Shadow Runners Page 5

  * * * *

  “Vixen!” Jarek muttered under his breath when he and his pack brothers had settled to their watch. She had duped him and he didn’t know what made him more furious—the doubt she’d deliberately planted in his mind to insult him. The hellish night he’d had because of her. Or the fact that she’d insulted their honor and didn’t seem to realize she had.

  He had nigh worried himself sick all night that they had harmed her because he had been too thick skulled to consider that she was a frail natural and most likely not even accustomed to that sort of use even among her own kind. Only to discover that she was not only none the worse for it, but expected them to fall at her feet become witless only because she had allowed it! Or, more accurately, that that was her perception of them from the beginning—that they were nothing more than dumb beasts that needed only a whiff of her little honey pot to be enslaved by it! And a whiff, by the gods, was about all he had gotten!

  It was almost as insulting that she thought they had no sense of honor or responsibility, that it needed no more than a taste of her favors and they would very happily abandon their post!

  Most insulting, however, was her suggestion that she had feigned the pleasure he had been so certain she’d enjoyed and the niggling suspicion that it was something she was very good at—charades. He would’ve liked to have dismissed it as a complete fabrication. Unfortunately, she was a natural and they despised the beast people. He knew it was possible that she had found the entire experience disgusting and had only pretended that she enjoyed their touch.

  “You think she is lying?” Byron asked.

  “I think there is rarely a word of truth that passes that one’s lovely lips,” Jarek growled.

  “About finding no pleasure with us?” Rafe demanded.

  Jarek grunted. “I smelled her desire. Clearly, she has no understanding of unnaturals or she would not think that she could lie about that.”

  Thorne frowned. “I smelled it, as well. I confess I find it troubling. If you had appeased her, do you think that she would still have smelled of desire?”

  Jarek glared at him. “I felt her body shudder. I was not so engrossed in my own pleasure that I did not notice! I am certain I pleasured her thoroughly. No doubt she was affected by our pheromones since she is a natural and then felt desire again. She has managed to put doubt in our minds, and that, if I am not mistaken, was her intention all along.”

  Thorne exchanged a look with Arman.

  “She seemed more intent on dickering for passage,” Thorne said finally. “I do not like to say it, but it seems to me that she could not have enjoyed it much if she wants to barter with us.”

  “It does not matter whether she enjoyed it or not!” Jarek growled. “The exercise was purely for the sake of appeasing our own needs. Like as not, she is cold and cannot enjoy a man’s touch if only half of the lies she’s told have any substance and, even if that were not the case, we are beast men—not men. No doubt she is repulsed.”

  He ignored the speaking looks the other men exchanged.

  “What bothers me is her determination to lure us from our post,” he added.

  Thorne frowned. “Mayhap it is not an attempt to lure us away but an actual desire to reach Thalon?”

  Jarek frowned. “She has lost nothing in Thalon,” he said with conviction.

  “If she truly was fleeing the men who appeared to be pursuing her, then her desperation to escape them is understandable,” Rafe said.

  “But why Thalon? She has not mentioned any other realm—only Thalon.”

  “You cannot have it both ways, Jarek!” Arman argued. “Either her purpose is to draw us from our posts, or it has nothing to do with that but is rather a desire to reach Thalon for some reason!”

  “It could be either one,” Jarek snapped. “And either could be a trap of some sort. I do not believe for one moment that she has aged parents that she is desperate to reach! She is up to something. She did not stumble into Shadowmere by accident.”

  “Short of torturing her,” Rafe said angrily, “I do not see how we are to discover what she is up to and I, for one, will have no part of that regardless of what she is. By herself, she is no threat to Shadowmere whatsoever and if we do not allow ourselves to be led around by our dicks, then she is also not likely to succeed in opening Shadowmere to attack—if that’s her purpose.”

  Jarek glared at him, but then grew thoughtful. “Mayhap we should consider that? Clearly, Sonja is a woman accustomed to leading men about by their dicks. If we allow her to believe that she is making some headway in twisting us to her bidding, then she will very likely cease to be as cautious. Two can play the game of seduction. We are beast men, what’s more, and can bind her with our pheromones as the males of her own kind cannot. And we are not likely to be caught in our trap since she is a natural.”

  Rafe studied him doubtfully, wondering if Jarek actually believed the bullshit he’d spouted or if Jarek was more immune to Sonja’s charms than he was because he was a long way from convinced that he could play with that fire and not be burnt!

  Thorne grinned abruptly. “I would not mind that game!”

  Chapter Six

  They were extraordinarily handsome creatures, Sonja thought a little whimsically as she watched Jarek and the others bathe. It was a shame, really, that she could not afford to tarry a while, but business was business and hers would not prosper if she allowed the beast men to distract her. Finished with her own bath, she climbed from the pool and used her under-gown to dry herself and then moved to the furs to await them.

  They didn’t linger at their baths.

  She was almost disappointed that she had to exclude Rafe and Byron, but then she couldn’t afford to take pleasure herself if they were going to be so difficult so she supposed it didn’t really matter. Perhaps when she had accomplished what she’d set out to do?

  She shook the thought reluctantly. It was never a good idea to pass the same way twice, whatever the temptation.

  “Have you come to a decision?” she asked when Jarek joined her on the furs, determined that she would get a firm yea or nay before she committed herself this time.

  His eyes narrowed momentarily. “You are persistant.”

  “I am distraught,” she countered. “As much as I might otherwise enjoy a longer visit, I am worried about my poor parents. Will you agree to take me or not?”

  He studied her pout for a long moment and finally settled on his back, folding his arms behind his head. “We will agree to your terms. You will favor us with your … talents and we will favor you with our escort.”

  Sonja smiled at him. “You are too kind!” she said, keeping the sarcasm from her voice with an effort.

  He flushed faintly. It intrigued her, but she dismissed the temptation to explore and learn more of a man who was surprising complex and far more interesting than any ‘natural’ that she’d run across. Instead, she focused upon summoning her ‘talent’ as he’d put it, arousing him before she bent to her task. He resisted. The discovery both intrigued her and annoyed her, but she’d learned a few things along the way. Ignoring the tension in him, she caressed him with her lips and hands until his tension was focused entirely upon his stiff rod.

  It was impossible, she discovered, not to warm to her task. His body was as sleek and well toned as a healthy animal and alluring in that sense alone. The man himself, dark and mysterious, only added fuel to the fire and yet she had no desire to let him off the hook too quickly. For one, she would not allow him to complain that it was too rushed for him to thoroughly enjoy it and for another … she found that she enjoyed the power she had over him entirely too much. She teased him until he could no longer lie still, until his hands made fists in the fur beneath them. Only then did she finally cease her torment and take his massive staff into her hands.

  It was lovely length of flesh, she thought, admiring it as she stroked it with her hands, gently massaging the soft globes beneath. He let out a hiss of breath when she fina
lly lowered her head to stroke the tip with her tongue. He tasted just as she’d expected he would—a lovely confection of manhood. Warmth flowered within her belly as sucked upon the rounded knob that felt so silky slick to her tongue and mouth. After a moment, she lowered her head to take as much of him into her mouth as she could, moistening his shaft. Her jaws protested. She lifted her head again, flexing her jaws as she continued the smooth gliding stroke that she’d begun, lacing her fingers together to make certain she stimulated every inch of his flesh as she struck a slow rhythm to build his pleasure.

  Abruptly, he yielded himself up completely to her will, collapsing weakly onto the furs, his hips jerking with his effort to control his instincts to pump. The warmth that had budded inside of her grew with the thrill of triumph that flooded her. She increased the tempo, alternated between stroking him with her hands and her mouth.

  He grasped her head between his two great palms, guiding her mindlessly until she caught the rhythm he wanted. She held it for several moments and then increased the pace again, driving him now, forcing him to her will and, as she did, she felt her own excitement rising steadily. When his cock abruptly jerked in her mouth, her heart jerked in response. She quickened, felt her body leap to match his. She moaned around his cock as his hot seed jetted into the back of her throat, felt a shudder rake through him and all the way through her. Completely lost in her own climax, she pulled and sucked at him until he caught her and stilled her movements.

  Panting for breath, she sat back on her heels, her head bowed tiredly despite the triumph pounding through her.

  Fortunately, she recalled the rules of the game before she lifted her gaze to meet his. Instead, she turned to assess the glazed look on the faces of the others and finally moved to Thorne. A mixture of desire and wry amusement flickered through her. She needn’t worry herself with arousing him, she decided when she’d studied the beast jutting for her affection. She gave him a few moments’ attention anyway—to allow herself a few moments more to catch her breath, she assured herself.

  He didn’t have need of it. His cock jerked within her hands even as she grasped it. It was a little dismaying to discover she was in nearly as bad a state as he was. She’d climaxed. True, it had been a paltry one, a gentle release, when she lacked the meat to clutch to bring her to complete fulfillment, but she had no reason to feel deprived at all when they had brought her to completion several times only the night before.

  It was dangerous ground she was treading, she realized. She wasn’t certain if they had so profound an effect upon her because they were so desirous of her, or if it was some quirk within herself that she’d previously been ignorant of, but it was inconvenient to her needs at the moment. The objective was to pleasure them to get what she wanted, not to seek pleasure for herself.

  Yet, she found that she could not fail to enjoy it regardless of how hard she tried to focus her mind elsewhere. She enjoyed the taste of Thorne no less than she had Jarek, and the feel of his massive staff in her hands, the feel of his rising need, the same sense of power in discovering her touch was enough to leave him weak.

  She felt another climax building within her even as she felt him nearing his peak. She tried to shut her mind to it, tried to focus only on wringing pleasure from him. She couldn’t. She couldn’t even bring herself to struggle when Rafe mounted her from behind abruptly and she felt the his cock spread her, delve deeply. She came shatteringly after no more than a few strokes, sucking so frantically at Thorne’s shaft that she brought him off in the same moment.

  Before she entirely knew what was happening—so thoroughly disoriented was she with her climax—she found herself in the midst of an orgy that made the one the night before pale by comparison. She struggled mightily to contain her cries of delight each time Jarek, Thorne, Rafe, Byron, or Arman brought her off, too mindless to really grasp why she had to hide her pleasure if at all possible.

  It came to her why as she felt herself sinking finally toward oblivion. “You gave your word,” she muttered drunkenly against the chest she found herself resting against, knowing somehow that it was Jarek who’d gathered her into his arms.

  “Sleep,” Jarek said huskily. “Tomorrow we leave.”

  Releasing a sigh of relief, Sonja gave herself up for lost.

  It seemed she’d barely closed her eyes when she was shaken awake. Thoroughly confused, she pried her eyelids up and stared blankly at Jarek’s face. “It is a long trek to Thalon … or at least to the border of the Shadowlands.”

  She couldn’t grasp why that was the least bit important to her at the moment, but she’d been shaken awake. She knew there must be some reason why it was important.

  Struggling up, she went to the pool to perform her morning grooming and fought a round with her clothing before she’d successfully donned it. It was still dark outside when she stumbled out to join the men. One of them—Rafe—shoved something into her hand and the six of them set off. She discovered when she’d sniffed at it that it was a chunk of last eve’s meat and gnawed at it until she’d finished. By the time she had, she’d wakened enough to realize what was transpiring.

  They were taking her to the border as promised.

  And they could not wait until dawn to set out, she thought sullenly?

  It was well that she had three before her and two behind else she would’ve stumbled off the path many times over. Someone from behind her—Byron, she thought—passed her a skin of water after a bit to wash down the meat she’d eaten dry and been trying convulsively to swallow ever since. Grateful despite her pique, she drank until her mouth no longer felt as if it had been swabbed with cotton. They’d been traveling nigh an hour, perhaps a little more, before the first fingers of dawn began to brighten the forest around them.

  Her eyes watered. Blinking them, she tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

  It seemed to her that if they were going to fuck her half of every night, they might have the consideration to allow her a few hours sleep before dragging her from her rest to stumble through the woods!

  She tried to tamp the irritation but it persisted for the simple reason that she was exhausted when they’d barely even begun their trek. Something else plagued her, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Her mind was little more mush and it made her head hurt even to try to sort the elusive tangle.

  She put it from her mind after a while, but she couldn’t say she was a great deal clearer after hours of trudging. She’d begun tired and she only got more tired as they progressed. Toward mid-morning, they paused for a few minutes—she supposed to allow her to catch her breath, although she barely had time to steady her heart before they were off again.

  When they stopped at midday to eat, she ignored the food they offered, instead opting to take a short nap. It was an extremely short nap by her reckoning, but it seemed to clear her head a little—enough that she began struggling with the thought that had bothered her earlier. “Who’s watching the border while you escort me?” she asked finally.

  Thorne, who was directly in front of her, glanced back. “Brethren.”

  Sonja frowned at his back. “Brethren?” she echoed.

  “Of the wolf clan.”

  “Oh.”

  How, she wondered, had they summoned them? And when? She finally decided that it must have been done when Jarek and the others had been out the day before, although she was still mystified as to how they’d managed it. But perhaps the others were not that far away?

  That thought didn’t particularly comfort her. It made her wonder just how many other denizens of Shadowmere were close by and whether they might object to Jarek’s pack escorting her across the Shadowlands.

  She dismissed it after a while because she was just too tired to worry about it. She was so weary by the time Jarek finally called a halt for the day that she felt like weeping—really weeping—with relief, not merely summoning tears to her aid as she so often did. She didn’t offer to help make camp although she knew very well
that she should. As soon as Jarek said they would make camp, she found the clearest area she could, collapsed, and curled into a ball to sleep.

  Someone settled a hand on her shoulder sometime later and shook it, waving a steaming piece of meat beneath her nose. She slapped the hand away. “Go way! ‘M tired.”

  “You need to eat.”

  “Later.”

  “There’ll be none later.”

  “Alright.”

  “Are you going to get up and eat?”

  “No.”

  The hand that landed on her ass made her eyes pop wide open. It sounded like a clap of thunder and stung enough she clamped a hand over her stinging cheek to rub the pain away even before she sat up. Jarek shoved the piece of meat into her hands. “Eat!” he growled.

  She glared at him as he stalked off, tempted to hurl it at his head. “Brute!” she muttered.

  He stiffened, but she focused on her food as he started to turn toward her. When she finally nerved herself to look up, she discovered he was still glaring at her and that Thorne, Rafe, Byron and Arman were glaring at him. Satisfaction flickered through her, but she was careful not to show it. At least they agreed that he was a brute and a bully!

  The nap she’d taken in conjunction with the food actually made her feel somewhat rested, she discovered. “When do you think we’ll reach the border?”

  Jarek flicked a tightlipped glance in her direction. “At the rate we’re going?”

  She nodded.

  “Maybe next year.”

  Sonja sent him a drop dead look, added ass to the growing list under the negative column for him, and glanced questioningly at Thorne. Thorne focused on his food frowningly. “Mayhap a week.”

  Dismay filled her. “A week?” she echoed, trying to figure out how she had miscalculated so badly. She had been certain that she could reach Thalon, conclude her business well within a week and be on her way. Of course she’d calculated it based on riding, but she doubted she would’ve covered much more ground mounted than she had on foot. The trail they’d followed was barely wide enough for them. If she’d had her horse, she would’ve had to walk it most of the way. “But … it isn’t that far, is it?”