw themselves at me every day. Why would I expect you to turn down the privilege of being my mate?”

  “Your modesty is inspiring,” Danny muttered.

  “Why the hell should I be modest?” Cord asked, looking genuinely confused.

  “After I turned you down, why did you keep pushing?” Quinn asked.

  Cord studied her. “You’ll be sent away in two years when you don’t change,” he said simply, and Danny saw Quinn flinch. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that to sound so cruel. I just meant that I figured you’d be grateful I was offering you not only a place to live, but a high-ranking position. No one would have insulted you or made you feel unwelcome. Had anyone tried, I would have made them very sorry.”

  Danny was on the verge of losing his temper. “So, you figured she’d drop to her knees in gratitude? You really are an asshole.”

  “I’ve been called worse,” Cord said with a grin.

  “You still haven’t answered my question,” Quinn pushed.

  “I came across a seer one day,” Cord explained. “She told me about you. Until that day, you were just another female lynx to me.”

  “What’s a seer?” Danny asked.

  “They’re people who can see beyond our reality,” Quinn explained with a furrowed brow. “Usually, they’re part Fae. Some of them see the past, some see the future, and others see the various layers of reality overlapping our own. You don’t run into the ones who see overlapping realities often because they can see the portals to the Fae realm, so the Fae usually hunt them down and kill them.”

  “This one could see the future,” Cord said.

  “So, something about Quinn’s future made you want her?” Danny asked.

  “You’re part mage,” Cord explained to Quinn. “The mage can wield magic as powerful as the Fae. Unlike the Fae, they’re less involved with other creatures. They feel no need to be praised, and they live simpler lives.”

  “The seer told you all of this about my father’s kind?” Quinn asked, clearly craving more information about what she was.

  Cord nodded. “She told me you would grow into a powerful being. This seer could view the future with several outcomes, probably because nothing is set in stone. She saw you providing great security for my clan if I took you as my mate. As the leader of the cougars, I am responsible for their safety.”

  Quinn took a step toward Cord, and Danny followed. “And you were willing to use me to gain this security,” she said, doing nothing to disguise the hurt in her voice.

  Wrapping his arms around her waist, Danny pulled her closer.

  “I thought we’d be a good match,” Cord insisted. “Even to protect my clan, I wouldn’t take a mate I didn’t feel I could be compatible with. You only know what Max has told you about us, and he knows very little. We don’t send away half-breeds. We’ve had several change at twenty-seven. Some have even had their first change later. I protect all of my clan members, and no one would have looked down on you for your heritage. For weeks, I watched you, and your spirit intrigued me. You’re also a very attractive female.”

  “None of this changes the fact that you tried to force Quinn to be your mate,” Danny reminded him.

  “You’re right,” Cord said with a resigned sigh. “My pride was hurt when she turned me down, and then I figured she’d change her mind if I got her away from the lynx.” His eyes locked with Quinn’s. “I’m sorry. With that being said, until your vampire marks you, my offer to take you as my mate still stands.”

  Danny wanted to sink his teeth into Quinn’s neck. He could practically see his mark on her.

  Quinn must have sensed his thoughts because she reached back and gave his thigh a hard pinch. That was enough to pull him from his crazy musings. “I’ll mark her when she’s ready,” he ground out.

  “Fair enough,” Cord agreed. “Back to the reason I’m here. I need your help.”

  “With what?” Danny asked.

  “That bastard, Roger, took three of my cougars. He surprised us with tranquilizer darts. Tell me where they are so I can save my cougars.”

  Danny thought for a moment. The chances of Cord being able to rescue his cougars without the assistance of someone on the inside were low. Danny’s information about the layout might help, but it would be better if Cam could get word to Claire. “He’ll be waiting for you to try to rescue them. Roger is a sick bastard who most likely wants to capture you, as well. In fact, I’m sure he’s waiting for you to try something.”

  “What choice do I have?” Cord asked. “I won’t let some sick vampire harm my cougars.”

  Much as he hated to admit it, Danny was starting to respect Cord.

  “My cousins have a contact on the inside,” Quinn offered.

  “That might be a problem,” Cord said thoughtfully. “Your cousins hate me.”

  “We’ll work on that,” Quinn assured him. “Can you meet us here tomorrow? If I can convince them to help, I’ll have my cousins with me. Otherwise, I’ll come with just Danny, and we’ll figure out a way to help you.”

  Cord nodded. “Same time tomorrow,” he said before taking off at a dead run as he shifted into a cougar.

  “How do you plan to convince your cousins to help Cord?” Danny asked.

  Quinn turned in his arms and rested her head against his chest. “Not a clue, but we need to help him.”

  “Much as I want to hate the guy for trying to kidnap you, I agree,” Danny said. “I also can’t help admiring him for risking his ass coming to us for help in rescuing his people.”

  “In that case, put your shorts on, and we’ll go find my cousins,” Quinn said, giving his bare ass a squeeze as she passed him.

  It wasn’t until that moment that Danny realized he’d stood naked and conversed with a naked shifter without trying to cover anything up. Yep, his boundaries were definitely changing the longer he spent with the shifters.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Quinn figured the conversation with her cousins was going fairly well since no one was yelling yet. She’d expected one of them to lose it as soon as Danny mentioned their meeting with Cord. Their self-control was impressive. The only signs of their foul moods were Jase’s twitching jaw muscle and Cam’s clenched fists. They were standing in the clearing where they’d met with Cord because it was one of the few places they could sp
eak privately.

  “Let me make sure I got this right,” Jase began casually. “You want us to help the cougars, Cord in particular?”

  “The same Cord who tried to kidnap Quinn?” Cam added.

  “That’s the one. And don’t talk about me like I’m not standing right here,” she said with a tight smile. Sadly, Zane was away. He was the one most likely to take her side.

  “Normally, I’d agree with you about not helping him after what he tried with Quinn, but I think it’s in our best interest,” Danny added. “I’m not sure why you’re all fighting, but he’s not as bad as I thought at first.”

  “You hit your head, vampire?” Jase asked, leaning forward. “He tried to force himself on my cousin.”

  “I don’t think his intention was to force me to have sex with him,” Quinn argued.

  “I’m with Quinn on this one. Cord’s pretty arrogant,” Danny said. “I believe his story about thinking Quinn would end up being so grateful she’d fall all over herself to please him.”

  “Proves he doesn’t know our Quinn,” Cam said with a snort. “Much as it pains me to say this, I think we should help the cougars.”

  “Are you out of your fucking mind?” Jase snapped.

  “Both Danny and Quinn think he’s on the level. It’ll be easy enough to find out if the cougars are being held by Roger. If they are, Cord would ally himself with us to get them back,” Cam insisted. “Bastard or not, he’s a strong leader, and he’ll do what it takes to save his cougars.”

  Jase thought for a moment. “You’re right,” he reluctantly agreed. “Cord does seem to be a good leader, even if he is a total asshole.”

  “What’s the deal with you guys?” Danny asked. “There’s plenty of land here for all of you. Why fight over territory like you are?”

  “When we moved down here, the cougars didn’t want to share their land,” Jase explained. “Not that I blame them. When we first got here, the human population had thinned out, and the woods had expanded. From our perspective, there was plenty of space for us to live without getting in each other’s way. The cougars were concerned that humans would repopulate, or that vampires would expand their territories.”