Phantom Warriors: Saber-Tooth (3 page)

quivered as she pulled the latch that opened the cage door. It made a loud creak,

shattering the silence in the garage.

“You’re being silly. It’s not possible. This is someone’s idea of a sick joke and this

guy’s in on it, even if he’s out cold.” She scolded herself for hesitating as she threw the

door wide, slamming it against the outside of the cage. Pistol in hand, Katy dropped to

her knees and slowly crawled forward, straining to reach the dart. She needed to do this

quick, so she could wake the guy and find out his part in this charade. Without the

saber-tooth, there would be no scientific journals, accolades or job offers. She’d just be

another out-of-work tracker on the job hunt.

Just what job do you think you’re going to get without references?
Katy’s heart sank. In all

likelihood her next job would require asking “would you like fries with your shake”.

Damn it, she wasn’t going down without a fight. This guy was going to help her

whether he wanted to or not.

Her fingers closed around the dart and began to pull. He didn’t move. She tugged

harder and it slipped out. His hands were on her so fast, removing the pistol from her

grip, that Katy didn’t have a chance to blink or pull the trigger. The naked man came to

life like the dart was a mere mosquito bite, not something designed to take down a

thousand pound cat. He pushed her out of the cage and onto her back across the tailgate,

keeping his hands firmly locked on her wrists the entire time.

In shock, Katy forgot to struggle, then her adrenaline kicked in. “Get off me.” She

began to squirm and scratch, her hips bucking as his naked solid weight came down

upon her, crushing her into the truck. Warmth spread through her body. She fought

harder. “I mean it. Get off me.”

Be silent!

The command pummeled her mind, knocking the breath from her lungs. Katy

gasped. She was losing it. She had to be losing it. People didn’t talk to each other using

their minds. It just wasn’t done outside of the movies and sci-fi-fantasy novels. Didn’t he

know that? If not, somebody should tell him.

She wheezed, drawing in a shuddering breath. “What do you want?” she asked,

wiggling her hips until she came into contact with his erect cock. Katy froze, her eyes

rounding as she felt his flesh begin to grow impossibly thicker. She remembered the size

of the cat, then unconsciously glanced down, before meeting his gaze once more.

Feral green eyes locked with hers and Katy felt herself falling into their emerald

depths. His breath came in pants, but she doubted it had anything to do with trying to

keep her pinned. The man’s jaw clenched and his muscles tightened as his hips moved

of their own volition, making a small thrust forward.

“Who are you?” She whimpered, as his cock slid over her clit, leaving an ache

behind. For a moment, Katy couldn’t move or breathe as her body responded to his heat,

then she panicked. “Get the hell off me!” She shoved against his hands and he actually

had the audacity to grin at her. It was then that she noticed the sharp points of his

incisors. They weren’t fangs exactly, but they were close.

Will you cease your struggles?

“Fuck you!”

His grin spread wider, flashing more of his unusually white teeth.
If that is an

invitation to enter your body, then I accept.

Katy’s eyes bugged. “It is not! Damn it, get off me or I’ll scream.”

Please don’t do that. I’d hate for you to accidentally harm yourself.

“The only one about to get hurt here is you.”

His brows shot to his hairline and his lips quirked. She got the distinct impression

he was trying not to laugh. He pulled her wrists together so he could hold them with

one hand and then brushed the strands of hair away from her face that had come loose in

the struggle.
Such an unusual color.
He fingered the strawberry blonde tresses for a

second, before burying his nose in the side of her head and inhaling.
Your scent is

unfamiliar, but I like it.

“Thank you. I think.” What in the hell was she saying? She was not having a

conversation with this… this… man. Katy refused to think of him as anything more. “Are

you a mind reader? Is that how you’re sending me your thoughts? I’m not psychic, but I’

ve always been a little sensitive.” She left off the fact that her sensitivity only extended to

animals. Was this really any different?

No…

Katy waited for him to expand upon his answer, but he never did. “Are you going to

let me up?”

No
, he answered softly.

He glanced down at her body and rotated his hips. She bit her lip to hold back a

whimper. Damned, if that didn’t feel good.

I prefer you where you’re at.

Kegar felt her soften beneath him and nearly groaned. Her arms remained tense, but

the rest of her accepted his weight as if they’d been joining for centuries. His hips rested

between her voluptuous thighs and softly rounded stomach. He loved the fact that she

wasn’t small and brittle. Strength was prized by him and his people. A weak mate was

useless. They couldn’t bear strong babes.

This woman seemed more than up for the task. Sure, it would take some convincing,

but he had a little time. Kegar wished he had more, but unfortunately he’d left the ship

without permission, which meant he had to work fast. His people were already orbiting

this planet. As soon as they located his identi-chip, they’d retrieve him, whether he was

ready to go or not. Kegar knew he could always contact them, but what fun would that

be?

A smile flittered over his mouth as the woman pushed against his hands. She

reminded him of the ancient stories he’d heard about a pack of female feral cats that had

lived on Zaron long before his people had settled the planet. When the Phantom

warriors had arrived, several of the women had trapped and captured the males for

breeding purposes. Not that the males complained for the feral women were rumored to

be beautiful beyond compare. Their offspring were said to be the start of the Claw Clan.

Kegar knew it was only a story, but part of him hoped that this woman would want to

claim him as much as he longed to claim her.

“Well, what if I don’t prefer this position?” she retorted, unable to hide the sudden

rasp in her voice. He leaned down mashing his chest into hers. Her nipples pebbled on

contact.

Kegar’s gaze locked onto the front of her shirt and his mouth watered at the thought

of tasting her.
Your body tells me otherwise.

“My body is lying.”

Your lips are lying, not your body. I can smell your feminine heat. It beats at me. Right now

your entrance creams in anticipation of my cock.
He rocked his hips for emphasis.
I have

traveled far to find you. I will not have you deny our connection. Not now. Not ever.

“What connection? We do not have a connection. I don’t even know you.” It didn’t

matter if they were generating enough heat to melt the polar ice caps. She was not about

to do anything stupid with a complete stranger. This
was
L.A. after all.

Katy stared into his desire-filled eyes. The bond she felt was instantaneous. She

wasn’t one of those New Age Californians who believed in destinies and karma, but

there was no denying that something weird was happening between them. Something

cosmic she couldn’t explain. Something she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to at this

moment.

I know you feel it. Every time you look at me, the blue of your eyes deepens, your body heats

and begins to ache in a way that only I can assuage.

“Yeah, right. You and any fifty-dollar eight-inch dildo. Rape is still rape, don’t try to

justify it with some kind of ‘woo-woo we belong together’ crap.” Katy’s pulse raced as

the words left her mouth. She knew this man would beat any dildo on the market, but

the last thing she wanted to do was encourage him. Right now, if she could, she’d

pummel him.

His cheeks darkened and his eyes narrowed to green slits. For some reason, his

expression reminded Katy of the cat. She snorted. What was she thinking, that this guy

somehow turned into a mind-reading saber-tooth? The music from that trippy TV show

played in her head. Katy vowed that if she made it out of here alive, she’d head straight

to the hospital and check herself in.

I assure you that a toy cannot replace the real thing.
His cock throbbed against her

stomach, searing her skin right through her shirt.
In the end, you will come to me willingly.

No force needed.

“Tell me what you’ve done with the cat and I promise I won’t prosecute you for theft

after you’re arrested.”

In due time I shall reveal all.

“It has to be the drugs. This cannot be happening. None of this is real and that

includes you and your, your mind-reading thingy.”

His nostrils flared and he smiled, then licked his sensuous lips like a cat cleaning its

whiskers. His green eyes sparkled in the low light, showing promises of things to come.

Think again, my pet. There is nothing foreign in your system to disrupt your senses. I’m real, very

real and I shall prove it.

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll take your word for it.”

Oh, but I insist.
He jumped off the truck, pulling her up suddenly, before tossing her

over his insanely broad shoulder like a caveman. Katy found herself hanging upside

down, staring at his perfect ass. And oh, what an ass it was. She pressed her lips together

to keep from drooling. She should be screaming and beating at him in an attempt to

escape.

Her mind stayed indignant, while her body had other ideas. It liked the feel of his

muscles shifting beneath her palms, the hot glide of his skin as he walked to the door

that led into her kitchen, and the supple cat-like movements he made when he stepped

silently on the tile floor. Everything about the man screamed sex and sensuality.

“Where are you taking me?”

Somewhere more comfortable. Which way to your sleep paddock?

“My what?”

He paused, tilting his head from side to side as he scented the air. Then he moved

unerringly to her bedroom.

“How did you?”

I simply followed your ripe scent.

“You can’t… I mean… ”
It wasn’t possible, was it?

He didn’t answer as they stepped through the doorway into her bedroom. He

scanned the room, taking in her meager furnishings, before proceeding forward. He did

not put her down until they reached the bed, then he laid her gently onto the covers like

she was fragile. Her heart clenched in response to his caring. Katy didn’t want to think

about how that made her feel. She couldn’t allow feelings into the equation. The truth

was he’d been part of the deception and the dangerous game they were playing hadn’t

ended yet.

Instead, she scrambled out of his reach. She made a move for her gun, remembering

at the last second that he’d disarmed her. Her gaze shot to his handsome face. His lips

twitched as he began to stalk around her oak bedframe, his eyes lazily tracking her jerky

movements. For a second his gaze flashed red, then just as quickly returned to green…

or had it?
Katy wasn’t sure she could trust her eyes anymore. He continued to pace. She

got the distinct impression that they were playing a game of cat and mouse.

The man circled back, his gaze stroking her body with such intensity that it felt like a

physical touch. Katy tried not to respond, but it was difficult given his masculine beauty

and the desire pouring off him. No man should look that good naked. She glanced at his

impressive cock and her mouth watered as Katy imagined what he’d taste like, sliding

down her eager throat. Heat infused her until her body throbbed with need. Each

movement she made on the bed felt like the lash of a tongue over her hot flesh.

This shouldn’t be happening. Something was wrong. Despite his claims otherwise, it

had to be the drugs. She shouldn’t be responding to this man given the gravity of the

situation. Hell, she shouldn’t be responding to him at all. Katy had always thought of

herself as frigid. At least that’s what Roger had told her right after they’d had sex. That

was a year ago and nothing had changed since. So why now? Why this man, a stranger?

What made him so different? Katy watched his movements slow. His eyes seemed to be

changing from green to red with greater speed. Something primal told her that their

game had just come to an end.

Chapter Two

Kegar couldn’t believe his luck. He’d only been on the planet known as Earth for a

few hours and he’d already found his mate. Her unusual hair color captured him, but it

was her strong face that held him. She wasn’t a beauty in Atlantean terms, but to a

Phantom Warrior such as himself, she couldn’t be more perfect. She was a hunter, a skill

highly prized amongst the shapeshifters in his society.

His hands itched to touch her, remove her clothing, so he could begin worshipping