Running in Fear: Cupid's Venom (9 page)

Rory kissed her cheek. “I know it takes a lot to push the snake back. When the doctor came at her with that syringe, all I wanted to do was attack him to protect her. We’re going to have to be careful until we’re mated. Maybe then the little things won’t affect us as much.”

Tug came into the kitchen, his hair wet, wearing fresh jeans and a wife-beater T-shirt. “Come here, Cecil.” He picked her up off Rory’s lap.

“Go hop in the shower. Rory, I left an extra bottle of shampoo out. It took 54

me four rinses to wash that crap out of my hair.” He nuzzled her neck.

Remi and Dane stood. “What did you feel like when all this went down?”

Tug held her tighter and moved into the dining room. “When Belinda put her hands on me, the snake rose up and it took everything in me not to attack her. It knew she wasn’t Cecil, and it wanted her dead.

You’re going to have to find someone else for the club right now. Until we’re mated, I don’t want to risk anything. After that, we’ll have to test it, but I could feel Cecil’s turmoil earlier.” He glared at the doctor. “I told you to stay away from her. Don’t do that again. I left the shower twice to come downstairs, but managed to turn around.”

Cecil scooted closer into Tug’s body, rubbing her cheek against his chest. She reached up and licked his neck. Pulling down on the V of his shirt, she nibbled on his chest.

Tug glanced down at her, his gaze heated. His breath hitched.

“Excuse us.” Tug got up, carrying her upstairs to the bedroom. “What is going on, Cecil?” he whispered and slammed the bedroom door shut.

“I don’t know, but I need you now.” Cecil nipped at his chest.

“Clothes
off
, Tug, now, please.” She squirmed out of his arms, ripping her clothes off as fast as she could.

Remi, keep everyone away from our bedroom. Some sort of mating
frenzy is upon us and I don’t know what we’d do if someone interrupted us.

Be careful, Tug.

The last of his clothes dropped to the ground as he grabbed her and threw her to the bed. “I’m sorry, Cecil. I can’t stop.” He grabbed her hands and placed them above her head. “Leave them there.” Tug leaned down and bit her breast. “Mine.”

“Ours!” Rory said as he moved up the bed and bit down on the other breast.

Cecil didn’t care what they were saying. Her body burned with need. She needed to mark them. Cecil tried to pull Tug down, but he grabbed her hands and snarled. “Rory, grab the strap up there. I don’t want her hurt. The snake is pushing me too fast and I don’t know what will happen if she struggles.”

“No, I need to kiss you, please, give me your neck, Tug.” Tug frowned but lowered his body to hers. He gently picked her up, but she didn’t want gentle. Her fangs descended in her mouth and she bit down on his neck, sinking her fangs in.

Tug howled in her ear as she raked her claws down his back, hanging on. His cock pushed against her opening and shoved in, breaking her virginal membrane and snapping her out of the haze.

55

Cecil jerked back, glancing up at his neck. Two small holes marred his neck. “God, Tug, I’m so sorry,” she cried, but he covered her mouth in a heated kiss as he pumped in and out of her.

Her body heated and once again Tug grabbed her hands, pulling them above her head, and breaking the kiss. “Now, Rory, tie her.”

Rory grabbed her arms and wrapped them with a silk tie. Cecil tugged, but she couldn’t move as Tug grabbed her legs, lifting them and placing them on his shoulders as he pumped into her. His powerful thrusts shook the bed. Rory bent down, licking his tongue around her nipple.

Rory reached down in between her body and Tug’s, rubbing her clit. “Come for him, Cecil.”

She tensed as her body trembled and sweat broke out. Tug grunted. “Tug…” she screamed as ripple after ripple of pleasure tore through her body.

Tug lowered her legs and covered her body as Rory pulled back.

He sank his fangs into her neck and sent another tremor through her body.

Cecil’s took a deep breath as Tug removed his fangs from her neck, kissing his mark, and pulled out of her. But she didn’t have time to relax.

Rory moved over her and slowly pushed his cock into her pussy.

“I can’t wait. I’m sorry,” he hissed, moving in and out of her. He covered her breasts with his hands and pushed them up, kissing and sucking on them. “So beautiful, and ours.”

His pace increased and she saw his fangs descend in his mouth.

He released her breasts and nuzzled the other side of her neck, sinking his incisors into her neck.

“Rory, faster,” she moaned. Their skin was drenched in sweat as he pulled back. With the speed of the snake, she sank her teeth into his skin, marking him.

Growling, Rory’s cock swelled further inside her. His long blond hair covered his face and hers as she released his neck and groaned.

His seed poured into her body while he slammed into her three more times, triggering another orgasm. Cecil arched up and tried to get loose.

The silk disappeared from her wrists and she wrapped her arms around Rory. “I need a bath,” she moaned, all of a sudden drained of energy.

Tug smiled down at her while Rory rolled over to the other side of her. “You want to tell us what happened? Not that I mind, but I hurt you when I took you. For your first time, we should have been gentle.”

Her face heated and she glanced away from him, but he grabbed 56

her chin and brought her gaze back to him. “Talk to us.”

“I don’t know what really happened. When you were holding me downstairs and talking about that other woman…” She trembled. “It was as if I needed to have my mark on you.”

57

Chapter Nine

Cecil reached up, touching the holes in Tug’s skin. They were now covered by new skin, but the skin was now darker than before. She turned to examine Rory, and his mark was the same as Tug’s. “I think the snake inside wanted you to claim me. It was so weird. It was like I was in a dream. The heat was even painful, but I couldn’t stop.”

Tug glanced at Rory, and he moaned. “Damn, the doctor wants more samples.” Rory grumbled and jumped off the bed, strolling to the suitcase that hadn’t been there earlier.

Cecil shook her head. “I can’t do that.” She moved off the bed and stepped towards the bathroom.

“It’s okay, Cecil. He wants samples from Tug and me. We’re his guinea pigs. We’ve already warned him he’s not to touch you.” Rory pulled on a pair of black leather pants and glanced up at her.

Cecil licked her bottom lip. The man had a body any woman would want. “Umm, maybe you can put on some sweats or something.”

Rory grinned. “Why, Cecil, are you ogling my body?” He cornered her up against the wall, tracing a finger down her body.

Tug snarled behind them. “Rory, we don’t have time. The doctor is standing at the end of the stairs waiting for us.” Tug leaned over and pulled Cecil towards the door, covering her in a blanket as he grabbed a dress he had laid out on the dresser.

“Come on, Cecil. I’m going to show you my private getaway.” He unlocked the door and pushed her down the other hallway, opening a door.

“After you, my lady.” Cecil stepped into the room and glanced around at the large bay windows that covered every wall of the room. In the middle of the room was a large whirlpool tub.

Tug reached over and flipped a switch, and soft blues played in the room. “I come out here and just stare into the woods. It relaxes me. I thought maybe you would like to unwind before you start supper.”

“It’s beautiful.” Cecil watched as Tug started to run the water, then helped her into the tub.

“Come down whenever you’re ready.” He leaned down, kissing her lips. “We’ll make this up to you, Cecil. I promise.”

She frowned. “Make what up to me?”

He smiled and shook his head. “Your first time should have been romantic and slow.”

Cecil shook her head. “Tug,
I’m
the one who started it all. Now go 58

on, because I don’t want to see the doctor chasing you around. I might have to bite him.” She laughed as he shut the door behind him.

“You aren’t biting anyone but us,” he said through the door.

Closing her eyes, she smiled and dripped the water over her skin.

She had felt a sense of peace ever since she had marked her men and they had marked her. It was as if she was home. Reaching up, she turned off the water and turned on the jets. “Oh man, I can get used to this.”

Drifting on and off to sleep, Cecil glanced into the woods—and jumped up, almost falling. The man’s gaze captured hers as he stood at the edge of the woods. She shivered, hugging herself.

The snake man had come to claim her as he said he would, a year ago.

“No!” Cecil hissed and moved out of the tub, wrapping a towel around her, keeping her gaze on him. His head moved back and forth. His forked tongue snaked out and he stepped forward but stopped, glancing behind him. Then he looked back at her one more time before disappearing into the woods.

Very quickly she pulled on her dress and opened the door, running down the stairs. Both Tug and Rory met her at the bottom of the stairs, capturing her before she could fall.

“Wow! What’s wrong?” Tug glanced behind her as Rory pulled her into his arms, but she squirmed and ran to the patio door, flinging it open, ready to track the man down herself.

“Cecil!” Rory grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back into the house. “What’s wrong?” he demanded.

“He’s here! He came for me just like he said he would!” she said.

People around them backed away. Remi, Dane, Sam, and Tug surrounded her, glancing outside.

“Cecil, no one could have gotten past our guards.” Remi frowned at her.

She hissed, backing away from him. “Then go look at his footprints, if you don’t believe me.” Cecil pointed to where he had been standing. Tug threw open the door and ran towards the stairs, shifting into wolf form as he did, his clothes falling in the snow.

He sniffed the air as he made it to the woods, running the outer edge, then he stopping right where the snake man had stood. Tug lifted his head and howled. His fangs curled over his lip as he ran back.

“I want to know how the hell a snake man could come this close to this house!” Remi bellowed. Everyone in the room scattered as men from the pack came out of the woods, their heads dipped down.

Tug grabbed his clothes in his mouth and ran into the house, 59

shifting back. “If he can get this close, we’re too open.” He growled and addressed Cecil. “Who is it? How do you know this snake man?”

Jaycee stepped up to Remi and wrapped her arms around him, looking up at him. “What if they’re here because of me, not Cecil?”

Cecil shook her head. “He’s not after you, Jaycee. At least, this man isn’t. He wants me.” She turned and sat down on a dining room chair, putting her face in her hands. “It was about a year ago when the scientists came into the room with this man. He wasn’t a prisoner. He came and went as he pleased. One night, when I was having difficulty controlling the snake, he came into my cell.”

Cecil shivered and she wrapped her arms around herself. “He just stood there staring at me for the longest time, then he moved so fast I didn’t see him move. He was beside me, his hand around my neck, his fangs bared. He told me I was going to be his, that he had chosen me to carry his children. That with my DNA and his, he would have children no one would stop.”

She glanced up at Tug and Rory. “He didn’t touch me that night.

He said I wasn’t ready for him yet, but he would be back for me.”

Rory and Tug moved towards her. Tug pulled her into their arms.

“He won’t touch you, I promise. You’re ours and he’ll have to kill us first.”

Remi stepped forward. “Tug, your house is too open out here. You need to bring her to the pack house. We have the best security system and it’s heavily protected. But your house’s exposure is no excuse for the guards to have failed to spot this man.” He turned his blazing eyes towards the four men standing on the patio door. “What the hell happened?” he demanded.

One stepped forward. “We had his scent, but he was too quick.

Before we knew it, he had backtracked and got away from us.”

Tug and Rory pulled her to the stairs. “Come, Rory, we’re packing. Remi is right. It’s not safe here.”

The only thing she could think of was running, but Cecil knew the snake man, Rick, would catch her.

* * * *

Tug watched the play of emotions run across her face as the moved into the bedroom. He grabbed two suitcases, throwing them on the bed. “He won’t get you, Cecil.” He reinforced his words, wrapping his arms around her. “Trust us.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Tug. I’m afraid. This man is crazy and powerful.”

Tug pulled back and smiled. “Honey, you haven’t been with us 60

long. You’ll see.” He smacked her ass. “Now, put what you want in the suitcase.”

Rory glanced at him, frowning as they watched Cecil put her clothes into the suitcase.
There’s something she’s not telling us.
Rory moved to her side as she shut the suitcase and glanced up at him. “You’re keeping something from us.”

Their bedroom door creaked open and Sam popped his head in.

“You three ready? We have everything loaded. I’ll be behind you in my SUV while my partners will be ahead of you in their truck.”

Cecil moved towards the door, but Tug stepped in front of her.

“This isn’t over. We expect an answer when we get settled.” Tug tipped her head up and gazed into her eyes. “We can’t help you if you don’t open up to us.”

She nodded and moved around him, carrying her small suitcase.

“I don’t like this. She’s withdrawing from us,” Tug mumbled, and grabbed his bag.

“Maybe Jaycee can get her to open up. She’s been through hell and back.” Rory pushed through the door after their mate.

Throughout the ride to the pack house, Cecil didn’t say a word.

Pulling up to the pack house, she smiled. “It’s beautiful.”

“Dane and his family built it. They used to live here until they built their own place about a mile from here.” Tug jumped out of his truck and helped her out as Jaycee came over, grabbing her hand and leading her towards the house.