Wild Desire (The Protectors Book 1) Read online

  “We’ll take this slow,” he assured her.

  The head of his cock disappeared inside her. Mila watched as he gritted his teeth, inching a little further inside her channel.

  “Are you okay, Elias?”

  “You’re just so tight. My animal wants to thrust, but I won’t let it.”

  Her heart melted; he was afraid he’d hurt her.

  “What if I put my legs around your waist… will that help?”

  His eyes darkened. “Yes. Now how would you know that?”

  “I have read erotic books.”

  “Hmm, we’ll discuss this another time. Okay, honey. Wrap your legs around my waist.”

  She complied, and he pushed a little farther inside her, almost to her barrier. He was still only a little over halfway inside her.

  “Breathe, just breathe. I’m going to push right inside you now. Hold on tight.”

  As he pushed passed her innocence, right up to the hilt, she yelped at the pain. He paused, whispering reassuring words whilst she grew accustomed to his cock inside her. Her body began to clutch at him; a natural reaction to wanting more. Elias grunted.

  “Jesus, much more of that and I’ll come before I’m ready.”

  Elias started to move slowly in and out of her body. Right in. Right out. Over and over until Mila thought she’d lose her mind in the haze of need and sensations her body was experiencing. She joined in, urging him in deeper each time. His breathing became erratic. Laboured. And hers followed suit. An orgasm began to build again as his body rubbed against her clit.

  “Oh, God. Elias, I’m going to come again.”

  “Then do it. Come for me. Come with me.”

  His words urged her on. Then the world stilled. They hovered on the verge of something monumental. Not just great sex. This was the joining of souls, hearts, and minds. Forever. An unbreakable bond. Mates.

  Mila screamed out her elation when Elias made her come again. If it was at all possible, she was certain his cock swelled even more and then he growled out his release, still thrusting inside her. It was so strong that she came again and again; a rolling climax which she was certain would drive her insane. Then she was spent. Totally and utterly sated. Elias had collapsed on top of her, his face in the crook of her arm. She held him to her, stroking his sweat-dampened skin gently.

  “Mine,” he murmured against her skin. “Mine for eternity.”

  Chapter Ten

  Elias had never felt such a mix of emotions as he’d experienced when he made love to Mila. It was so intense, and no words would ever explain it. No wonder his brother found it so hard to try and describe what it was like when he finally joined with Lily. Tears welled up in his eyes as he gazed at the beauty cradled next to him. He was still inside her, unwilling to let her go. When she returned his gaze, her eyes were filled with tears, too.

  “You okay?” he asked her, the emotions clearly sounding in his voice.

  “I’m perfect. You’re perfect. Making love was perfect. It’s all perfect right about now.” She giggled and hid her eyes. When she looked at him again, she continued, “Was that an overuse of the word perfect?”

  He chuckled and kissed her. “Maybe, but it really was.”

  She winced. Even though his cock had softened inside her, there was some discomfort. He eased out of her slowly.

  “Are you very sore?”

  Mila blushed. “A little, but it was worth it. I’m sure I’ll get used to your size. We’ll just have to have more practice,” she teased.

  He groaned and rested his forehead to hers. “You’re going to be insatiable, aren’t you?”

  She let loose a dirty laugh which hit him right in his groin. “Well, this is entirely your fault. I have no sexual experience whatsoever. You’re the man with all the skill.”

  That was it, he couldn’t take any more. Elias pushed her onto her back, his cock already demanding to take her again. And by the wetness of the sheet underneath her, Mila was ready. There was no going slow this time; he wanted her fast. Needed to hear her breathy moans as he rocked her world once more. She gasped, her fingernails digging into his back. He stilled momentarily.

  “Is it too much?” he asked.

  “Don’t stop. God, please don’t stop,” she ground out between gritted teeth.

  He complied, and together they careered over the edge. The room was filled with their moans, and the scent of their lovemaking almost drove him crazy.

  “Wow,” she panted, her hand on her heart, trying to regain her regular breathing pattern. “That was… That was…”

  He kissed her, a smile curving his lips over hers. When he broke, he watched her intently. “Yes, it was, wasn’t it?”

  “I need the bathroom.”

  He saw her wince again and immediately felt guilty for taking her so quickly after her first time.

  “Honey, you’re in pain.” He went to her and held her close.

  “It’s okay. It’ll pass.”

  Elias held her by the shoulders, his eyes roving over her face. “Look, let me run a bath. We can take one together.”

  She peered at the tub in her en-suite. “It’s not big enough for both of us.”

  “Come with me.”

  She took the hand he held out to her and walked her to the main bathroom. At the centre of the room stood an enormous jacuzzi bath. He smiled when she let out a cry of happiness.

  “This is fantastic, Elias.”

  She ran to him and leapt into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist as she kissed him soundly on the lips.

  “I thought you’d like it. I also have a gentle oil to soothe aches and pains. It should ease the ache between your legs.”

  She blushed and clambered out of his embrace, her response almost shaking his resolve to not take her again.

  “I know something else which could ease the ache.” She wiggled her hips suggestively.

  “Mila,” he warned. “Don’t. Lovemaking between mates is extremely intense and only gets more so the longer we’re together.”

  “That’s okay,” she said, walking around the tub and running her fingers lightly around the top of it.

  “You need rest for a while. Let’s take a bath together and relax. Then later, I’ll try to sate your delicious body some more.”

  She walked into his open arms and kissed his chest. “I like the sound of that.”

  When she gazed up at him he knew, in that moment, his love for her was infinite.

  * * *

  Drake paced up and down his father’s office. The man didn’t appear to have noticed his son’s impatience. He reflected on what he’d accomplished at Mila’s home. Why hadn’t she come to confront him yet? What he’d done, especially in her bedroom, should’ve had her hammering at his door, angry and susceptible. Perhaps she’d changed in her time away. By now, he had hoped to have her as his prisoner.

  The plan had been to take her to the facility and torture her, in many different ways, until he broke her. Then… then she’d be his. Years ago, when they’d been at high school, he’d tormented her because she was different. This was meant to alienate her, leaving her vulnerable. It had worked to a point, but this only drove her into the forest. Her affinity with the natural world proved what he and his father had suspected for a long while. Mila was an unmated shifter, with other abilities that were as yet undiscovered.

  Drake had felt a pull towards her, especially when she reached her teens. She was gorgeous. He’d never admitted this to anyone but his father. For a long while, he knew his father was conducting experiments on supernatural beings, trying to crossbreed different species to make the ultimate warrior.

  Shortly after he uncovered this revelation, he’d begged his father to carry out tests on him. He’d refused, suggesting more testing was done first. His impatience to receive shifter DNA, so he could have Mila, made him behave irrationally. Luther had managed to convince him to be patient.

  Together, they decided Mila must be alienated from everyone, so, when the
y did finally make a move on her, she would have no one to call for help. But then her parents had uncovered what Scott Tech were up to. They were assassinated, their bodies burned to ash in the forest to hide the wounds they’d received from relentless torture. They died trying to protect the animals, and their daughter.

  The biggest blow was when Mila disappeared. They searched for weeks and months and couldn’t pick up her location. Then there was triumph when she’d finally returned. Her beauty had only blossomed. Drake wanted her. Had to have her. His desire to see her broken and begging for him to take her filled his nights with fantasies.

  “Quit your pacing, Drake. Have you been back to the Stubbs’ place yet? She may have returned by now.”

  “If she’d returned, Dad, Mila would have come looking for me.”

  His father glanced up from his laptop to study his son thoughtfully. “Not necessarily. She does have allies in the forest, even if she doesn’t realise it. Do you want my suggestion?”

  “Okay. I’ll listen to anything right now.” He folded his arms over his chest.

  “Go back to her house. It’s getting late, so no one else will be around. See if you can discover where she might be. Here.” He passed a small locating device to Drake. “This is a new invention. It holds some of the DNA from shifters we’ve captured.”

  “Why give me this?” Drake turned the device over in his hands.

  “Because, son, I have a bad feeling about where she is. This could help. Now go.”

  Drake didn’t need to be told twice. He took off for Mila’s home. It was almost midnight by the time he got there. All the lights were off. Her car was there; maybe she was asleep in bed. He strode up to the front door, which was now secured. She had been home. The smell of burning emanated from the back garden. Pieces of the dummy and her duvet lay amongst the ashes. What he wouldn’t have given to see her expression when she’d entered her living room and bedroom.

  He caught the scent of her perfume and took his time to savour it. He was hard by her fragrance alone. He turned on the device and waited for long moments. This was a stupid idea and he still didn’t see how it could help locate Mila. A loud beep emanated from it and a name popped up on the screen. Elias Crane.

  Well, well, well. This was interesting. The shifter he’d once had a hand in torturing was most likely Mila’s mate. He’d been a hard bastard. Not once did he crack under all the torture they put him through. Unfortunately, he’d only had him for a very short while. The rescue attempt on the facility had seen most of the captives saved, including Crane. That would not happen again.

  Now he knew what he was up against, he’d have to up his game. The forest was vast, much of it not visited by humans. They were sure a supernatural community lived somewhere deep within its depths. It was also a certainty that powerful magic prevented its location from being discovered. But that was okay because their tech was progressing, and with the help of the soldiers they’d already created, they would find their location eventually. They’d take what they wanted, and Mila would be his… unless he could get his hands on her whilst carrying out her ranger duties.

  * * *

  Mila sighed in contentment when she woke up. She recalled the events from the day before. There was still slight soreness between her legs, but the relaxing bath taken with Elias containing the soothing oil had helped. He’d dried her and carried her back to his bed where he’d made love to her yet again, worshipping every inch of her until she was screaming out his name, her orgasm rolling over her.

  Elias was asleep beside her. He looked so peaceful… and tempting. Surely the intense lovemaking just a few short hours before had been enough to sate her. But no, she understood that now they were mated, it would only get more passionate. She went to lean over and kiss him when pain tore at her body. She moaned loudly. Her body felt as though it was clawing at her from the inside out.

  “Elias,” she whimpered, clutching at her stomach.

  He was awake instantly. Taking one look at her, he swore, placing a hand to her forehead. Picking her up, he strode downstairs and out into his back garden.

  “What’s happening to me?”

  He stood her on her feet, hands around her waist. “I didn’t expect this to happen so quickly.”

  “What. What’s going on? I feel like my body’s being ripped apart.”

  “You’re going to shift for the first time. I know it’s frightening, and I promise you it is the only time it’ll hurt. Your body is just getting used to sharing the space with your animal.”

  “Oh, God,” she groaned when the pain became more forceful.

  “I want you to close your eyes and breathe, honey. Relax into the pain. Let the change take place. Don’t fight it. I’m here. I’ll help you through the transformation.”

  It was difficult to try and not fight against it. Instead, she focused on his reassuring touch and words, talking her through it, helping to calm her.

  “You’re almost there, Mila. Breathe, honey.”

  Her body felt warm; way too warm. The sound and sensation of muscles and bones realigning inside her made her feel nauseous. It felt as though she was dying.

  “Elias,” she whimpered.

  “It’s okay. Focus on me. Focus on my voice.”

  His voice was like a lifeline, holding her to him. There was a blinding white light and then silence. She could hear everything around her with more clarity. Birdsong, bees humming, wind rustling through the leaves. Her sense of smell was heightened, even down to the earth beneath her feet. Then she caught Elias’s fragrance.

  “Beautiful. You are so beautiful. In human form you are amazing, but you are the most stunning hind I have ever seen.”

  She looked towards his voice. He was now in the form of a magnificent stag. Without thinking, she nudged his side. When she looked down, she saw she now had four legs. The urge to run came to her, the pain now gone from her limbs.

  “Can we run?” She couldn’t keep the excitement from her voice.

  “Of course we can. Follow me. I’ll take you to a clearing where we can drink from cool freshwater streams.”

  Mila thought it would feel strange to have four legs instead of two. It wasn’t though. It felt as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Elias broke into a trot, then a gallop, and she followed him. The experience was something she’d never be able to describe. Elation, joy, and freedom. This called to her wild side and she embraced every single sensation.

  “Almost there, Mila.”

  Even before they entered the clearing, she could hear the water burbling. More birdsong, insects, and the feel of the air on her fur. It made her want to call out with elation.

  “Oh, Elias. This is amazing. I feel so alive.”

  “I love it, too. Come. Let’s drink from the stream.”

  “What? In deer form?”

  He chuckled in her mind. “Of course.”

  Mila watched while Elias dipped his head down to the water and drank deeply. She followed suit; the water tasted wild and fresh as it slipped down her throat. A frog splashed in the water close by her muzzle and she jumped back, startled by the encounter. Its thoughts were in her head now. How it loved the peace of the forest and living next to the cool water. Then it hopped off.

  “I could hear its thoughts, Elias,” she declared in an excited voice.

  “You have many abilities, Mila. Some, like talking to other wildlife, come naturally to you. Others, like your seer capabilities, need a little help. Lily and some of the other women can help there.”

  Warning sounds from animals around them put Mila and Elias on high alert.

  “I can smell humans and the scent isn’t friendly. Hunters maybe?” Mila felt the urge to run.

  “I can, too. Time for us to head back. I don’t want to take chances that we could be hurt.”

  Together, they headed back to the safety of Elias’s home.

  Chapter Eleven

  Elias had never experienced such happiness in his long life. Runn
ing through the forest with his mate was nothing short of wonderful. Her excitement at being able to shift filled him with so many emotions. It was a disappointment when they’d headed for home. The risk of being shot or captured was too great. He shifted to human form when they returned to his back garden.

  “Silly question. How do I shift back?”

  “Not at all. But you look so beautiful I may well keep you like this.” He stroked her soft fur and she trembled under his touch.

  “Elias, if you don’t help me, there will be no more physical activity for us,” she warned.

  “Okay, I’ll behave. Focus on how your human form looks. Breathe and relax.”

  He watched whilst his beautiful mate transformed into her human body. Her eyes turned to where he stood, both of them naked. Moving towards him, she kept her eyes trained on his. No words were uttered, but her expression said it all. Stretching up, her lips found his and dispatched a searing kiss. When she broke, he growled his displeasure. Her fingertips traced the outline of his face. The tender expression in her strange-coloured eyes had his heart flipping in his chest.

  “I love you, Elias. I know we haven’t been together very long, but my feelings are real.”

  The birds stopped singing, the breeze dropped, and even the insects appeared to be waiting for his response. A shuddering breath came from him as other emotions clogged his throat. With gentle reverence, he cupped her face in his hands and placed a sweet kiss on her lips.

  “I love you too, Mila. I have been waiting for centuries for you to arrive. And now you have, my life is complete.”

  * * *

  Mila hadn’t even realised she was going to announce her love for Elias, it just came out. But she knew it was real and that he would always be her whole world. After declaring their love for one another, he’d taken her into his arms, surrounding her with his body and love. And there they stood, in his garden, totally naked. For the first time in her life, she felt free of all the ‘normal’ constraints.