Night Critters (Collection) (18 page)

Duke tweaked and pinched her nipple, the small pains nothing compared to the pleasure the scraping of his tongue on her clit brought. He hadn't forgotten how to bring a bitch to her knees and beg, thank the Moon Goddess. His hums reverberated through Katriena's body until she peaked and released his cock from her mouth.

Peak was truthfully an inadequate word. Standing at the edge of a snow-covered mountain slope, poised at that second before she skied down the treacherous path came close. That one second of stillness before the explosion and a race with gravity. Then, her orgasm burst forth and she howled loud enough to announce the joining to the two packs below.

Eduardo kept to his duty, fucking her senseless and rubbing her anus to double her pleasure beyond that which Duke gave. But even he had a breaking point, and too quickly he arrived at that moment when he, too, howled in his high-pitched tones and generously gave her another piece of his soul.

Duke didn't hesitate beyond Katriena's first wave of orgasms. He released her clit and slid out from under her quivering body. Swiftly, he moved to await his turn at her body.

When Eduardo was spent and could pull out, he fell over to the side and rolled beneath Katriena to take one of her full breasts into his mouth. It was the one Duke had left untouched and would be neglected no more.

Katriena pealed out her continued orgasms in wave after wave and howl upon howl, reporting in the most primal fashion that the Alpha Bitch was satisfied and well-fucked.

Duke took her pussy with speed and ensured she'd be pleasantly sore and fulfilled from him as well. Again, the difference between his cock and Eduardo's made the experience beyond merely pleasant and exalted to sublime. He fucked her ruthlessly and even wet his finger at her moistness before plunging it into her ass to send her over the edge all over again.

Eduardo, not to be outdone, knew she had one secret spot left untapped. He nipped at the sensitive area just under her breast where the sun never shone. That tender bite was one he alone had discovered about his mate.

Duke roared his own pleasure in a howl that was unique to his hybrid nature of Labrador and German Shepherd. No description would be adequate to recount the nature of his barking howl, but that very singularity made his satisfaction clear to the members of his pack who knew it well. Their Alpha had found his new mate.

Barks and howls answered the trio's joyous sounds, signifying all were in accord and pleased to hear the joining was successful. The breach between were-wolf and were-dog would now be bridged and healed in the bodies of the three on the mountaintop. As the moon waned, the world would hear a new sound of friendship and peace among the night creatures.

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Lena Austin & Tuesday Richards

Never annoy a luck god.

Staci Thornburn is determined to get an interview with the new Chinese UNESCO Ambassador, but things go from bad to worse when she accidentally insults him!

Ambassador Jiao Long, a Foo Dog/dragon cross, is more than a little irritated. The American female has gotten under his scales. When he curses her with twenty-four hours of bad luck, he ends up causing more havoc than he ever imagined. Soon Staci's rescuing him. It's a good thing dragons are fireproof, because things are about to get hot—in more ways than one!

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Staci allowed her fellow elevator riders to jostle her along, hoping to The One that they wouldn't crush her black wings or step on her tail while they all exited the elevators. She beat on the side of her mini-com to get the day planner to do more than give her the blue screen of death. She'd paid good money for the beast, and the blasted thing kept going on the fritz half the time. After a few moments of cursing under her breath, she dropped the Treo 2050 back into her purse and opened the massive carved doors of the new Chinese UNESCO Ambassador's office.

She stopped short in surprise. Instead of a modern, sleek office, the entire room was done up like a set from a documentary of ancient Chinese temples on the vid. Elaborate golden screens with fantastic silk embroidery blocked her view of much of the room, and colorful painted statues added to the surreal nature of the office, especially compared to the cool austerity of the rest of the embassy. Only the guard standing at attention to her right gave any indication of the modern era. Wow, she thought, this new ambassador must be either rich or higher in the rankings than she'd supposed to import all these decorations. The stuff was authentic, she was sure of that.

A short, almond-eyed man wearing an elaborately embroidered jacket jumped to his feet from behind his desk and bowed at her entrance. “Good morning. How may I assist you?” His accent was thick, but she got the message.

Staci blinked for a moment. Bowing? Talk about ancient society customs. Okay, she'd play along. Courtesy never hurt anyone. She bowed back at the receptionist, since that was the title on his desk. “Good morning. My name is Staci Thornburn, Independent News Service, and I'm here to interview the ambassador."

She hoped she sounded mature and professional. To get the interview assignment had taken years of climbing and clawing past her family name. The Thornburn Pack had become synonymous with wealth and power, but Staci wanted desperately to earn her own way in the world. She'd learned so much from her mother's work as a philanthropist and “den mother” to a succession of foster children. Her semi-siblings had opened her eyes to what the real world was like, with all the horror to match the beauty she'd known as a child of wealth and privilege.

The young man bowed, slowly. “With great apologies, the ambassador is not here. We..."

She blurted out the first words that came to her head. “Oh, no! Where is he?” Staci bit her tongue.
Really diplomatic, there, Rich Bitch. Learn some manners
. Today was her first major interview after months of research and scheming to be there before the big shots got the scoop. The only reason she'd known of this change in ambassadors was through her mother, but the rest had been all the work of her own fingers on the keys.

This new UNESCO Ambassador was here to gain world aid for the destitute children of China. She had to be there first. She understood his mission far better than most of her fellow independent journalists. They'd only give him a fast hundred-word blurb, at best. Staci intended to give him a fair shot at pleading his case to the world at large. Public opinion could wring more money out of tight fists and closed wallets if the whole populace clamored for change.

The receptionist's mouth fell open when she interrupted him, and he looked at the floor submissively. He spread his hands widely and shrugged. “I do not know where His Excellency Jiao Long has gone."

Staci thought fast. Where would she go if she were the ambassador on this kind of mission, even if it was a very early hour of the morning? She needed coffee to think. Wait! That was it. Coffee. “Is there a coffee shop here in the embassy? A place where a person might go to think for a few moments in peace and perhaps watch the world go by?” Perfect. That's what she'd do if she were the ambassador. Go find a place to plant her butt and assimilate the culture. Understanding how the people lived always meant better communication. A smart ambassador might hide in a corner incognito and just observe.

The receptionist's face smiled brightly. He bowed happily. “Yes, Miss. The tea shop on the ground floor has a fine selection and a beautiful meditation garden open to the general public. May I recommend the pomegranate tea?” He gestured to a steaming fiber cup with a distinctive logo on his desk.

What the heck. Another bow never hurt anyone. Staci bowed again. “Thank you for your kind suggestion. I'll do just that.” She fished out a card from her purse pocket. “Would you be kind enough to call me if the ambassador returns? I'd really love to talk to him about his work here."

As soon as he accepted her card, Staci raced back to the elevator. The digital sign above the buttons announced that it was on the first floor. And not moving. Damn it! Her black feathers ruffled and glowed faint red while her tail flitted back and forth in frustration. Could one more thing go wrong today when she felt irritable enough to gnaw bones like her cousins? She headed for the stairs, which curved around the side of the building and led to the main entranceway.

The morning sun assaulted her eyes, and Staci wished she hadn't left her sunglasses in her car. She took the first step without a thought about the open lacy pattern in the old metal stairs. The heel of her shoe caught in one of the tiny cutwork holes and she fell forward, leaving the shoe stuck like a fly in amber. Money didn't buy coordination, and she'd always been a klutz on the ground.

She clutched the stone paw of the statue perched above her and looked down at the hard pavement two stories below. The fall down the steep stairs would have broken several bones. Hers were not as fragile as her mother's, but the cracked skull would have spread the icing over the cake of her morning. Had the rail not been there, catching the updraft between the buildings and gliding to safety would have been simple enough, except she wore a skirt. Flying would have constituted showing her pink and black thong to the entire city. “Of course, at present, I'm showing my panties to anyone who happens by.” She scrambled to get her footing without much success.

The statue, a huge, mastiff-sized, dog-like creature with bat wings, came to life. His saucer-sized black eyes bore into hers with concern. “You have been the only person to enter or leave the building in quite a few hours, ma'am."

"Holy shit!” Staci let go before she could stop herself and began to fall. Her wings flapped uselessly from beneath her. The fall wouldn't kill her, but the sudden stop at the bottom of the wide expanse of stairs might ruin her whole week.

The statue spread his black bat wings and took the updraft of air she'd rejected earlier with ease. Swooping down, he grasped Staci's hand and held her close in both ham-like paws. He glided lazily to the pavement below, with no sign of effort in carrying a full-grown being. “I did not mean to startle you, ma'am. It is a beautiful day, and I couldn't help but sun myself."

"I didn't realize that statues needed a tan.” She smoothed her skirt down, took off her one remaining shoe, and brushed her hair away from her face. He had the biggest jade-green eyes she'd ever seen on a living creature. “What are you, anyway? Bat Dog from a new kiddie vid show?” She grinned up at her rescuer, hoping he'd recognize her joke.

The beast smiled, displaying four-inch-long incisors in his wide mouth. His head bowed with regal dignity. “Forgive me. I forgot I was advised to remain in human form in your country. I will change. Then we may converse properly.” He folded his wings over his body like a black curtain. Moments later, a man wearing black silk pants and a long peacock blue jacket even more elaborately decorated with gold and embroidery than the one the receptionist had worn stepped from the screen of wings. Incredibly, the wings did not recede into his back, but remained fully as large as before.

Staci stared in awe, guessing his wingspan would rival a small flitter jet. “Bet those buggers are why your embassy has such huge double doors,” she blurted.
Great diplomacy today, Staci
. First she scared the crap out of a poor receptionist and then insulted another diplomat of unknown rank. Grandma Roni would kick her ass from here to kingdom come if she knew.

The Chinese man smirked and clasped his hands in front of him. “I am a Foo Dog, and it's lucky for you that I was enjoying the sun today or you would have been injured.” He looked her over from head to toe, his eyes lingering on her feathery wings and long-haired tail. “You are most unusual in your own right. My name is Jiao Long. May I offer you tea?” Without waiting for an answer, he took her arm and guided her inside the golden doors of the cafe.

She'd found His Excellency, Ambassador Jiao Long, though not the way she'd intended. Perhaps it wasn't the best time to remind him that he was the one who'd startled her into falling over the railing. She let him lead her and allowed him to order—in the musical Chinese language, and then in English for her benefit—two pomegranate teas.

With two fragrant teas in hand, the man led her not into the crowded gardens, but back out into the sunshine where they perched casually on a low stone wall near the stairs. She dropped her tote and shoe beside her, wondering vaguely if maintenance would be able to free her other shoe from the stairs.

The man's manners were perfect, and his demeanor so calm she wondered if he was one of the famous Eastern ascetic monks. He sipped his tea only after she'd tasted her delicious brew. “This is one of my weaknesses, I'm afraid. I'm lucky to share it with a lovely companion who is also lucky. Perhaps Fate was kind enough to bring us together today."

She shook her head in denial. Superstitions and beliefs in mythical things like fate punched her hot buttons. In the late twenty-first century, with mankind now settling the moon, some beings tried to live in the ancient past. Her favorite uncle had almost died controlling one of the resulting Regression Riots. “Luck and fate don't exist. We make our own destinies by responsible choices, and owning up when we make a mistake.” She sipped again at the tea, and wondered if she'd found the mythical ambrosia. “But I came to interview you about your mission, Your Excellency. We had an appointment today at nine."

Jiao's jade green eyes were calm. “Ah, Ms. Thornburn, I presume. I always hate to tell a lady she is wrong, but our interview is not until tomorrow morning. Forgive me.” He bowed. “I must also disagree with your statement about luck and fate. While our choices do influence our lives, much is based around luck. Not everything is under one's control. Such as earlier. It was fate for it to be such a beautiful day, it was fate that you would not use the elevator and it was luck that held your hand upon my foot for those few minutes.” Jiao reached out for Staci's hand.