Shifted Perceptions (Alpha Division) (7 page)

Chapter 12

Terry

My head jerked back as a solid punch landed to my jaw. Smiling, I duck
ed just as she threw a second swing, then jabbed at her ribs. She winced, but continued circling. I had to hand it to her, she could fight, but she really wasn’t a match for my training. I loved it, though. I enjoyed every minute, as my muscles stretched and burned – as my body released those lovely Endorphins. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face, it felt so good. She probably thought I was mocking her, and I could admit that I was a little, but really, I just loved to fight. Anything.

I had only one concern. In the fighter’s quarters
, Stone explained to me that the first round was strictly in human form, but the second round, there were no rules. And because our most dangerous and powerful form was our animal, most fighters did shift. I was no exception. I would shift as well, and so would this bitch.

I
’d recognized her immediately when I came into the arena. She was one of the women I saw hanging with the lion shifter. A lioness herself, she was going to be difficult to beat. I had her on skill, but her size alone would be killer.

My mind had wandered, thinking about the next round
, when I should have been paying attention to this one. The bitch rushed at me and I bent down into a squat, twisted and kicked out, but it was too late. She jumped up, flipped and landed behind me. My arms were pulled behind my back, as I was slammed face first into the metal cage.

“Bitch,” I growled
, as she laughed in my ear.

“You’re playing
with the big girls now, little fox,” the girl teased.

As I rolled my eyes, my gaze took in the crowd. They were cheering, clearly happy that
the cunt had gotten a leg up. It seemed I had messed up their bets and seeing how I was new to The Pit, no one wanted to gamble on me. I shrugged it off, because who gave a shit? I would laugh my ass off all the way home, when I cleaned the floor with this bitch.

“It’s gonna suck when you lose in front of your pussy ass boyfriend. Maybe he can lick your wounds when I’m through with you,” I laughed, catching a glimpse of her lion watching with his other two women.

My elbow flew backwards, but my opponent anticipated the move, sliding out of the way and slamming my face into the fence it again.
Damn, that hurt.
And that’s when something caught my eye.

I was pretty
close to the back hallway and could see clearly the two men that came out of the fighter’s quarters carrying guns. No one else seemed to notice them, as they made their way to the offices on the other side. I scanned their features, storing them to memory. Both were dark haired and medium build, though, one stood out more than the other. His arms and neck were covered in tattoos and his hair lay long and straight down the middle of his back.

Both of them sported knuckles
that were cracked and bleeding, making me wonder what was happening behind that secret door Bear had mentioned. Were they keeping Red in there? If he was the one they were working over, they were as good as dead.

The bitch
landed a punch to my kidney and I sucked in a sharp breath. Okay, I was done with this shit.

The back of my head connected with her nose
, and with her weight suddenly gone, I spun, securing a solid jab to her stomach. She toppled, and I lunged. Straddling her waist, I ignored the roar of the crowd, as I landed punch after punch. I counted three and was just about to land a fourth, when the bell rung.

Her
face was bruised and bloody, but she still managed to glare at me, the heat of retribution in her eyes, as she pushed me off of her and stood. We separated to opposite sides of the ring and began to strip. As my top came off, the catcalls started up. The shifters were used to nakedness, so most of the ruckus was caused by the humans, but I knew the shifters were part of it too. It was the atmosphere that did it, but I didn’t have to like it.

I used the anger that was building up, pushing
it into a nice neat ball for me to bring out later in the fight. I wasn’t sure why I reacted the way I did when someone stared at my nakedness. It just wasn’t a big deal to most shifters, but for some reason, I always felt vulnerable, like I was on display, an object to stare at and own. I knew it was silly and it wasn’t out of low self esteem. Hell, I knew my body rocked, but unless it was my boys on the team, I hated showing myself off to the world. I was pretty sure it was another trust issue. I had a lot of those.

I stretched my arms above my
head and cracked my neck back and forth. As my head tilted to the side, my gaze caught on a small movement in the back of the arena, against the wall. People were in the way, and he was pretty far off, but then the light hit his face. That split second of illumination was all it took to recognize him – and his expression. Shit! Paul was pissed. Oh well, I’d deal with that later. Throwing him a wink, I bent over and set my fox free.

The bell rang and the golden lioness was lunging, but one of my best assets was my speed. I slipped easily away, time and time again, laughing at how she would fall and skid to a stop
, before roaring out her anger. I pranced around, teasing her ruthlessly, shaking my tail, making her so irritated, I swore her eyes turned bloodshot as she chased me around the pit.

It was fun, but in the end, I couldn’t win that way. It was actually quite funny how fast the fight was over. I doubted anybody else had done it quite like me. All that cat and mouse chasing around the ring hadn’t been just for my pleasure. I wore out
the bitch to the point she was shaking with fatigue, and the next time she lunged and missed, I leaped onto her back.

She twisted, trying to throw me off, but she couldn’t. And in fact
, did exactly as I wanted. As she rotated, so did I, until my teeth could clamp down on the inside of her neck, just at the artery.

As much as I relished every adrenaline pumping moment, I
was ready to finish it.

There was nothing she could do
, as her paws tried to claw at me and missed. Shifting easily into my human form, I released her neck from between my teeth, though I made sure to allow my sharp nails to stay formed on my fingers and dug in, using the strength in my leg and arm muscles to hold her down. I was hanging on, digging my claws into flesh, and she was too exhausted to do anything about it.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the fight. I jumped off the brunette with a wide grin
and turned at the booing crowd.
That should teach you, bitches!
I thought, making sure to send Paul another mocking wink.
Don’t ever underestimate me.

Chapter 13

Stone was
silent the entire drive to the hotel. I couldn’t tell from his glazed expression if he was in shock that I volunteered to fight, or that I actually won. But he was definitely chewing on something in that mind of his. Shrugging it off, I kept my mouth shut for once and sat quietly beside him.

When we pulled into the parking lot, Stone
leaned back, though he didn’t turn off the engine. I watched him, confused by the way he just stared straight ahead. The silence was deafening. Neither of us had turned the radio on and as I closed my eyes, all I could hear was the soft sound of Stones breathing, along with the thump thump of his heartbeat. His scent filled the small space, causing my body to react in the most pleasant way, but it was obvious he wasn’t in the mood.

“Thanks for the nice evening,
I had fun,” I said and reached for the door handle.

A hand fell softly on my shoulder halting my exit. I turned, my head tilted in question. His eyes bore into mine, searching for what, I wasn’t certain, but it seemed he was looking for answers
. Answers I couldn’t give him. I prepared myself for the lie that would come rolling off my tongue. I just knew he was about to ask where I trained, what my life was before landing in Cedar Hill. But Stone didn’t ask any of that. He never said what he wanted either. He showed me.

Moist, soft, decadent. Those are the words that describe the feel of Stones lips on mine. Those lips seduced
, as they moved over my own, teasing and tasting, tempting me to give in. I could do nothing else and opened my mouth to tentatively touch his tongue with mine. His taste, as sweet as his kiss, was addicting and pressed for my compliance, but I couldn’t. I had to hold the reigns, or at least take back some of the control.

I bit his lip, sucking the plump flesh into my mouth
, before releasing with a pop. He groaned, then pulled away.

Both of us leaned back, watching each other as our breathing slowed. His eyes were the color of slate and full of wanting, though
, I could see his control snapping into place –piece by piece. It was impressive.

“Good night, Foxy.” His voice was deep, direct
and restrained. I smirked. If that’s how he wanted to play it, I was game.

“Night, Stone,” I grinned and stepped out of the car, careful
not to glance back as I made my way up the stairs and into the hotel room. But before I shut the door, I couldn’t help but peek over my shoulder, as the roar of the engine slowly faded away.

What a night, I thought, as I sagged against the door jam.

“
Come in here, Foxy and shut the door.”

I hated that I gasped, t
oo busy swooning over Stone to pay attention to my surroundings.

The
serious voice came from deep inside the dark room and I flipped on the light to see Paul sitting in a chair on the other side of the room. He sat casually, feet flat on the floor with his hands lying limply on his thighs, but his expression was anything but casual. His eyes were darker than I’d ever seen before, lit with the fire of anger.

Sighing, I closed the door behind me and placed my hand
s on my hips. “I know you’re mad, Paul, but it was no big deal, okay? Just drop it,” I huffed, waiting on the fight to commence, but it didn’t.

Paul’s gaze secured to mine, never once blinking. The tick of the alarm clock next to the bed began to slow
, compared to the beat of my heart. Or maybe that was the other way around. As my breathing accelerated, I could admit the clock wasn’t malfunctioning, but my body sure was.

Arms dropp
ing to my side, my legs unconsciously shifted back and forth anxiously. I couldn’t take this stare down much longer. What did he want from me?

Looking away, I licked my lips, preparing to speak, when he pounced. My back slammed against the door
, as large hands wrapped around my neck and raised. My feet dangled in the air, as he pressed his body against mine, holding me up. And then I was eye to eye with the angriest looking male I’d ever come across.

He wasn’t hurting me.
The pressure around my throat was firm, yet slight enough for me to breath. And breath I did. Panting breaths that caused my chest to heave. No matter how angry I wanted to be, I was more turned on than anything else. Which only fueled my irritation.

Eyes wide, I grabbed the wrist that was holding me
with both hands and squeezed. “Put me down. Now.” I tried for a firm tone, but it cracked, thinning my voice and lessening the demand. It didn’t matter, though, because he wasn’t listening. As soon as the last words were uttered, his mouth crushed against mine.

This kiss was hard, bruising, and oh, God, so hot.
His teeth bit down and pulled, sucking my bottom lip into the warm cavern of his mouth and I wanted to melt, wanted to give in, but I couldn’t let him beat me like this. My knee shot out, aiming for his groin, but he anticipated the move, shifting his hips to the side.

I gasped
, as he gripped my kicking leg in his free hand and brought it roughly to his hip before slamming his body against mine, effectively making me immobile and causing my pulse to quicken against his hand. He squeezed gently, letting me know he could feel it, and fuck did it make me burn.

The hot, hard ridge of his shaft pressed at just the right spot and wh
en he began to thrust, the stiff seam of my jeans only made the sensation that much more intense. And damn it! I couldn’t hold back my groan, as my pelvis, with a mind of its own, began moving with him.

Paul swallowed the noise, not letting up. The powerful kiss, was like a dam breaking. The tension from the moment I met t
his irritating man had finally snapped.

I wrapped my legs around his waist just as he let go of my throat. Thrusting his fingers into the back of my hair with one hand
, while gripping my ass with the other, he pushed us away from the door and tumbled to the bed. My back hitting the mattress was like cold water splashing against my face and I shoved his shoulders, as I twisted, landing on top of him.

My hair fell around my face
, as I looked down at him. His expression hadn’t changed. His jaw was taught and his nostrils flared.

“
If we’re going to do this,” I told him, trying to keep my trembling voice unyielding. “Then I’m calling the shots.”

There was no time for reaction. I was suddenly on my back with Paul’s hand wrapped around my throat
once again. His body pressed me down into the mattress and damn if I didn’t respond. My nipples tightened, begging for his chest to rub against them, causing a small whimper to escape my firmly pressed lips.

“That’s not how this is going to work
. I’m in control here, not you.”

“What do you...” I was cut off
, as he flipped me over and ripped my jeans off. I had to admit, that wasn’t pleasant. It was sharp and a little painful, but it also had my little red thong soaked.

“That was my favorite pair of jeans, you ass!”
I tried to sit up, but his hand pressed against my back, and I fell forward with a huff. My hips were jerked up and just as I went to turn over, a resounding smack echoed throughout the room. The sting accompanied it seconds later, the flesh of my ass burning intensely.

“Fuck!” I yelled, twisting to get away. He pressed me down again and slapped the other cheek. This time even harder. I cried out, my hips lifting for more. What was I doing? I couldn’t help it. I’d never experienced anything like it and I was so wet, my juices dripped down my thighs. Never had th
at happened before.

E
ach slap stung sharp and painful, but dulled into a burning I craved. My fingers fisted into the mattress, tearing the sheets with my severe grip, as I screamed into the pillow beneath my head.

I whimpered when he finally stopp
ed, my shoulders shaking with unfulfillment. His fingers brushed against the barely there thong that covered my pussy and I jerked.

“D
o you know what that was for?” he asked, leaning down to whisper in my ear. I swallowed hard and shook my head.

“For being reckless, not thinking
, and putting your life in danger for no damn good reason.”

I wanted to respond, tell him that there was a reason. That I needed to prove myself to the
organization, but I couldn’t form the words. My throat was sore from my screaming and I was breathing too hard to form a sentence.

“Do you promise never to do that again?”

What? What was he talking about? Of course I would do it again. It was part of my job. “No,” I croaked “Can't–”

The slap against my ass was like fire licking over my flesh and felt so good
, I screamed out. Then my thong was ripped off and his fingers lightly caressed my bare lips. Pushing backwards, I groaned when he refused me more.

“Do you promise to start thinking before you do stupid things, Foxy?”
Burying my face against my pillow, I shook my head, more from confusion than as an answer, but he took it as one, striking my ass again before caressing my pussy just like before. So softly, I barely felt it.

“I can do this
all night. Do you want more?” he asked, pressing just the tip of one finger into my aching hole. Not enough, I thought and nodded quickly, shoving my hips back. He pulled away, and went back to lightly stroking my outer lips.
Damn the man!

“Then promise me you will stop unnecessarily putting yourse
lf in danger. I can’t take it.”

My breath caught in my throat at his
gruff admission. Was all this because he was worried about me? “Paul,” I began, but he smacked me again. “Well? Do you promise?” He growled.

Air escaped my lungs in a rush and I nodded. “Yes. Yes, Paul, I promise.” I’d promise any
thing for him to finish me off.

“Good girl,” he whispered before shoving two fingers inside me. I cried out in ecstasy, my eyes rolling back in my head as he pumped them
hard and fast. Another finger swiped across my clit and I fractured into a million pieces. My hips pushed back and forth against his hand, ringing out as much pleasure as I could from those talented fingers.

I don’t know if I blacked out or what, but the next thing I knew
, Paul flipped me over and tore off my halter. I barely felt the sting this time, as I noticed his state of undress. He had gotten naked at some point, and oh man, was he a sight. All tanned skin and tight muscles – the man was packing. And his tattoo... A black jaguar that looked strikingly like him in his own shifted form. I wanted to trace each and every line with my tongue.

I scarcely got a glimpse of his beautiful throbbing cock
, before his hot mouth descended upon one of my breasts, sucking and biting at the sensitive tip, while the other was being tormented. His fingers plucked and twisted the responsive nipple, causing my back to arch in agonizing bliss.

My hands gripped his hair and pulled
him as close as possible, allowing his hips to fall in line with mine. I wrapped my legs around his waist and in one searing thrust, he was inside me, pounding into my swollen flesh over and over. My nails raked down his back as I tried to keep up, moving my body in sync with his. Wet lips and tongue slid up my neck and I moaned just as another punishing kiss took my mouth.

We were wrapped around each other, our sweat
slicked bodies gliding together, bringing me to a fever pitch. I had never felt so taken in my life. And that was exactly what Paul was doing.
Taking me. Owning me.
The thought sent panic pumping through my veins just as I shouted out another earth shattering orgasm to the ceiling. I wrapped myself around him, my nails digging into his flesh, as I cried out, calling Paul’s name in worship, as my sex pulsed with pleasure.

Afterwards, before I could even catch my breath, Paul flipped me over once again on my stomach. I felt like a rag doll, but too boneless to
care.

“We’re far from finished,
” he growled in my ear, as he spread my legs apart. I groaned with a mixture of exhaustion and anticipation. “Hold on, this is going to get rough.” I barely had time to gasp in a lung full of needed oxygen, before his face was suddenly buried between my legs.

Oh, God, this was so good and so so bad
.
That was my last thought before my mind completely shut down, going on a long vacation to gratification island.