Tagging Her Lynx (Alaska Lynx Clan) Read online

  Granger turned Chloe around and held her by the arms. "Darren and Shawn were twins." His facial muscles flinched. "Two identical lynx, only eight years old. Younger than you at the time of your infection."

  Understanding dawned, and she gasped. She pulled away and sat on the edge of the couch. She shook her head at the recollection Darren shared. He was just a baby, and he had lost the most important things in his life.

  Tears fell down her cheeks. "I…" She blew the bangs off her forehead with a shuddered breath. "I… Oh my God." She covered her mouth.

  "Shifters have been hunted since the beginning of time, Aningan." Granger crossed the room and held his hand out to his brother. "On that day, tragedy hit our family hard." He pulled Darren to his feet, patted his cheek, and turned back to Chloe. "Shawn and Darren…" He chuckled. "You'd never seen two boys closer. They slept, ate, played together every minute of the day."

  Darren raised his gaze to her. "I didn't bite you out of malice or to turn you into a shifter. I wanted my life back." He thumped his chest with his fist. "I needed to find Granger."

  She stood up and approached Granger's brother. She ran her hand down his wet cheek and caught her breath on a sob. So very young, and he'd lost almost his whole family right in front of him. The terror he must have gone through tugged at her heartstrings.

  "It's okay." She glanced back at Granger. "Maybe this is what was supposed to happen in my life, but certainly not what should have happened to you." She laid her hand on his chest, over his heart. "I'm so very sorry."

  "I'll make it up to you, I swear." Darren rested his hand on top of hers. "If it takes my whole life, I'll do whatever it takes."

  She shook her head. "No. You're innocent, just as much as I was."

  She held her hand out to Granger. "In a small way, I hope you'll accept me into your family." She frowned. "Not as a replacement, but as someone new."

  Darren nodded and gave her a shaky smile. "That'll be no problem. Granger's tagged."

  Granger playfully punched Darren's shoulder. She raised her eyebrows. "Tagged?"

  "Yes, he seems to find amusement in my settling down with a life mate and refers to you as a hunter punching a tag on my ear." Granger grinned back at Darren.

  "I don't even know what Granger has here for drinks and snacks, but will you stay and visit with us for a little while?" She touched Darren's arm.

  He nodded.

  "I'll be right back." She headed over to the corner of the cabin, into the small and efficient kitchen.

  She opened the refrigerator and pulled out three bottles of beer, a brick of Colby cheese, and some mustard. With any luck, Granger stocked one of the cabinets with crackers that she could use to give the men something to nibble. Suddenly starving, she realized that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast earlier that morning.

  Today would definitely go down as the longest day of her life. To be standing in her mate's kitchen seemed so surreal; it was hard to grasp that she had met Granger only this morning, and here she was fixing snacks for their first guest. Living in the bush of Alaska had never given her a social life or even a tad of the excitement she'd found today. Despite learning the truth of how her dad died, finding out she wasn't alone in her ability to shift into a lynx, and confronting fears from her childhood, she thought the day turned out to be the most incredible of her life. Deep inside, she knew her lynx luxuriated in connecting with her life mate.

  Chloe carried the tray of crackers with cheese topped off with a drop of mustard in one hand and hung the bottles between her fingers of the other hand. "Here you go, boys."

  "Damn, Granger, she'll fit right in with this family." Darren pulled two beers from Chloe and handed one to Granger. "Thanks, Chloe."

  "You're welcome." She sat between the two men on the couch and balanced the tray on her lap. "Eat up. I know I'm starving."

  "Me too." Granger picked up a cracker. "Although, I need more than this snack to feed me." He cocked his eyebrow.

  She ducked her head. He wasn't talking about food. Her nipples hardened, and she swallowed. She'd forgo a real dinner for another romping round of sex.

  "How did the cleanup go at the refuge?" Darren reached over and scooped up a few more crackers. "Who would have thought to pair mustard with cheese? This is good, Chloe."

  She smiled.

  "The men are hanging back with the animals. They said they'd give a full report the moment they get back on the cleanup." Granger leaned back and took another swig of beer.

  The cracker in her hand didn't make it to her mouth. She turned and stared at him. Her appetite disappeared.

  "Oh God." She tossed the cracker back on the tray, shoved everything onto Darren's lap, and stood up. "Oh God." She paced in front of the couch. "It didn't dawn on me…" She pushed back the hair on her forehead. "Your men killed the poachers, didn't they?"

  Granger nodded. "It had to be done to protect the Lynx. They were after you. I'd kill anyone who would threaten my life mate or one of our people. It's the hard reality of how we have to live."

  "Isn't there some way that you could talk to them? Scare them?" she asked.

  "No." Granger set the beer bottle between his legs. "This is the way it's done." He patted the empty spot she left on the couch. "Sit down. This is a good time to explain your role within the Lynx clan."

  She plopped down on the couch, crossed her arms, and clamped her lips together. Didn't she have enough to worry about with men wanting to hunt her down, losing the refuge, and trying to fit into a community that belonged in a science-fiction movie?

  "As the alpha—"

  She threw up her hands. "Enough about the alpha crap. I don't get it!"

  Granger grinned. "Like I was saying, as the alpha female of our group, there are certain things that you'll have control of. Not right away, because you have so much to learn, but eventually you'll be able to talk with the other shifters in your head." He nodded. "Like you and I can already do. A beta can hear you and me, but not each other."

  "Why?"

  He glanced from her to Darren, shrugged, and turned back toward Chloe. "Why what?"

  "Why can't the betas do it?" She crossed her arms. "That doesn't make any sense. If this is like the alpha in a dog pack, it's the strongest, most stubborn dog that challenges the others, right?"

  "Uh, yes." Granger scratched his chin.

  "None of these people know how strong I am or if I even want to challenge them for the supreme spot in the clan." She huffed. "I don't want to be the alpha. Someone else can have the spot."

  "You have no choice. You have the gift." Granger sat forward. "You've already shared with me how you can heal the wounded and sick animals at the refuge—"

  "So!"

  "God damn it, Chloe, will you stop interrupting me and be quiet?" He frowned and blew out his breath.

  "Fine."

  Granger closed his eyes, inhaled, and looked back at Chloe. "There is a sense of supremacy in you, and now I realize why. The power to heal is only known to come from my ancestors. I believe it was Darren's bite that gave you this awesome power. The other lynx sense this power in you. Deal with it." He winked. "I'll teach you how to speak with the others, give orders, and lead the females." He held up his hand as she opened her mouth to interrupt again. "You also need to learn how to shift, track, and use the natural gifts that come with being a Lynx shifter."

  Darren laughed. "He's telling you that your lynx sucks."

  Granger glared at his brother. "Not exactly. You've done very well on your own, but your animal needs to dominate. You'll find you're much happier if you let your animal have its lead."

  Silence filled the small cabin. She bit the inside of her cheek and debated if she even wanted to continue finding out more about shifting. She had spent years trying to get rid of her lynx, and now she was supposed to just embrace it? What he was asking was for her to lose control over her own body.

  "Fine." She sighed. "I'm telling you that I'm perfectly content the way I am."
She raised one of her eyebrows. "You have to listen to me, because I'm your alpha."

  Granger's head turned back to her, the corners of his lips curled, and he sat studying her without blinking. She pursed her lips, sighed, and lowered her gaze to her lap. That little show of independence didn't go over very well.

  She glanced over at Darren, but he shrugged and threw back his head to finish off his beer. Her stomach churned, and she lowered her gaze to the floor. She had upset Granger.

  "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

  "What?"

  She swallowed. "I'm sorry."

  "Why are you apologizing?" Granger reached over and stroked the side of her head.

  She turned away her gaze, not looking him in the face. "I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."

  "Aningan?" He leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose. "Although you're an alpha female, you're my beta. You'll submit to me naturally. Inside your lynx, you'll let me dominate you in everything, understand?"

  She frowned, but in the end, nodded. For a change, she wanted to give him something he needed, and she did enjoy letting him take control. "I suppose."

  "Good." Granger stood up, clasped his hands in front of him, and grinned at his brother. "Okay Darren, get the fuck out of my house. I'm going to feed my mate."

  Chapter Seven

  After the front door banged closed behind Darren, Granger growled and stalked over to scoop Chloe off the couch. She giggled in a way she never thought she'd hear come from her more sensible self. It almost sounded…girlish.

  "I wanted this all day. I've thought of you sticking your cock inside me and marking me." She nuzzled the area where his neck met his jaw. "I could smell you on me. Your scent mixed with mine."

  "Keep talking like that, and I won't make it to the bedroom with you." He kicked open the door, and it bounced off the wall. "Clothes. Off. Now."

  He set her down, and she hurriedly stripped. Her skin burned with a desperate need for his touch. To connect. To please. She finished undressing before he did and stood back to stare in admiration of a body she deemed perfect.

  He was broad at the shoulders, and his waist tapered to lean hips that fit perfectly between her legs. His cock jutted out from a thatch of pure black hair. She mewed. Her pussy grew damp, and he grinned.

  Without breaking eye contact, she advanced toward him. The attraction was so strong, she let the emotion take control. He held up his hand, stopping her from touching him. "Turn around."

  She rotated on the tips of her toes, and a warm blush of heat crawled up from her chest to her face. His gaze drank in her body, exciting her, and she hoped she pleased him.

  His hands spanned her waist and traveled down over the spread of her hips. "Perfect."

  Her head fell back, and the brush of her hair swept down the bare skin of her back. Every nerve stood aware and waiting for his next touch.

  His hand skimmed her spine beneath her hair, and he gathered a fistful of strands between his fingers. "Don't ever cut your hair."

  She shook her head. The pull on her scalp sent a trickle of juice out of her pussy, dampening her lower lips. She tugged against his hold. Pleasure and pain built inside her lower belly and spread out to all the hidden places inside her body.

  He slapped her butt cheek. She jumped and moaned at the same time.

  "On the bed. Stick your ass in the air."

  She crawled to the middle of the bed, lowered her head to the mattress, and widened her knees. A groan came from Granger, and the walls of her pussy quivered. She needed him inside her.

  He slid a finger from her clit to her anus, and she squealed. Unable to take the torment of waiting, she pushed her ass back, searching for his cock. Instead, the warm velvet heat of his tongue lavished her hole, her lips, and her clit. Her hips bucked wildly against his mouth.

  Granger turned and lay on his back between her legs. "Lean up, Aningan. Ride my tongue."

  She raised her upper body. He wrapped his arms around her thighs and pulled her womanhood against his mouth. He sucked her labia into his mouth. She squirmed and rubbed her juice over the lower part of his face.

  She grabbed the top of his hair to balance herself and gazed down at his face. Seemingly intent on pleasuring her with his mouth, Granger opened his eyes. The heat in his expression drove her wild. A craving so deep and strong curled around her, and she lost herself in his licks and nibbles.

  Granger lapped her pussy up and moaned for more. Pressing his lips to her clit, he then flicked his tongue over the sensitive nub. Her fingers held on to his hair like a rope. She threw back her head and let her orgasm pleasure her whole body.

  Her sexual high exploded in his mouth. Riding the spasms, her hips jerked with every swipe of his tongue. She fell forward and lowered the side of her face to the mattress. Granger scooted out from underneath her pussy.

  Exhausted, she lay panting with her eyes closed, trying to catch her breath. His hand slapped her ass, and she raised her head. He grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled her head back.

  "I'm not done with you." He positioned his dick at her entrance. "I'll make you come again."

  He shoved his cock into her pussy with one thrust. Wet and slick, her cunt recovered fast and pulsed around him. In and out, in and out, he set a pace that reawakened her desire. She strained against the hold he had on her hair. The fleet touch of his balls banging her oversensitive clit drove her crazy.

  The swirl of pleasure grew again. Faster. Deeper. The rocking motion he created threw her back against him. His cock stroked the heart of her pussy, and an urgency she never expected washed over her.

  "Take it, Aningan." He huffed. "Take all of it."

  "Yes!" Her teeth clenched. She knew she'd come again and wanted to wait for him.

  He grunted with each slap of his balls against her body. She mewed at the extra stimulation. Her hands dug into the blanket to keep in position against the force of his fucking.

  "Come." He pulled her hair hard.

  A guttural scream came from deep in her chest, her knees came off the bed, and her pussy squeezed his cock tight and wouldn't let go.

  He groaned, held himself still, and filled her cavity with cum at the same time he roared his pleasure. The only movement came from the aftershocks of her orgasm, which rocked her body. Granger leaned against her back and rolled with her on the bed, leaving his cock inside her pussy.

  He stroked her hair. "You're mine."

  "Yes."

  ***

  The heat from the fireplace did nothing to block the cold wind blowing into the cabin through the open window. Crossing her arms across her bare breasts, she hopped from one foot to the other, waiting for Granger's instructions. Her mate stood away from the heat and didn't even have goose bumps.

  "You've got to dig down deep and wake up your lynx." Granger pushed the extra chair from the living room under the window. "Don't think about the cold. Concentrate. I'm not going to help you this time."

  "Can't you open the window after I've changed? It's freezing in here." Her teeth chattered.

  "No."

  "Fine, but don't blame me if my precious nipples that you love to suck on fall off and roll across the floor." She snorted. "I'm dying here, Granger."

  "Suck it up." He put his hands on his hips. "You're not always going to have time to think or plan for a shift."

  She closed her eyes and pictured the warm fur that would come if she succeeded. She imagined the soft pads covering the bones of her hands and the fur growing thicker on her face to protect her from the cold. Heat came from the pit of her stomach and spread up her spine.

  Opening her eyes, she curved her body over and landed on all fours in time to finish the shift. "I did it!"

  "Yes." Granger came over in his lynx form and rubbed his body along her length. "Good girl. That was the fastest you've done it. It's getting easier, no?"

  She purred.

  He headed toward the window, jumped up on the chair, glanced back, and leaped out. She followed
him, surprised that the snow had piled up to the pane. The night's storm was so severe, it broke records.

  "Now change back." Granger blocked her from going back inside.

  She snarled, but already her back stretched and popped. Her system took a shock from the attack of the cold. God, this is crazy!

  "This will save your life." Granger rubbed against her bare legs.

  "I wasn't talking to you." She wanted to bury her face in the side of his fur. "It's f-freak-ing c-cold."

  The shift happened even faster than the last dozen times he made her do it. Granger stepped away from the window, and she sped past him. She hurried and shifted.

  "Excellent!" He followed suit and quickly shut the window. "You've got it now." He walked over to her, wrapped her in his arms, and tucked her head under his chin. "You no longer need to rely on me or high emotions to shift. You've got control."

  She smiled into his chest, enjoying the moment. Congratulating herself for all her hard work, she wondered if Granger would give her the rest of the day off so they could have sex again.

  All through the night—every night—he'd fuck her, rest, then fuck her again. If she slept two hours a night it would surprise her, but she wasn't complaining. She couldn't get enough of him. Each new sexual position he introduced to her was new and exciting.

  Granger pulled back and rubbed her arms. "Warm enough?"

  She nodded.

  "Good." He pulled her over to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and pointed for her to sit at the table. "Close your eyes."

  She sat in a chair, laid her hands on top of the table, leaned forward, and closed her eyes. Cupboards banged and silverware clattered. She smiled. Maybe her life mate knew how to cook. That would be heaven. Lately she found herself hungry all the time.

  "Dream on." Granger chuckled.

  She sighed in disappointment.

  "Keep your eyes closed. I'm going to help you develop your sense of smell." A chair scraped against the hardwood floor. "Lynx have an exceptional ability to pick up scents."