Wild Cowboy Domination

SAPPHIRE BLUE BOOKS are published by: Sapphire Blue Publishing, LLC P.O. Box 42255 Phoenix, AZ 85080-2255 Copyright © 2008 Brit Blaise Publisher’s Edition Copyright © 2008 Sapphire Blue Publishing Cover Art by Natalie Winters All rights reserved. eBooks are not transferable and can not be given away, sold or shared. No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, faxing, forwarded by email, recording or by any information retrieval and storage system without permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law, as this is an infringement on the copyright of this work. Brief quotations within reviews or articles are acceptable. Sapphire Blue Fairy Logo © 2007 Sapphire Blue Publishing, LLC ISBN 978-1-934657-11-9 Publisher’s Note. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to a person or persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is purely coincidental. First Sapphire Blue Publishing, LLC electronic publication: December 2008 Visit Sapphire Blue Publishing on the World Wide Web at http://www.sapphirebluepublishing.com

Wild Cowboy Domination By Brit Blaise

SAPPHIRE BLUE PUBLISHING http://www.sapphirebluepublishing.com

Dedications This is for all of you who love cowboys as much as I do. Especially my Myspace friends, who comment on my blog and encourage me! In order of their response… Dora Tonks (heart)Stephanie(heart) Veronica Charlene Kieran Post Orgasmic Chill Andrea Lisa Kessler, Writer ~Angie~ tiamom Lillie ~~Tera~~ helgaleena Isabella Traci Trublemacher Lenore Twitchy the WonderBunny mama-san Aurum Bruxsa Leah Jeana ~Michele~ Court Karen Violet Wolf Misty Fish Roanald, Dev Peltier's Jennifer Rohei

~~Losing Myself~~ Donna Sinnan *Connie* St. Louis Angel Bookheart Chris Nicki & Gary Ally Ash Lizzie T. Leaf Stephanie Sugar Lips simplymel Cherie Kenzie St. Clair Aston larkster Lisa Thibault Pietsch Wildchild (.we.are.learning.to.make.fire.) Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc angela Enik Raine E. Wilderen GWEEN [heart] bearswan Jennifer Sharpe Cassie Ryan

Jeana Sweetest Perfection PROUD to be a Mom of FIVE Ali Katz Kellie Lynn, Writer Pauline trying to not sr*w up Jane Elizabeth/Sara Sophia Buffy Christopher bleeding mascara Kimber-Michaela Poet/Writer Christle Gray

Ginger Kim Deborah Idontgvasht Kealie Shay John (Coyote) B Lisa King Winter’s Bite Anita

Wild Cowboy Domination

Chapter One Manacles? Rachel Benson stared in disbelief at the leather and metal shackles bolted to a steel frame attached to the metal wall. The dim light filtering through doorway to her right made her squint for a better look. Did she dare turn on the light overhead? “Do you see anything interesting?” Ray Wilde stood in the doorway, which led into the stock compartment of the fifth-wheel horse-trailer. The door to her right led to the living quarters. Rachel tensed. She had no business in his tack room, especially no business seeing this unusual contraption. “I’ve heard rumors you like to control your women, but isn’t this excessive?” Rachel considered leaving and tamped down the urge to walk away without getting what she needed from him—information. Maybe the cost of learning the truth would be more than she could physically or emotionally pay. It was hard to justify wanting this man while knowing he might’ve had something to do with her sister’s disappearance. However, this could be her only chance to unearth answers about her missing sister from one of the two known sources. “I can honestly say I’ve never had any complaints.” He reached to caress the leather binding and her pulse skittered. She gulped as moisture flooded her panties with his confident declaration. Rachel and her best friend, Pam, had plied him with alcohol all night in 1

Brit Blaise the hopes he’d invite Rachel to his trailer for some alone time. Now that she was here, did she have the guts to see it through? Had she just wanted an excuse to sleep with him? She’d wanted this good-looking cowboy long before she discovered the truth about him and his complicity in her sister, Helena’s disappearance. “Why so quiet? You want something from me…I know that much. You and your friend weren’t exactly subtle tonight.” He leaned in nearer to her, but held back like a man who didn’t like to get too close to anyone. Shadowy angles, dark hair and firm muscles invaded her space. At least in the dim light of the horse-trailer, his eyes weren’t the pale, almost colorless hazel that mesmerized her earlier in the bar. The long dark fringe of lashes framing them, made them even more arresting. The man turned heads, whether on the back of a rank bull or walking alone through a crowded room. He wasn’t the most handsome man in the world, but he gave that distinct impression, and then some. “Maybe I just want your bod. It’s all about meeting someone new for me, the initial attraction. I’m like a junkie. I crave the delicious spark of getting together with someone I’ve never been with before. It makes for unforgettable sex.” In this case, she could almost believe her ridiculous statement. He was tall for a bull-rider, well over six feet and on the lean and lanky side. The fact he went eight seconds on the back of a rank bull more often than not, attested to his strength. “That must make it hell on your boyfriends.” The cock-sure-cowboy attitude in his deep voice challenged her to remain calm. “Having a boyfriend would be counter-productive. I only get the rush, the heart-pounding, palms-sweating, warm-all-over feeling when I’m with someone I’ve never been with before.” Rachel told a half-truth. She had all of that and more for bull-rider, Ray Wilde. However, as a rule, she didn’t do onenight-stands. Until tonight, that is. Ray picked up the leather manacle dangling from a heavy chain. “And you’re interested in becoming my love-slave for the night.” 2

Wild Cowboy Domination Rachel could tell by the sarcasm in his voice, he didn’t believe her. Did she have the courage to agree? She reached an arm toward the manacle. Hell, yes! He sucked in air as if she’d punched him. “Before you go too far, take a closer look around. These walls are steel reinforced, too. What if I chained you and didn’t let you go?” He flipped a switch on the ceiling. The small rectangular light receptacle didn’t offer much illumination, but enough. Not only were the walls made of steel, there were a second set of manacles on the floor for her ankles. He’d told the truth. Once he put them on her, she’d never get out of them on her own. She dropped her arm. The tack room was small, probably no more then four or five feet separated the walls. The smell of hay, leather and horses comforted her. Horses she understood. Men weren’t nearly as easy…especially this one. Did she dare allow him to truss her in his bizarre contraption? She examined his handsome face. Nearly black hair fell across his forehead and curled onto his collar. Ray’s pale hazel eyes narrowed and riveted her to the spot. A muscle in his strong, square jaw twitched and a slight upward curve of his full, firm lips hinted she’d amused him. While Rachel didn’t care to own up to it…this encounter both made her nervous and gave her a sense something life-changing was about to happen. Was it? When Ray chuckled, he gave her backbone a mental nudge. Her heartbeat throbbing in her ears, Rachel raised her hand toward him a second time. Even in the dim light she could see surprise written in his wary gaze. He threaded his fingers through the loose hair on his forehead, sweeping it back, almost a nervous gesture. “I may’ve had too much to drink. I think I’m hallucinating. I didn’t figure you for the kind of woman who’d submit so easily.” “Trust me, I’m not.” The way he’d said the word submit in a deep 3

Brit Blaise baritone rumble caused internal havoc low in her abdomen, inching down to settle into a needy itch demanding to be scratched. Preferably with this cowboy’s cock! “All the better,” he said, and his heated gaze raked over her, appraising her. The flame she read in his eyes showed his approval. “All the better,” he repeated. What memory did his words and the inflection in his voice trigger? Something intense flared in his stare, a fierce look unfamiliar to her. Ray hooded his eyes before reaching above his head to the ceiling to flip the light back off again. A swift tug of anticipation made her jump inside. Only the glow from the door leading into the tiny bathroom next to the tack room, kept them from complete darkness. The living-quarters at the front of Ray’s horsetrailer would be far more comfortable than the tack room, but she’d already seen this… If Ray was into bondage and domination, Rachel needed to know how far he’d take the game. Could that have been what happened to her sister? No. Ray Wilde didn’t scare her. Why? Rachel couldn’t explain her bold and unsubstantiated assessment of him if she tried, he didn’t frighten her. She didn’t doubt he had secrets, but a tendency toward violence? Could she be wrong? “What if I scream? Could someone hear me?” He paused to narrow his eyes and gave her another mysterious look she didn’t understand. If only she could see him better. “If they were close enough to the trailer, they might hear you, Ray said. “Are you afraid I’ll hurt you? Trust me, I don’t get hot hearing a woman scream in fear or pain…not even close.” There was more behind that statement than the actual words he said? The regret in voice was thick enough to cut with a knife. It was as if he’d really heard women’s screams, and it didn’t sit well with him. His words gave her pause when her pussy demanded action. “I thought doms got off making their submissives apprehensive of them?” “So you’re saying you want me to scare you? Lady, be careful what you wish for. This time, you just might get it, in spades.” 4

Wild Cowboy Domination His words caused a sinister tingle to run up her spine, and, for the first time, her head was about to overrule the bad girl in her, ready to come out and play. As if he sensed the hesitation his words produced, he took her hand in his and caressed it. The rough sensation of thick calluses on his palms as they moved over her sent a wave of goosebumps simmering along her sensitive skin. He had strong hands, the kind she liked on a man…the kind she liked touching her naked body. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it, his lips so soft, tender. “No, I don’t want to be scared,” she answered. “I want a man in control, who knows how to deliver.” Rachel didn’t doubt he could. There’s wasn’t an inch on his incredible body she didn’t admire. From the top of his dark wavy head of hair, to the heels of his well-worn western boots, the man oozed perfection. This cowboy was the epitome of tall, dark and ruggedly handsome. Instead of binding her right away, he edged his second hand upward along her arm and stopped to circle her neck. “Are you sure you want this?” With his thumb at the front of her throat, he more than likely knew she’d gulped at his question. Both passion and trepidation shot through her veins. Passion made her ache almost uncontrollably for him. “Yes, I want it,” she said in a breathless whisper and with her admission came freedom to not over-think this. She wanted this! She wanted him. When he released her hand, he brought his free hand up to her throat and tugged at the knot of her scarf at her neck. Strange place to start undressing her. “I’m using this to blindfold you.” He tied her scarf around her head to cover her eyes. She was about to remind him he only needed to shut the door to the bathroom if he wanted it dark when she heard the overhead light being flipped back on. He wanted to look at her naked? Rachel’s body vibrated with liquid fire. The thought of him seeing what he wanted, when he wanted, without her knowledge gave a powerful jolt of need to her nether regions. He yanked open the snaps on her western shirt and slipped the garment 5

Brit Blaise off her shoulders. The cool night air didn’t diminish the heat he stroked inside her. He ran his warm fingers over the tops of her breasts and followed the line of her bra, making her tingle under his touch and erupt with need as the sensations magnified, traveling straight to her sex. She wanted her seduction of him to be only about finding her sister…it wasn’t. Not even close. Did he want her as much as she wanted him? Why didn’t he say something? Anything? In the confined space, the sound of his harsh breathing made her pulse pound as she understood there would be no turning back. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her away from him before he unfastened her bra. It loosened, but the weight of her breasts held it in place. She started to turn back to face him, but he stopped her with one arm before he pulled her braid aside and tenderly kissed the back of her neck, his lips firm and hot. In the next instant, his teeth nipped her. Not painful, but enough to send a shudder along her spine and down to her pussy where it blossomed. She’d never been blindfolded, and it magnified the sensations until she couldn’t be still, she yearned to be filled by his cock. Only that would appease the burn. “It’s not too late to call it quits,” he whispered against her nape and sent trickles of desire along nerve endings she didn’t know she had. “Nice. You’re wearing my favorite scent. Woman.” She shook her head to show him she wasn’t about to stop. All her life she’d hesitated, unsure of every move she made. Not now. He nuzzled the back of her neck again and she prickled all over while she waited for him to bite her again. “Open your mouth.” What? She hesitated, and then did as he directed. A second later, he stuffed her open mouth with silky material. Her bra? “If you reach up and take it out, we’ll call it quits.” If she had to have something in her mouth, she preferred meat…his. This made her uncomfortable. It completely stripped her of power to not have any ability to communicate. It was too much like her life…like her place within her family. And she didn’t need that reminder right then. 6

Wild Cowboy Domination She couldn’t see, couldn’t speak, she was at his mercy. Plus, it meant he wouldn’t kiss her and she wanted his lips almost as much as she wanted his cock. Almost. Nor could she question him in the heat of the moment about her sister as she’d planned. She began to tremble in spite of herself. Suddenly, emotions warred with physical sensations. Her missing sister, her dysfunctional wreck of a family, her need for someone…anyone to understand. All of her emotional baggage coalesced into a big lump of need as strong as the physical. It took everything she had to push her insecurities aside. This wasn’t about emotions…it was lust. And it was a way to get answers. She needed to suck it up before she blew it. “If you want to keep going, put your hands on the wall in front of you. And keep in mind these restraints were made to grow tighter when the person inside them struggles.” Were made? This guy had to be into domination big time. Rachel thought about the length of the chain she’d seen earlier. She could pull her bra out of her mouth if she panicked. She raised her hands and rested them on the wall on either side of her head. Ray took his time securing her wrists in the soft leather manacles hanging from the chains. A second later, his hands were on her ankle. Did he intend to bind her legs, too? She’d never done anything like this and had no idea what came next. She hoped he didn’t tether her feet because the thought of wrapping her legs around his waist was potent. Instead, he lifted her foot off the floor and pulled first one boot off and then the other. “I hate ostrich skin boots.” Her sister had always said the same thing, but Rachel liked the look of the quill holes. What a strange thing for him to say while he got her naked. When he began to undo first her large silver buckle and then her jeans, her breath hitched as she anticipated him touching her…there. It’d been a long time since she’d had a man between her legs, far too long. He pulled her jeans down and took her panties at the same time. The cool air against her 7

Brit Blaise naked skin made her shiver…or was it anticipation? He helped her step out of the legs of her pants, and then kissed the small of her back while he ran his large callused hands between her legs. He nudged her legs apart, but instead of moving upward, he stroked his hands down the length of her calves. Again, the rough texture of his hands along her tender skin made her ache to feel his fingers on the even softer folds of her sex. Interesting, he’d touched her legs before her breasts. A leg man? When he began to kiss and nip along the back of her thigh, she discovered she couldn’t think of anything but fucking him. He made her mindless with desire. He’d delivered an almost sharp nip of his teeth, followed by a warm moist kiss which both soothed and aroused. He continued the game until she wriggled in her restraints. He stopped his sensuous assault, and she heard him remove his boots when they dropped onto the floor. “You aren’t what I expected.” His voice was more rasp than sound. Ditto. Moisture flooded the place he’d yet to touch. At the sound of his zipper and rustle of his denim jeans, she groaned through the bra in her mouth. “Whatever else you want from me, this can’t be bluffed.” He inhaled loudly. “The sweet scent of your sex tells me you want me as much as I want you. Damn, I wish I hadn’t had that last shooter.” Under these circumstances, Rachel wanted him to have less control…or did she? She’d deliberately tried to get him drunk. Her friend, Pam, had switched glasses with Rachel without him knowing. When they couldn’t switch drinks, Rachel had allowed her tequila to dribble out of her mouth until she’d soaked her shirt. To hide what she’d done, she’d run to the ladies room and used the hand-dryer in the ladies room to mask the evidence. Enough had gone down her throat to make her head spin, so Ray had to be reeling. The sound of a foil wrapper being ripped open made her sober. Please don’t let this be too good. No way did she want him to have that power over her. 8

Wild Cowboy Domination He began to run his teeth along her arm and over her shoulder. He reminded her of a stallion nipping the mare into place. Each time he bit harder, he rewarded her with a tender kiss. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. Why? “It’s been so long since a woman…” He didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, he grabbed her long braid and drew her head to the side to give him access to her neck. He nipped once and stopped, his breathing harsh next to her ear. What? What had been so long? Since a woman had done what? Surely he didn’t mean since he’d fucked a woman? The overwhelming emotions she’d experienced earlier threatened to return and she pushed them back. She needed to keep this physical. The movement of his arm against her, followed by the rattle of metal links told her he had heaved the loose end of the chains and this, in turn, jerked her arm upward. Somehow he locked her hand in place, suspended above her head. She could hear and feel him moving but couldn’t see. When he did the same with her second arm, she was forced forward against the cold wall of the trailer. The nipples he had yet to touch rubbed against the wall and pebbled still harder. Her cheek against the cold steel of the trailer gave her a jolt of reality. She had to fight to keep from struggling against the bonds. He’d lifted her until she teetered on the tips of her toes. She gave a fierce shake of her head to let him know she needed some control. Ray eased the gag from her mouth and after the dryness took a moment to dissipate, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Is there something you want to say?” he asked with a husky tone. Rachel considered telling him to stop. The need raging inside her, raking at her woman’s parts, almost wouldn’t allow her to speak her mind. She’d never experienced this. She’d always been in control. “I don’t like the gag.” “Fine.” He gave a groan. “If I do anything uncomfortable, tell me and I’ll stop. But otherwise, don’t talk. Don’t say a single word.” 9

Brit Blaise Ray had shown her mercy. The raspy sound of his breath said he wanted her. She didn’t understand why he wished her to stay quiet, but what would it hurt? Rachel didn’t care to speak anyway while she enjoyed the exploration of his large warm hands over her body. When he reached both hands around the front of her stomach and downward to her sex, she moaned, allowing her head to lull back. The sound seemed to spur him to action. He moved to stand against the length of her, and his long, thick cock ran along the seam of her ass up to the small of her back. The heat from it branded her. Her head fit into the hollow under his shoulder blade. The clean manly scent of him enthralled her senses. She turned her head to where she could touch her lips to his neck if she dared. She hesitated, unsure of the rules. His entire body along her back pinned her against the wall. The contrast of his heat against the cold steel was something she’d never forget. He nipped her shoulder then stepped back. While she regretted losing his warmth, she understood this was only the beginning. He tucked a hand under either side of her inner thigh and lifted her back until she hung from the manacles in the air, the chilled metal no longer against her belly. He brought her ass higher until it rested tight against his warmth again. “Put your legs on either side of me,” he said as he wrapped an arm about her waist. When she did as he asked, his cock touched her pussy. She clutched against his legs with her knees while he rubbed his cock against her seeking entrance. She splayed her hands wide on the wall and pushed. He was very strong and held her in place without effort. His cock pushed against her ass and then moved lower to her core. A rush of moisture accompanied his touch, and she wanted him right then. She strained to give him access. Rachel had no leverage other than pushing back from the wall. She was at his mercy as he more than likely knew. Ordinarily she’d chafe at being in this position, but right then, only facilitating his penetration mattered. If she’d 10

Wild Cowboy Domination been facing him at least, she could wrap her legs around him and hold him in place. Ray inched the full swollen head of his cock inside her and paused. While the fullness was delicious, it teased her, she wanted all of him. Was this an attempt to be gentle? The pressure building inside her demanded more. He pressed forward slowly until he filled her completely. And then he held himself fully seated against her without movement. This was more than she’d imagined. The fit seemed too tight for her to move. The walls of her pussy clutched at him in orgasmic beats. Tension built and he’d only just penetrated her. Rachel started to speak to urge him on when he began to pump into her. He started slow and then quickly picked up intensity. The length and control of his strokes produced a thrumming knot of tension. Ecstasy flared with each thrust, anticipation with each retreat. Rachel had never come without external stimulation, but pressure deep inside steadily built until she burst fast and hard!

~~~ This woman spoke to the beast inside him. In nearly a hundred years, Rachel was the only woman who had ever called his beast. Every thrust deep inside her tight warmth brought him closer to the change. The hairs all over his body had thickened, and the searing pain in his bones while they stretched made him want to throw his head back and howl. Ray couldn’t stop this mating any more than he could stop breathing. He didn’t want to stop…ever. No matter how much havoc this caused in his life, he wanted this…needed to fuck her more than he wanted to admit. She fought to move in the restraints he normally used to chain his beast. He’d never bound a woman in them…never even considered it. The irony wasn’t lost on him. The unique fragrance of their joining filled his nostrils and drove him 11

Brit Blaise wild. He wanted to taste her, but didn’t trust his beast. Her ass, snug against him, gave him a jolt of desire like he hadn’t had for a very long while. Despite the bizarre position, his penetration was deep. Pleasure overrode his sense of survival, and he immersed himself in the sexual high. He lost touch with his surroundings while he focused on sliding his cock in and out of her taut warmth. The instinctive urge to nuzzle her, draw closer to her, made him pull back where only his groin touched her while he drove into her again and again. The tiny squeaks she made as he touched her womb spurred him on. He wanted to run his mouth over her back and shoulders to taste her. He didn’t dare. The tang of her skin was an aphrodisiac, and he didn’t need anything that could make him lose his tenuous attempt at control…all he could do was fuck. Rachel’s breath hitched, and her tight pussy began to milk his cock as she thrashed into an orgasm. It seemed to go on forever and made his aching balls tuck tight. She panted and then moaned a long, low growl of satisfaction. The sound traveled through him and brought him that much closer, not to his release, but closer to shifting into the wolf he carried inside him. It was a tossup, which would come first—his beast or him.

12

Wild Cowboy Domination

Chapter Two “Take the seat next to the beautiful redhead.” When he was shown inside Gardner Wright’s Phoenix home by a maid, Ray thought he’d only have to contend with Gardner and not a formal dinner party. A quick look showed a man, two women and Gardner, dressed for the occasion. Ray, on the other hand, had come from training a colt all afternoon and hadn’t showered, let alone changed his clothes. “I’m not here to socialize. I need to talk to you in private,” Ray said and tried to hide his annoyance in front of others. Gardner didn’t stand, the fake smile on his face didn’t falter. Ray wanted to slam his fist into Gardner’s mug. He was about to walk back out the door when the redhead turned to look at him. Rachel Benson. Ray’s heart jumped inside his chest. Why would the woman he’d fucked the previous night be sitting at Gardner’s table? This didn’t bode well. Ray had to know what Gardner was up to. He took the seat next to Rachel. Ray never imagined he’d be sitting next to this woman at a dinner table less than twenty-four hours after he’d fucked her and left her unconscious on the floor of his trailer. Once he’d unchained her, she’d collapsed into an orgasm-induced faint. She hadn’t seen his elongated jowl, his sharp claws or the fur covering his body. He hadn’t dared stick around, not with his body half-frozen in wolf’s form and someone pounding on the door. He didn’t want to think of how it pleased him to see her again, even 13

Brit Blaise under these circumstances. Her smell, a unique woodsy fragrance, impelled him to move his chair nearer. Instead, he inched away. This was not a time for human weakness. Nor did he care to examine her power over him. It had to be only about sex. Didn’t it? Somehow, in a short period of time, she’d gotten under his skin, and he didn’t like it. As far as Ray could see, she had no reaction to his presence, but his keen sense of smell told him otherwise. The juices between her legs sang to him…made him hard. Rachel’s presence in Gardner Wright’s home didn’t worry him half as much as the reason behind it. Ray didn’t trust Gardner, hadn’t from the moment they’d met over five years earlier. Gardner knew too much about the clans living at Ray’s sanctuary, enough to get someone killed. A dinner party hosted by his arch-enemy. Ray had come for one reason…to hopefully save a young girl from Gardner’s clutches. Look what had happened to Helena when she became involved with Gardner. She’d disappeared without a trace. Now Gardner may have taken another of the clan members. Ray didn’t have a choice. He didn’t dare leave until he could be certain of Rachel’s safety, too. So many unanswered questions buzzed inside his head. How did Gardner know Rachel? Why had he brought them together, especially now? The empty place-setting diagonally across from Ray made him wary of what tricks the evil bastard had planned for his four unwitting guests. Not that Ray could be caught unaware, but Gardner never did the expected. And Ray needed to stop thinking of Rachel. He stared at the plate in front of him. The unusual dishware had belonged to Helena Benruc. Everything had happened at once, as bad things tended to do in his chaotic life. Ray had found Rachel and discovered a physical union, which could only be described as unique. But then, to learn she had a connection to Gardner? A young woman from his ranch had gone missing the previous night, and Gardner claimed to know her whereabouts. Not to mention, 14

Wild Cowboy Domination Gardner had been in love with Helena, who’d disappeared four years ago under a dark cloud of mystery. Now with two women missing, both with a connection to Gardner, Ray didn’t doubt his host’s wicked intentions. Gardner raised his wine glass. Ray tensed. “I see you’re admiring my dinnerware,” Gardner said. “It’s one of a kind. I used to have twelve place settings, but one is broken. I only use them on very special occasions.” Ray didn’t doubt it was a special occasion for Gardner. He probably couldn’t believe Ray had agreed to come. But what Gardner Wright called special could be a nightmare for Ray and anyone present at the intimate setting. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Rachel said. So far she hadn’t acknowledged Ray’s presence. It was as though the previous night hadn’t happened. She sat sandwiched between Ray and Gardner and hadn’t looked at him twice. If she didn’t want anyone to guess they knew each other, she was going about it the wrong way. Not looking was the worst thing she could do. Hopefully, it went over Gardner’s head. The last thing he wanted was for Gardner to think he had a personal interest in Rachel. Gardner cleared his throat. “Allow me to make the introductions. Ray, have you met Rachel Benson? Ray didn’t want Gardner to know he’d not only met her, he’d done much more. “I’ve seen her around but haven’t had the pleasure.” Rachel, thankfully, remained silent. “Rachel,” Gardner continued. “This is Ray Wilde. He owns a wildlife sanctuary up north near the Verde Valley. I’m sure you’ve seen him ride bulls at one of the local rodeos you seem drawn to.” Gardner leaned forward when Rachel didn’t answer. “I can’t believe you’ve never met my Rachel. You two run in the same circles. Or should I say ride in the same circles.” 15

Brit Blaise His Rachel? Irritated by Gardner’s mocking tone and bold claim, Ray clenched his fist under the table and bile rose in his throat. “I don’t do anything in any circles.” He cast a glance toward Rachel and then instantly regretted it. Her shining auburn hair hung in thick waves over her shoulders and down her back. The night before she’d hidden its glory by wearing it in a thick braid. The loose ends had tickled his cock as he stood behind her then. He wanted to reach out to touch a strand to feel the texture. He’d resisted this the previous night, but now he wished he hadn’t. An urge once resisted became a raging temptation. Rachel stirred uneasily in her chair. “Please don’t call me your Rachel. You make it sound as if you own me. I’ve seen Ray ride. The bull riding events always draw a huge crowd.” “I’m Carl Benson, Rachel’s father.” The deep voice came from a man at the end of the table, on Ray’s left. Ray looked away from Rachel and pinned the liar with a glare. The man smelled almost as evil as Gardner. He looked nothing like Rachel. He had a square face with coarse features and no chin. His nose was bulbous and veined; his untrimmed and shaggy eyebrows were the same nondescript brown as his hair. His brown eyes didn’t begin to compare with Rachel’s striking green. The woman yet to be introduced must be claiming to be Rachel’s mother. She sat directly across from Ray and picked at an invisible piece of lint on her sleeve. She had no more similarity to Rachel than Carl Benson. Her short, mousy brown hair curled tight against her heart-shaped face. Her pointy chin jutted stiffly outward. The already thin line of her lips was pulled tight which made them nearly disappear. Mrs. Benson wasn’t a happy woman. Whatever Gardner had planned for the evening, it wouldn’t be good. The nonverbal behavior of the cast of players he’d assembled spelled big trouble. Alarm bells sounded inside his brain. The tension in the room was almost visible. “You never answered me,” Gardner said. “What do you think of the dishware, Ray?” 16

Wild Cowboy Domination The silence in the room grew louder than a scream. This wasn’t about dishes. This was about Helena. Everything had been about Helena from the day Ray had met her. She’d made it so. Ray had been with her when she commissioned the set of dishes crafted by a local artist. The colorful, red winged bird emblazoned on a black background was symbolic but more than that. The olive branch in its mouth symbolized peace. Helena didn’t live to see peace. Or had she? And if she still lived, why hadn’t she let him know? Bile rose in Ray’s throat a second time. Anger nearly escaped its internal chains. Helena had to be dead! And Ray didn’t want to talk about the goddamned, fucking dishes! “You don’t look like you’ve aged a day since our time together in Montana,” Gardner said and twirled the stem of his glass. “I wasn’t aware we had time together,” Ray answered. “Get to the point, Gardner. You know why I’ve come.” Ray had wondered how long it would take before Gardner mentioned Montana and Helena. Predictable as always. “Ray here knew your sister, our Helena. He was in love with her.” Rachel stiffened at Gardner’s words and released an almost inaudible hiss of air as his implication hit her. Our Helena?! Helena was Rachel’s sister? No way, but just the inference of a family connection blindsided Ray. Impossible. Wasn’t it? Ray wanted to look at Rachel. He should. After a statement like that, he’d be expected to see if she resembled Helena. He turned his head, to find her face turned toward Gardner. Her hair wasn’t as red as Helena’s. It was more subdued. “Ray wants to see your face,” Gardner said. Rachel turned to face him. How had he missed it? She did resemble Helena with her red hair, green eyes and porcelain complexion. Rachel had a 17

Brit Blaise dusting of freckles over her nose and cheeks and the hint of a tan. Helena’s skin had been flawless. There were too many similarities to be ignored. But, this had to be coincidence. Gardner was trying to rattle Ray’s chain. He glared at Gardner, who could barely contain a malicious smile. He wanted to taste Gardner’s blood. He wanted to rip Gardner’s throat out and taste the tang of the man’s hot blood on his tongue. Fucking Gardner! The rage inside Ray brought his beast howling to the edge of his resistance. A blinding flash of pain caught him between the eyes like a blow from a fist. He breathed through it. If not for his internal battle, he would’ve been able to observe Rachel’s reaction to Gardner’s show. Right then, he didn’t dare look at her again. “You knew our Helena, too?” the woman sitting across from him demanded of him. “You knew my oldest daughter? Were you lovers?” Now, all of the players had moved onto Gardner’s personal game board. Gardner had trapped him in an impossible situation. Did Gardner know just how impossible? Ray had loved Helena with all his heart, but he’d never been in love with her. Falling in love was something he’d learned a century ago he shouldn’t do. His heart wouldn’t take it, even if he found one of his own kind. “I knew Helena Benruc, not Benson. And Helena Benruc was a close friend, nothing more.” He met the woman’s stare with a hard glare until she looked away. It didn’t take long. He didn’t know the woman’s relationship to Helena, but she sure as hell wasn’t her mother. How had they all gotten Rachel to go along with this charade? Years of hearing the human voice with all its hidden nuances made it easy to detect a fabrication, even without the obvious lack of visual traits to connect them to either Rachel or Helena. “What do you mean you knew her?” Rachel said. “Is she missing like my sister?” Ray turned back to face Rachel, anticipating the emotional upheaval it would cause. This woman had a connection to his beast that Ray couldn’t 18

Wild Cowboy Domination fathom. Just like the previous night, her sensuous voice bored into him and spoke to the beast within. Just below the surface, it moved and shifted. Another painful blow hit him. Like earlier he slowed his breathing and tried to find his center. Her eyes were greener than Helena’s, even while her red hair was more sedate, but still similar to Helena. And he was a fool for not seeing it sooner! His bones began to ache and shift. The power she unwittingly wielded could be his demise. He wanted to be angry with her, but it wasn’t her fault. She was in the dark about his internal chaos. Ray needed to get control or leave quickly. She wore a low cut, sparkly top, which showed the perfection of her pert breasts. Her eyes glowed from the illumination of the chandelier overhead. They were fringed with thick auburn lashes. He shook his head. “I haven’t seen her in over four years. I think it’s more than likely she’s dead.” With his words she jerked as if he struck her. She had to suspect, didn’t she? Did Rachel know Helena couldn’t be her sister? He allowed his beast to stretch, and its essence reached out to Rachel. The unleashed, invisible power swirled around them. She snapped back, ramrod stiff in her chair as if she’d been pushed. The metaphysical part of him had touched her, and now, his wild beast had been pacified for the time being. For how long, he didn’t know. This was uncharted territory for Ray and his wolf. Most of the time, his wolf lay dormant inside him. Just as the historic folklore portrayed, the beast emerged with lunar zenith. The rest of the time, Ray could almost feel human. But this…this awakening was something he’d not experienced before. If he were back on his ranch, maybe one of the other shifters could offer an explanation. But right then, he needed to wing it. While Ray’s insides churned in turmoil, on the exterior he remained unruffled as he looked away from her human green eyes to stare into the cold, unfeeling brown ones of his host. “Helena disappeared shortly after we met. I didn’t have an opportunity to know her as well as I would’ve liked. Contrary to Gardner’s opinion, we were never lovers. Not even close. Helena and I were 19

Brit Blaise just friends who had much in common.” The sharp hiss from the woman who claimed to be Helena’s mother told him he’d struck a raw nerve. Who was she to Helena? Was she a shifter? If she was from Helena’s ancient line, he may not be able to sense it. The man who claimed to be Rachel’s father pulled his bushy eyebrows tight into a scowl. It appeared only Gardner was enjoying the dinner party. “Helena was the most beautiful woman on earth,” Gardner said while he circled his middle finger around the top of his wine glass. “Men became mesmerized at the sight of her. If she gifted them with her attention, she held them captive forever.” Gardner spoke the truth for the first time that evening. Ray agreed. Helena was indeed perfection. Rachel had similar characteristics, the green eyes, red hair and voluptuous body. Helena’s flaming red hair had given her an edge in beauty. Rachel had a darker auburn shade of red, more sedate, but attractive. “Helena was perfection.” “You both talk as though she’s dead. What’s the chance two women named Helena went missing at the same time? They must be the same woman, and she’s not dead!” Rachel sounded close to panic. Did her lovely face reveal her emotional upheaval? Ray wanted to look. Instead, he made a show of examining his watch and gave an exaggerated yawn into the back of his hand. He’d give his host five more minutes to get to the point. The only reason he agreed to come was because one of the young women from the wildlife sanctuary had gone missing, too. Gardner’s invitation alluded to the missing woman, Sarah. If Gardner had anything to do with her disappearance, he’d pay dearly. Gardner huffed. “I’m sorry, my dear,” he said to Rachel. “I didn’t realize I’d spoken so unkindly. I don’t believe she’s deceased. In fact, I’ve dedicated my life to finding her, bringing her back from the dead, so to speak.” Ray’d had enough. He tossed his napkin onto his clean plate. Whatever, Gardner had planned, he could damned well do it without him. “Leaving so soon?” Gardner’s lips curled into a sneer. “We haven’t had 20

Wild Cowboy Domination the main course. I promise it’s well worth the wait.” Ray hesitated. “Please stay.” Rachel placed her hand on his arm, and he resisted looking at her. Prickles from the contact almost made him jerk away. If not for Gardner’s probing inspection, he would have. His beast relished Rachel’s touch. It turned somersaults inside him, and Ray couldn’t speak until she removed her hand. “I’m not much for high society, as Gardner knows.” “That goes without saying. You could’ve at least dressed for dinner. You look like you’ve come straight from the barn.” Ray turned to face the man who’d spoken. The man, Carl Benson, who falsely claimed to be Helena’s father, had a superior smirk on his square face. “Haven’t you heard the expression; the clothes make the man, is a fallacy?” The smug expression on Carl Benson’s face said he wasn’t convinced. He ran his hand along the lapel of his expensive suit. Didn’t the fool realize he reeked of low class? “Father, please. Ray is a cowboy and doesn’t pretend to be anything he’s not.” The man’s face darkened at his daughter’s intervention. And her word’s stung Ray. He lived each and every day pretending to be something he wasn’t. He hid his true self from everyone except those living at the sanctuary. These people had secrets, too, but they didn’t hide them well. Ray had long since mastered the art of portraying what he was not. “Your father’s right. Just because I choose to cowboy, doesn’t give me permission to leave off using my manners. I didn’t realize anyone would be here, but me. I thought it would only be Gardner and myself and maybe a young lady I’m very fond of. Her name is Sarah. And like your sister, she’s missing.” “Sarah Forman?” Rachel asked. Ray nodded, not taking his scrutiny from Gardner’s face. The smug expression didn’t bode well. Ray wanted to knock it off in the worst way. Rachel reached for her wine. “I’ve seen Sarah compete in barrels every 21

Brit Blaise now and then, and she’s good. I’ve ridden against her.” Ray agreed with a nod. “She’d rather ride bulls.” “Have you met Sarah’s sister?” Ray mentally jolted at Gardner’s words. “I didn’t realize Sarah had a sister.” What the hell was going on? Gardner rang a small bell at his fingertips. A small woman dressed in a plain black dress with a white apron entered carrying a silver tray. She wore her sandy-colored hair tucked under a white cap. When she kept her eyes downcast, Ray knew… She was one of his kind. A shifter… His beast sensed her and tensed. She eased the tray onto the table in front of Gardner and backed away. Gardner moved nervously in his chair. Or was he excited? Something changed with the arrival of the tray. Ray didn’t think it had anything to do with the food under the large silver dome. Or did it? “Thanks, Maria. That’s all for now.” Gardner dismissed his servant and grabbed for Rachel’s hand. She flinched and jerked back before he caught hold. “Sarah’s sister met with an accident and that’s how I came to meet Sarah.” Ray’s esteem of Rachel rose in value with the gesture, but Gardner’s words concerned him. “Did you treat her in the ER?” Rachel asked. “I thought you were offduty last night.” “Sarah’s sister came into the emergency room two nights ago, and I treated her. She died before anything could be done to save her. She did, however, speak of Sarah and of the wildlife sanctuary. Imagine my surprise when I connected my old friend, Ray, to the sanctuary through his association with Sarah. I’d lost track of him. And then to discover, my fiancé actually knows him. If I was astounded by learning of Sarah, I’m beside myself now. It truly is a small world.” The volume of Gardner’s voice rose as if he tried to emphasize his point. Ray didn’t hear anything beyond the word fiancé. 22

Wild Cowboy Domination Fiancé? Ray’s beast grew agitated. No, it couldn’t be possible. Ray didn’t know Rachel well, but he certainly knew Gardner for a liar. Ray wished he’d just get to the reason he’d brought him there. “Where is Sarah?” “Patience,” Gardner said. Rachel shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “I haven’t agreed to marry you, Gardner. Nor do I know Ray, other than by sight and reputation.” Relief washed over Ray. How had he become so emotionally vested in this woman so fast? “Nonsense,” Rachel’s father interrupted. “What are you waiting for, girl? Do you think a man like Gardner comes along every day? Tell him you’ll marry him.” “I don’t need or want a matchmaker, Father.” Rachel’s strong voice belied the tenseness evident in her body. The tips of her fingers turned white as she gripped the rim of the table. The edgy interchange didn’t hold Ray’s attention for long as the smell of cooked fowl wafted from the fancy silver tray. His beast rose again, but it wasn’t hunger pressing the assault. The beasts of shape shifters have a sixth sense for those of their kind. The Bensons continued to talk, but their words didn’t register. “Enough about us,” Rachel said too loudly. “Evidently, Ray is here because he’s worried about his friend, Sarah. Can you help him or not?” “Why are you so short with our host?” Rachel’s father finished his wine and thumped the stemware onto the table. A second later, the woman, Maria, who’d brought the tray, came to refill his glass. Again, Maria stopped short of meeting Ray’s eyes. Danger hung thick in the air. Ray could see the tiny hairs on Rachel’s arm stand at attention as she watched Maria carefully pour the wine. Ray wanted to comfort her. Across the table, Mrs. Benson had a death grip on her fork. Her knuckles had turned white. 23

Brit Blaise The only person who didn’t seem tense was Gardner. He smiled as if feeding off the negative energy inside the room. “Shall we eat before our meal is cold?” He lifted the lid. Ray heard another almost inaudible hiss from Rachel’s mother. The sound distracted him for a second and then he saw! He had smelled fowl. The size would indicate a small turkey or… Ray understood, like a bomb exploding inside his head. Who had Gardner killed? Could it be Sarah in her hawk form on the tray? Whether it was Sarah or not, it was one of the clan. Ray turned away from the horror to see Gardner eyes gleaming with malice as he watched Ray’s reaction with eagerness. It was time to end Gardner’s miserable life once and for all. If Gardner had killed one of The Chosen, he deserved a swift and merciless death. Was it Sarah? Rachel leaned forward in front of Gardner, and Ray couldn’t see his face. “Take it away, Maria. I’ve told you often enough Gardner, my entire family is vegetarian. We don’t eat chicken or turkey.” “That’s wild game. Hawk,” Gardner said. “Ray prefers red meat, but wild game is also to his liking if I remember correctly. The hawk was prepared with him in mind.” Ray’s gut twisted, and his beast lurched. The pain blinded him. If he didn’t get control, his beast would overtake him. All of this was too much… Rachel leaned back to where Ray could see Gardner again. The smirk on his host’s face would be easy enough to wipe off. Ray clenched his fist just as Rachel turned to him. He wanted to launch across the table and take hold of Gardner’s throat, but the clear green eyes searching his, stopped him…calmed him. “I’m sorry for any inconvenience, but if Maria doesn’t take the dish away, I’ll be sick on Gardner’s beloved dishware. I’ve never heard of anyone eating hawk.” Rachel shuddered. Could Ray kill him in front of witnesses? Would it be worth the years of 24

Wild Cowboy Domination exile he’d have to face afterwards? As the smell of the bird both enticed and sickened him, he had to get out of there. He couldn’t leave without knowing if Gardner had killed his young friend. “Sarah?” The spoken name stuck in his throat. “No, it’s not Sarah.” Ray believed him. If there was a chance Sarah still lived, then Gardner would be spared. But, fuck if Ray would sit at the table with a kindred soul served on a silver platter. He stood, jerking the table and upsetting his wine glass. “I’ve had my fill.” “No!” Gardner started to protest, but Ray didn’t listen. He made his way to the front door with the sound of footsteps following. “I know you’re a lone wolf, but this is rude, even for you,” Gardner called out from behind him. Ray had given Gardner enough satisfaction for one night. Ray opened the door and hesitated before he turned to face Gardner one final time. Rachel had followed and pushed in front of Gardner. This was the first time he’d seen her standing in her sparkly dress. It clung to her curves, stopping several inches short of her knees. The sight of her long beautiful legs gave him pause as his cock began to communicate. Ray tried to concentrate on Gardner. “When you’re serious about talking without an audience…send a message. You found me once, I’m sure you can manage again. And Rachel, watch your back around this one or you’ll be sorry.” Ray walked out. As he climbed into his old pick-up truck, he started having second thoughts. He’d never been able to keep his cool where Gardner was concerned, did he dare leave Rachel with the evil man? He had to get out of there…if Gardner suspected Ray had formed an attachment, he’d kill her for sure.

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Chapter Three Rachel didn’t listen to Gardner’s harsh complaints as she slid into her car. No way could she leave well enough alone. She needed to talk to Ray even if she had to chase after him to do it. She started the engine and shifted to drive while Gardner pounded on her window. “Leave me alone!” Gardner beat harder. Rachel hit the gas. The tires squealed when she accelerated in the tight space, and for all she knew, she’d run over Gardner’s feet. She could hear him cursing over the whirr of the motor. She wheeled around the circular drive nearly taking out a decorative palm tree too near the edge of the asphalt. The large, iron security gate loomed ahead. Could Gardner manage to close it before she got through? She drove faster. At the end of the drive, she didn’t stop. The taillights of Ray’s vehicle had almost disappeared in the distance. When she caught up to him, she used the horn to get his attention. He ignored her. Damn him! She pulled along side of him in the suicide lane and prayed no one would come because she wasn’t about to take no for an answer. She continued to honk her horn, but still no response. At the sight of headlights heading straight toward her, he jerked over to the side and nearly careened into the ditch. Damn! She wanted to stop him, not kill him. 26

Wild Cowboy Domination If he’d damaged his truck, he’d really be pissed at her. She angled her car in front of his, so he couldn’t easily change his mind. After she jumped from her car, Rachel raced to the passenger side of his truck, only to find it locked. “I need to talk to you.” A click told her he wouldn’t make her beg. Thank God! She climbed up onto the front seat and tore her expensive dress in the process. When she closed the door behind her, it took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. His truck smelled of leather, hay and the rich manly musk of his inimitable scent. “You heard Gardner. I’m a lone wolf. If you don’t believe anything he said tonight…believe that. Remove your lovely ass from my truck, right now. If I stay here another minute, I’ll do something I’ll regret.” “To Gardner or me?” “I haven’t given you much thought.” She tried not to let him see how much his biting words hurt. Nor had she known they would. “What about last night?” “What about it? I had too much to drink. You made sure of that. Didn’t you get enough of what you wanted?” Was he purposely being cruel? “At least tell me what you know about my sister.” “If that’s what this is about, you may as well get back in your car right now. Your sister’s disappearance has nothing to do with me.” That’s not what she’d been led to believe. “How do I know that?” “What are you doing with Gardner?” Rachel hated Gardner, but she’d fooled everyone, especially Gardner. Did she dare trust this cowboy with the truth? This evening and the previous one had convinced her Gardner had to be behind Helena’s disappearance. “How much do you know about my sister?” She’d narrowed down her search to two suspected culprits in her sister’s disappearance. At first, she’d believed Ray to be the most likely, but after last night…she discovered more than sex. Or had she? That was the 27

Brit Blaise problem…something different had happened, only she wasn’t sure what. He shook his head. “I can’t do this.” “Is it true you loved Helena? Did she live at Great Wolf Lodge with you in Montana?” He sighed and Rachel moved closer on the wide bench seat, nearer to him. He radiated heat, and she couldn’t tear her gaze from his profile. “She stayed at the compound for a short time,” he said. “Everyone who knew her loved her.” How much did he know? Could she trust him? She didn’t dare as much as she’d like to. “That’s very kind of you.” He made a rude sound. “I’m not kind. Far from it. Especially on this night.” He looked over at the moon cresting a nearby mountain which made it easier to see his handsome face. When he turned to face her, his eyes blazed with heat. Maybe anger? Or hunger? “I told you to go.” He reached for her so quickly she didn’t see it coming. As his head came toward her, the moonlight brought out the fiery highlights in his dark hair. His eyes changed from hazel to pewter. His mouth came down on hers with uncomfortable force and made it hard not to resist. She suppressed the natural impulse to pull back. Rachel didn’t care for aggressive behavior. Living day-to-day with Helena’s in-yourface aggression had taught Rachel control as a form of rebellion. Ray’s vigor could only be characterized as extreme aggression. Certainly he wanted to make her uncomfortable, she fought back the only way she could. She took control and kissed him back hard. Rachel met the pressure of his lips with a challenge of her own making. She pushed her tongue inside the warmth of his mouth. She met his clenched teeth and smiled inside. With a moan, he opened to her and delivered a parried thrust with his tongue. Heady sensations flowed into every part of her. Almost mindlessly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, while she sought to get closer. Need so potent it snatched the breath from her, made her both 28

Wild Cowboy Domination weak and strong at the same time. What was it about this man made her act so unpredictably? He drew away and eased her arms off his neck. His chest heaved with each rasping breath. “You don’t know what you’re doing.” “I’m taking care of myself…my needs. If you’re not interested, just say so. I know what I’m doing at all times. You started it this time, and if you’re not up to finishing it, I’ll get Gardner.” Ray moved away from the steering wheel…toward her and pulled her onto his lap to straddle him. The heat in his eyes turned to anger. “I told you to leave.” Rachel reached for his zipper. She didn’t want to give him time to refuse. Her torn skirt exposed her bare thighs and made it easy to accommodate the position. When his long, thick cock sprung free, she caressed it. With the light of the moon coming through the window, she could see him, and she wanted an even closer look. The large purple head seemed painfully swollen, and a pearl of cum formed as she stared. She swiped her index finger across the silky head to capture it. Would his taste excite her as much as she believed? When she delivered the pearly treat to her mouth, he emitted a feral growl. The taste, salty and rich, pleased her. She smacked her lips, and he groaned. His face darkened until he seemed to change somehow. Her eyes had to be playing tricks. A desperate need overtook her…rolled over her and slammed into her like a speeding train. Nothing would do, but to have him inside her as fast as possible. She reached down to claw at her delicate panties. The tear sounded loud in the close confines of the truck. She threw them aside. She rose onto her knees to take him inside her, but he pushed her back. A moment later the sound of foil told her why. When he pulled her back toward him, she was more than ready. She panted so hard she couldn’t breathe. His harsh breathing matched hers. The scent of sex filled the air around them. This wasn’t normal…it was an act of desperation. When she finally 29

Brit Blaise positioned him where she wanted him, she tried to come down on top of his cock fast. She found she couldn’t. Pressure signaled an orgasm before she’d even begun to fuck him. She couldn’t believe it! If this was anything like the orgasm he’d given her the previous night, she didn’t know if she’d survive.

~~~ Ray eased into her tautness while her pussy greedily milked the length him. The woman shimmered with her orgasm! For the second time in as many days, their joining sucked reason and sanity from his mind and replaced it with raw need. In the next second, he was about to humiliate himself by coming prematurely. His beast rose in a feverish rush and shredded his last ounce of control. He exploded with a roar and came in waves as she rode him. He peaked a second time and then a third while she went off nonstop. This thing between them had grown stronger the second time. He needed to end it and send her away. “Do people always jump when you bark?” she whispered into his ear once she stilled. Ray didn’t want to talk. He held her in place, not wanting it to be over so quickly. “Most of the time.” “Did Helena?” He especially didn’t want to talk about Helena with his cock still buried inside Rachel. “Never. If she had, maybe she’d still be…” “So you believe the worst?” Her words cut to his heart. But it wasn’t his heart still buried in hot cunt. He began to get hard again, and she squeezed him with the walls of her pussy in response. He craved to move. But did he dare start again? Not while his beast waited for an opportunity to come out and play with her, too. “Why else would Helena disappear?” “Perhaps she’s been taken, made a prisoner. Gardner says he’s looking 30

Wild Cowboy Domination into her disappearance for me.” At the mention of Gardner’s name, his cock went soft. Gardner. Gardner. Gardner. “Do you believe everything Gardner says? Are you certain Gardner’s not the reason she’s missing?” She stiffened on his lap. This wasn’t something she wanted to consider according to her body language. “I believe he loved my sister. I know she was engaged to marry him. She told me so. I saw the ring when she visited me.” “Helena broke off the engagement.” “How do you know? Do you have proof?” A sharp rap on the window startled her, and she jumped with his hands on her hips. Fucking Gardner! The man was an idiot. Ray suppressed a growl. “I wanted to avoid this. If I kill him, you’ll have to look for answers elsewhere.” What the fuck was he supposed to do? If he moved her off his lap, Gardner would get a show. Ray ran his hand over her hip to make sure nothing showed. It was a good thing he hadn’t come to the driver’s side window, where he could see her dress had split to the top of her hip. “I wonder if there’s any way we could pretend he isn’t there.” She buried her forehead against his shoulder. The touch made his protective instincts rise. “I’m not that good at pretending.” “Fuck. If he gets close enough, I’ll knock him out.” Ray turned the ignition key and reached to roll the window down a few inches. “Your parents are worried about you,” Gardner said. Gardner was an utter fool. The man had to know Ray’s cock was buried inside her. Didn’t he? How much could he see? With the window only partially down, he couldn’t get his beak inside the truck, although it looked like he’d tried. “Come with me right now. I’ll forget this ever happened.” She raised her head from Ray’s shoulder and turned to face Gardner. “Forget what happened? What I do is my business. I’m a big girl. My parents 31

Brit Blaise haven’t worried about me for a long time, if ever.” The woman had moxie. How many women would be so calm and collected when squeezing one man’s dick between her legs while arguing with another? Ray shifted under her and damned if he didn’t get hard again. “Back the fuck off! I walked out before I did you bodily damage. Are you sure you want to pursue this right now? You won’t live to regret it.” “Go away, Gardner,” Rachel said. “I’ll be back when I’m ready…if I chose.” “Like hell you will.” Ray didn’t want her anywhere near Gardner now. If he’d killed Helena, Gardner wouldn’t hesitate to do the same to Rachel. Ray reached for the window opener and rolled it down. In the next instant, he leaned over and caught Gardner by the collar. Ray jerked him into the side of the truck and smashed his face against the top of the door before pushing him away. Gardner fell where Ray couldn’t see him. If he couldn’t see Gardner, then it was safe to move Rachel off his lap. Ray picked her up and sat her aside before he tucked his cock back inside his jeans and moved behind the wheel. He started the truck. “You better get the fuck away,” Ray hollered. “Am I going to run over the idiot?” Rachel leaned to peer out the window. “Move out of the way.” When she grabbed for the door handle, he started the truck and pealed out. “Wait! What about me?” “Buckle up.”

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Chapter Four Gardner scrambled out of the way as Ray slammed the truck into reverse. When he crashed into Gardner’s Porsche, Ray couldn’t help but smile. He stopped, shifted into drive and pulled forward just enough to deliver another good hit to the expensive car, this time sending it into the ditch with the sweet sound of a crash. “Stop!” Rachel demanded. “What are you doing?” Ray stared over at his unwelcome passenger, huddled against the door, but still able to vocalize her disapproval. Good for her. She’d need every drop of courage she could muster before they’d finished with Gardner. “I’m probably saving your life. Do you honestly believe he’d allow you to live after what he witnessed back there?” She gave a blink spelling incredulity. “You think Gardner would kill me?” “Maybe not right away. He’d wait until you gave him good reason…maybe if you broke one of his precious place-settings.” “That’s not the Gardner I know.” “Fuck the Gardner you think you know, and fuck you, too. I don’t need this complication in my life.” Why was he taking his frustration out on her? Fear of what might linger around the proverbial corner? If this little conflict made her come unglued, what the fuck would she do if he shifted into his wolf in front of her? 33

Brit Blaise What would the wolf in him do to her? It evidently wanted to get to her as the pain and roiling inside him attested. “Where are you taking me?” “I’m taking your to the sanctuary. You’ll be safe there until I can figure this out.” Since he’d only been in Arizona a little over four years, he figured he had a long time before he had to move to a new locale. Now everything had changed in a single night. He enjoyed the life he’d carved out as a bull-rider. For the first time in many years, he was having fun. He’d cowboyed in Montana, but not in the public eye of the rodeo circuit. Before Arizona, he’d been a cowboy on the family ranch where he’d lived almost a hundred years, and it was a hard life to give up. “I figured I had a couple of good years left here. This evening of fun and games has blown my life to hell. I can’t stay here and I don’t dare go back to Montana. Helena made sure of that.” “Because the authorities in Montana consider you a suspect in her disappearance?” “I didn’t have anything to do with her disappearance. And enlighten me about this sister story you have going. Helena could no more be your sister than I could.” She moved closer to the door as if trying to put distance between them. Too late for that. “Why are you questioning my word?” she asked. “Helena is my sister.” Ray pulled the truck over and flipped on the interior light. “Look at me and say it again.” She swept her long auburn hair back with her hand and frowned. “Helena is my sister.” “Fuck.” Ray slammed his hand against the steering wheel. She believed what she said. “My mother had Helena when she was quite young, and then I came along much later. I’m afraid the difference in age kept Helena and I from enjoying a close relationship, but I love her with all my heart. And I’d give 34

Wild Cowboy Domination anything to know where she is, and why she hasn’t contacted us.” “And your relationship with your mother?” Ray pulled back onto the road. “Why would you ask that?” “Why are you so defensive?” She sighed and shuddered. “I don’t have a relationship with my parents. I was away at boarding schools all my life. Summers and vacations, I spent with household staff. It’s only been since Helena’s gone missing that my parents have paid any attention to me.” That would explain a lot. “Did your parent’s finances suffer with Helena’s disappearance?” “How would you know that? Who are you and how do you know so much about my private life?” There was a pensive shimmer in her eyes, a dawning that her world might be shifting. Ray wished he didn’t know. How could he make her understand? He reached to his belt for his cell and flipped his phone open. He depressed the single number to the ranch and put the cell to his ear. Elena answered after a single ring. “It’s me.” Elena gave a chuckle. “Who else would it be? Anyone else would call the business number. When will you be home?” “I should be there in a little over an hour or so. Could you get one of the guest rooms ready? I’m bringing someone home.” “Someone? A woman?” “Yes, a woman, Elena. Does that make a difference what room you put her in?” “Don’t be silly.” Click. Ray looked at Rachel and shrugged. “She hung up. You’ll like Elena. She was close to your…to Helena.” “People at your wildlife sanctuary knew Helena?” “Most of them did. You can pick their brains until they want to drop you off a cliff. Just so you stay out of my way.” As soon as the harsh words left his 35

Brit Blaise mouth, Ray wanted to call them back. He didn’t want to hurt her. But it was for her own good. Many of the tales of werewolves came from folklore, and the basis in reality little resembled the truth. However, the pull of the full moon did call to his beast, and tomorrow night the lunar zenith would bring about the change. Ray could only imagine Rachel coming face-to-face with the terrifying beast inside him. Even the other were-creatures inhabiting the sanctuary kept their distance at his time of the month. Only the two she-wolves would welcome him. What would they say when they saw Rachel? Complications. And just when he thought it couldn’t get more complicated…his wolf decided to come out and play, full moon be fucking damned. Rachel grabbed for the wheel just as the truck careened left of center and narrowly avoided an on-coming car. “What’s wrong with you? Are you trying to get us killed?” Ray wrested the wheel away from her and pushed her away. There was a road ahead off the main route. He needed to get there before… His fingernails lengthened and coned. It wouldn’t be long before she’d see. One more mile… Ray made the turnoff before driving onto the berm. Thankfully they weren’t anywhere near any of the numerous drop-offs that could’ve easily plunged them to their deaths. Ray jerked his phone from his waist, hit a single programmed number before he threw it on the floor, and got out of the truck. He needed to get far away from her before…he shifted into a wolf in front of her.

~~~ Rachel didn’t know what to do. Ray appeared to be having seizures. She reached for her door, and he slammed his fist into the front fender. “Stay!” Okay. So much for that. She folded her arms across her chest and 36

Wild Cowboy Domination refused to even look at him. When she heard what sounded like a wolf howl, she reconsidered. Only Ray was nowhere to be found when she scanned the area. And there were no wolves in this part of the Arizona desert. There hadn’t been for years. Let him worry about them. She grabbed for the door, heard a second howl, and locked the door. For good measure, she reached over to lock Ray’s door. About two seconds later, her conscience got the better of her, and she got out of the truck to find him. She left the door open just in case she needed to make a hasty retreat. First she needed a weapon. “Don’t take this as a sign of weakness,” she told any invisible creature who might be about to pounce and picked up a jagged rock twice the size of her hand. “Ray. Where are you? Are you all right?” This had to the weirdest night of her life…all twenty-four years. Why had he absconded with her only to leave her alone in the desert? She hesitated to step further away from the truck. “Damn it. Answer me.” Nothing. She listened as hard as she could for any sound to reassure her. The moon shed its cloud-cover and she could see a good distance, but no Ray Wilde. Rustling in the bushes nearby made her retreat a step. “This is nonsense. Come on, Ray. Where are you?” The sound of a growl sent a shiver down her spine. “Ray,” a male voice called from behind her. She hadn’t heard a car approach. How could anyone happen upon them in the middle of nowhere? Rachel jerked around to see a dark figure approach from the opposite side of the truck where she stood. “Who are you?” “Cade Wayne, ma’am.” Rachel had seen the freckle-faced Wayne men around the rodeo for years and there were so many of them. You couldn’t go to any rodeo in Arizona without running into a Wayne, mostly competing in the calf roping. “I’d know that flaming red hair anywhere. But how you came to be here in the middle of the desert calling for Ray is beyond me.” 37

Brit Blaise “Isn’t this Ray’s truck?” Cade asked. “I’m certain you know it is.” Why didn’t he answer her question? How had Cade miraculously appeared searching for Ray? “Did you find him?” came another voice and soon Rachel saw the top of a second redhead. “Over here, Cole. I found Rachel Benson, half naked, but not Ray.” Rachel grabbed her skirt and held it closed. This was too much. The Wayne twins had appeared from thin air. “How did you guys get here?” Neither of them spoke. Fine. They could find Ray. “I’ll wait in the truck until you find Ray. It looked as if he was having seizures, but he didn’t want my help.” “It looks like he helped himself to you.” Cole turned back in the direction he’d come and headed into the desert, still calling for Ray. Cade opened the driver’s door on Ray’s truck at the same time Rachel got in the other side. “Did Ray want you to come to the sanctuary?” he asked. This night was surreal. And she’d had about she could handle. “Are you going to answer my question? How did you know to come here and search for Ray?” “We have an emergency number Ray dialed.” “I saw him dial his cell.” She reached down to pick up the phone lying open on the floor near her foot. Cade rudely grabbed it from her hand and flipped it shut. “I’ll make sure he gets this back. Cole was already in the area to watch Ray’s back. I wasn’t too far away either. And a friend from the ranch called to say Ray was having a little trouble.” Rachel didn’t know what to believe. How in the world could they show up in the middle of nowhere like that? And Ray hadn’t said a word before he’d tossed the phone. “Ray didn’t talk on the phone…how did you know to come here? To this exact spot.” “GPS.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared. “How does that work?” 38

Wild Cowboy Domination She wasn’t convinced. Cade shook his head and sent a red curl into his eyes that he swept back. “No more questions until you answer mine. Did Ray want you to come to the sanctuary?” None of this made sense. “Ray abducted me. He’s taking me there against my will.” Cade laughed until she wanted to smack him. “What’s so funny?” “It isn’t like Ray to do something so stupid. This is going to be good.” He slapped his knee and started the truck. “Aren’t you worried about him? He could be sick.” “Ray will be fine. I’ll finish what he started and drive you to the ranch. Just keep your hands on that skirt.” Rachel wanted to argue. But maybe it would serve Ray right for the way he’d yelled at her if she allowed Cade to drive away with her. Besides, Ray told her to stay away from him. And, despite her claim he’d abducted her, she wanted to go to the sanctuary. She wanted to talk with people who knew her sister. Rachel fastened her seat belt as Cade surged the truck onto the road. They hadn’t driven far when it occurred to her maybe Cade knew her sister if he knew Ray well enough to take his place. “Did you know my sister? Helena?” “Helena Benruc? No, you couldn’t mean her. She couldn’t be your sister.” Cade’s knuckles whitened as he gripped the wheel. His light-hearted banter had turned sour if his tone was any indication. “Helena Benson. Long, fiery red hair, pale flawless complexion, green eyes and men claim she’s the most beautiful woman in existence.” “Sound’s like one and the same, but I’ll say it again. The Helena I knew wouldn’t be your sister. Both her mother and father died a long time ago. Well before you were born. Plus, my oldest brother, Jon, would’ve said something. He’s loved Helena all his life. “If the Helena I believe is my sister is so old, wouldn’t she be too old for your brother, too?” 39

Brit Blaise “Maybe we should talk about something else.” Damn him! She wanted to strike out. Instead she did what she’d always done. She turned her anger inward. Her stomach pitched and for a moment she wondered if she would hurl Gardner’s expensive wine. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk at all.”

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Chapter Five After two days, Rachel still had no new information to go on in her search for her sister. Everyone at Wilde Animal Sanctuary knew Helena Benruc, but not Benson. And the disappearance of Sarah had the entire sanctuary in an uproar. It was too much of a coincidence two women named Helena were missing, but everyone insisted the Helena they all knew couldn’t be her sister. Ray still hadn’t shown his face, but no one seemed worried about him, except her. The only bright spot was Elena Wayne, the mother of Jon, Cade, Cole, Ace and Parker Wayne. Elena took care of the main house and helped cook meals for everyone there. There were so many people coming and going at all hours of the day or night, Rachel didn’t know if the sanctuary was for injured and endangered animals or displaced people. While she relaxed in an over-stuffed chair in Ray’s library, the sound of boots scraping over the wooden floor distracted her from the open book in her hands. More than likely Cade had found another way to make himself useful. In the last twenty minutes, Cade had brought her a vase of flowers for the table next to her, an afternoon cup of tea and a piece of beef jerky. What next? “I have something for you.” Rachel looked up to see Ray standing motionless in the doorway. She jolted and slammed the book shut. Relief, anger and lust warred for first place inside her mind. He looked perfectly delectable in his faded denims and tight 41

Brit Blaise white T-shirt. His dark hair, damp like he’d come from a shower, clung to his face and neck. The sight of him made her sex clench. Lust won, hand’s down! How could she stay mad at a man who excited her like this one? She wanted to ask what he had for her, but didn’t want to appear too eager. Besides, she was more than content to feast her eyes on him as her heart fluttered inside her chest. The muscles on his long, lean form didn’t bulge, but they were lethal nonetheless. He exuded power and raw, animalistic sexuality. His muscular arms were bare and crossed over his chest. The selfconfident way he stared at her made her sigh. Ray Wilde had to be the bestlooking cowboy she’d ever seen in her life. Should she show him how pissed she was that he’d taken so long to show his face? If he didn’t look so damned devilishly good… “I see you’re still alive. You have the strangest friends. No one seemed worried in the least when you didn’t come home for two days.” Except her. Not to mention her ego had taken a bruising. She’d thought maybe he wanted her at the sanctuary— for himself. He gave her a crooked smile and walked nearer. She’d never seen a hint of a smile on his gorgeous face until that moment. The sight warmed her. She clutched her hand to her bosom to hide the evidence of how he affected her. “I’ve been with Cole the entire time,” he said. “Of course, no one worried. Now Sarah is another matter. Cole and I have come up with a plan to find her if you’re willing to help.” Rachel laid her book on the stand next to her and tapped it with her forefinger. “I wouldn’t have figured you for the type to have romance books in your library.” “That’s a romance? I thought it was about gargoyles.” He gave her a second silly grin and a dismissive wave. “Do you want to hear our plan or not?” Once again, she found herself in an emotional fuddle over the sight of his face. What would happen if and when he gave her a full-fledged smile? She didn’t dare consider what it would do to her. “I thought you said you had 42

Wild Cowboy Domination something for me.” “Right.” He tucked his large hand into the front pocket of his tight jeans and stepped closer to give her a small photograph. “Here. Now you tell me…is this the woman you believe to be your sister?” Rachel took the wallet-sized picture, anxious to finally see the sanctuary’s Helena. The well worn head-shot showed a woman with striking red hair, slightly slanted green eyes and a pale complexion. It could only be one person… “This is my sister.” “I was afraid you were going to say that. Elena?’’ he called. Elena peeked around the doorframe only a moment later. Her graying red hair, pulled tight into a bun, made her dimpled face even more round. But she had a friendly freckled face, and Rachel didn’t think she’d ever tire of seeing it. “I think we need a meeting of the clan, right now if possible. Especially you and your sons. This affects you more than the rest of us.” Rachel hugged her arms to her chest. “The clan? Could this get any stranger?” “Trust me. Before we’re done with you, it’s going to get as strange as it can possibly get and then some.” A short time later, people started to file into the library. All the Wayne men and Elena came first, but soon others crowded into the room, both men and women. Before long, Rachel counted fourteen heads. Ray raised his hand. “I’m calling this meeting because we need to do everything within our power to save Sarah, before it’s too late. Gardner has her. I don’t know where or how, but he does. And who among you knew she had a sister…also one of the hawk clan?” One of the women cast Rachel a dubious stare and then raised her hand. “Her sister lived up north in the rim country.” “She doesn’t live at all any longer,” Ray said. “Gardner encountered her in the emergency room. He’s back to practicing medicine again. This time in Phoenix.” 43

Brit Blaise The group murmured amongst themselves at Ray’s words. It seemed she’d been right to think Gardner more than likely had something to do with Helena’s disappearance. “He served Sarah’s sister as the main entrée for dinner the other evening. I had to restrain myself from killing him with my bare hands.” The words chilled her, and her stomach pitched. What was Ray talking about? Surely, he didn’t mean— “Should we be speaking in front of her?” one of the women asked. The hostility in her voice was easy to read. “I’ve given this a lot of thought. Helena would want us to keep her daughter safe. I don’t know if it’s too late for Helena, but we can protect Rachel and do our best to bring Sarah home.” One of the Wayne men stepped forward to stand next to Ray. “Helena doesn’t have a daughter. I should know.” Rachel recognized him as the eldest of Elena’s sons, Jon Wayne. It took a moment for Rachel to understand Ray meant her, and, when it sunk in, it shocked her. He’d lost his mind in his trek through the desert. Ray’s bearing was stiff as he pointed to Jon. “Yes, you should know, but Helena evidently didn’t tell you about Rachel. Helena had gifts of prophesy as well as her other powers, and none of us understood her…even you.” “But if she’s Helena’s daughter, then that would mean…” Jon turned to Rachel, his eyes searching her face. “Rachel’s your daughter too, Jon. For whatever reason, Helena believed she could keep Rachel safe by not revealing her existence to anyone, not even you.” Rachel didn’t know what to think as her mind refused to register the implications of everything said. Mixed feelings surged through her. Her shock evaporated, leaving mostly confusion. She drew her legs up and hugged her knees to her chest as everyone stared at her. No way. Helena wasn’t her mother, and this man was a stranger. This wasn’t possible! 44

Wild Cowboy Domination She stared in disbelief at Jon Wayne, who stood only a few feet from her while he stared back. He shook his head and moved closer, searching her face. “She has my freckles, but I don’t see anything else.” “How about the fact she rodeos despite being raised in hoity-toity boarding schools?” Ray said. “How about the fact she looks like her mother…and you a little? The woman Helena hired to play the part of her mother doesn’t resemble either one of them, and the father…is a con man. Helena could’ve done better.” “Helena wouldn’t have dared to have a baby and not tell me,” Jon Wayne huffed. People stepped aside to allow Elena to move nearer her son. The confusion and shock on their faces made Rachel shudder. How could any of this be possible? “I should have told you,” Elena said to Jon Wayne. Rachel gasped at the harsh and painful words. Elena looked away from Jon to Rachel and then back to her son. Tears slid down Elena’s face, but Rachel could only deal with her own tumultuous emotions. This was an ethical and moral nightmare. “Helena made me promise not to say anything to you, Jon, darling. You were so young and Helena wasn’t. And you’d just learned about your…gift. And then later, Helena told me she’d lost the baby, so I saw no reason to break your heart.” Elena moved to touch his shoulder, and he flinched. Elena glanced back to Rachel as though seeking help. “I didn’t know you lived. Although from the moment you arrived here two days ago, I’ve felt a kinship.” “How old are you?” Jon demanded of Rachel. “Twenty-four.” Jon—her father?—frowned and rubbed his temples. “How could Helena do this to me? This explains a lot.” Her dizzied senses rushed for answers. Didn’t he want her? This wasn’t just about him. Didn’t he realize she was equally vested in this? 45

Brit Blaise “We’ll worry about what Helena did later, right now we need to concentrate our energy on saving Sarah,” Ray said. Rachel didn’t know Sarah. She took a moment to catch her breath, but she wanted answers right now. Her mind was spinning out of control. Her emotions threatened to erupt in tears. Suddenly her future looked uncertain. “My father is a cowboy and my mother is…what? Dead? Is that what you all believe?” Her calm tone masked her inner turmoil. The tumult inside her brain made it ache. Ray knelt next to her and took hold of her hand. “I’ll talk more with you in private about Helena. Right now we all need to come to a decision about Sarah. I think you can get into Gardner’s house to search it. If you show up at Gardner’s claiming I’ve hurt you, Gardner will believe it and take you in.” He wanted her help? Help to find a woman she didn’t really know? What about Helena? “First, you tell me I have a daughter, and then you want to throw her to the devil himself?” Jon’s vexation was evident in the way his deep lines creased his brows. “No. Rachel stays here with us.” Ray released her hand and straightened. “Gardner has plans for her. We have to decide if we can trust her with our secret.” “If she’s Helena’s and my daughter, we can trust her,” Jon insisted. Pride pushed away her confusion as her mind registered the significance of her father’s words. She needed alone time to think…to understand all the warring emotions. The murmuring started again. Ray walked behind her chair and leaned close to her ear. “If Jon is pissed with me now for wanting your help with Gardner, imagine what he’ll do when he learns I’ve made love to you.” Rachel stiffened and shot a glance to her father. How did her life get so complicated? So fast? “Shall we take a vote, then?” Ray laid a hand on either of her shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. “All in favor of sharing our secret with Helena’s daughter raise your right hand.” 46

Wild Cowboy Domination Her mind whirled. A quick look at the faces surrounding her made Rachel want to close her eyes. This was happening too fast. She needed time to digest it all, but the prevailing atmosphere, the pained expressions reflected on the faces of those surrounding her, told her to buck up. Whatever this secret was that Ray wanted to share—it scared the shit out of most of them. Jon Wayne, however, didn’t hesitate. He raised his hand first, followed by the rest of the Wayne men and their mother. It was a vote of confidence for someone they’d never met. It made her feel good and her troubled spirit quieted, even while she still wanted to hide. Did that mean he really believed she was his daughter? With six members of the Wayne family voting in the affirmative, the rest of the crowd slowly reached the same conclusion. If this secret was bigger than learning she had a family she never knew about…she didn’t know if she wanted to hear it. “Let’s see then…Cindy,” Ray said. “I think you’d be the least intimidating of all of us to show Rachel what she needs to know about us. You can be a transitional example to help her get used to those of us who are more hairy and have sharp teeth.” Just when she thought the situation couldn’t become more strange, talk of sharp teeth made her heart race with excitement. Whatever was about to happen, these people meant her no harm. Was he serious? Ray’s clenched jaw twitched as she stared at him. He rose from kneeling in front of her and moved to her side. A small woman perched on a stool, stood and gave Ray a salute. “Yeah, right. It’s unpleasant for all of us to see you hairy. Where do you want me?” “Come closer to Rachel, but not too close. I don’t want to scare her,” Ray said placing a firm hand on her shoulder. Too late. She sank deeper into the chair. “I’m already scared. Well, not scared really. But nervous.” The woman, Cindy, paused to glance at Rachel. “Relax. I promise it’s not as painful as it looks. Not for me, anyway. Ray says it hurts him like hell.” 47

Brit Blaise Rachel met the woman’s direct gaze with bravado she didn’t feel. This was her family, and she wanted to make them proud of how she handled herself. “Wait, wait,” Elena said. “Let me get a towel, this always makes a mess on my clean floor.” What the fuck! “Not now, Mom,” one of the Wayne’s said. Rachel heard him speaking, but couldn’t look away from the spectacle evolving before her eyes. In the next moment, the woman began to convulse much like Ray had in the desert. Why didn’t anyone help her? In fact, no one even seemed surprised. The woman rolled into a ball on the floor and ripped at her clothes. Horrified, Rachel didn’t know what to do. What was wrong with these people? How could they do nothing when the woman obviously was having a serious medical problem? Or was it mental? “Help her!” She jumped from her chair, but Ray caught her under the arms and restrained her. “Just wait,” Ray said. “It won’t be long now. She is starting to molt.” “Molt?” What the hell did he mean by that? People didn’t molt. “Are you fucking crazy?”

~~~ Rachel huddled in the chair after expending her energy earlier. Ray had wanted her to sit back down, but this was something else. It felt as if she was pulling away emotionally. Ray didn’t know what to say to make it easier for her. Rachel hugged her legs to her chest and didn’t speak a word. Her green eyes widened as she stared at Cindy, in her red-tailed hawk form, perched on the stool she had sat on before she’d shape-shifted. Elena touched Rachel’s shoulder, and Rachel flinched. “Dear, dear!” Elena tsk-tsked and moved away. “There has to be a better way to do this. 48

Wild Cowboy Domination The poor dear is traumatized.” Rachel didn’t speak to her father or Elena. Ray decided to take her to his room, away from all the faces who eagerly watched for her to react. Not that he blamed them. If word of their secret lives reached the wrong ears, they could all end up dead. He worried she’d think they were all monsters. Would she be able to accept them—accept him? When he plucked her out of her chair and began to carry her, she didn’t protest. She looped her arm around his neck, and he breathed a small sigh of relief that she accepted his touch. Ray hesitated as he reached the door and glanced toward Jon. “I’m taking her upstairs. Maybe she’ll feel more like talking if we’re alone.” Jon frowned and then nodded. If her family didn’t like his relationship with Rachel, then he may as well find out sooner rather than later. He carried her up the staircase and into his suite where no one dared disturb them. An unwritten rule at the sanctuary assured them privacy. Since everyone living on the ranch was a shifter, no one would come into his room without good reason…life or death. Rachel reached up to touch his face as he nudged the door shut with his foot. “How long have you known about me?” she whispered. His gut reaction was to say whatever made her feel better, but he needed to be as honest as he could. Even if it was hard for her to hear. He lowered her to her feet before he did something she might regret. She didn’t need him in her life… With all the excess baggage a shape-shifter brought to the table, she’d be crazy to get seriously involved. “I became suspicious the night of Gardner’s dinner party. I knew the man and woman who’d claimed to be related to you were lying. I could see the resemblance between you and Helena, and I knew you really believed her to be your sister. That’s an advantage of having lived almost a hundred years. I can tell when someone’s lying. She shot him a penetrating look of doubt and confusion. “A hundred 49

Brit Blaise years?” Ray didn’t want to get into his problem. He had no desire for the thing between them to be over before it really began. And there was definitely something between them. But honesty was paramount. “For whatever reason, the life-cycles of shifters seem to slow. I started shifting at thirty, and I don’t look much different now than I did then.” “Are you a hawk, too?” she asked when he didn’t answer fast enough. “My beast is a wolf.” He watched her reaction closely. Her lips thinned, but she didn’t blink an eye. Brave girl! Rachel gave a solemn nod, her delicate chin jutting ever so slightly. “So it was a wolf I heard in the desert.” With a shake of her head, she sent her ponytail back over her shoulder. He wanted to loosen it and see the glorious auburn tresses riot around her in the sunlight bathing her from the window behind them. “I guess that explains why every bull you ride is insane to have you off their back. I’ve seen bulls ready to be put out to pasture buck like never before with you riding. I always wondered along with everyone else how you did it.” He could see the wheels turning in her beautiful head as she connected the dots. “And until now you thought I had a magical touch.” She eyed him warily. “Oh, you have the touch all right.” Her words thrilled him, sent his senses soaring. He wanted…her. Her scent filled his head. “I didn’t think I could keep the wolf in me away from you. I didn’t trust myself with you.” And at that moment, he ached for her. He only needed to raise his arm to touch her. She hadn’t moved. She leaned into him and placed her hands on his chest. “This whole affair wasn’t about you and me. But, I made it about us when I purposely seduced you in the bar the first night, didn’t I?” He looped his arms around her, when he really wanted to crush her to him. “I knew it was a foregone conclusion, but I just didn’t know why you wanted me so badly.” She blinked her beautiful green eyes and then buried her head against 50

Wild Cowboy Domination his chest. “I’m sorry. I just should’ve been upfront with you.” “So you’re sorry we…” Ray didn’t want to hear regrets. He needed her to want him. Desire rose so strongly, he had to fight off the urge to kiss her. He wanted her to make the first move. Her head on his chest didn’t qualify, no matter what his beast said. She pulled her head away from his shoulder to look up at him. “Why do you have manacles in your trailer?” His manacles. His body reacted to memory of that night and he grew so hard his cock pained him. “I use them if my beast decides to give me problems. Generally, I know when it’s going to happen, but there are times…they’re my safety net if I’m in a public place. It’s my way of offering protection to the population at large when the urge overtakes me.” “And I assumed you used them for sex games.” Her face turned pink and her freckles became more pronounced. “Why did you play along with it?” “Play along? I enjoyed every moment I spent with you until you called my beast. In the fifth-wheel, you almost outed me. Thankfully, Cole and Cade were nearby to offer help. They watched over the trailer while your friend came to rescue you. They distracted her, and I slipped out the back.” “So my…uncles know about us…that we…” The hesitation before she said uncles showed it would take some time before she could accept the new relationships. She’d done remarkably. Her face turned as red as her hair. “Is there an us? Would you have willingly slept with a half-man, halfwolf?” Rachel pushed back out of his arms and shrugged out of her sweater. She answered him with action. His kind of woman! She dropped the garment, but Ray had no idea where it landed. He was too busy staring like an idiot. She wore nothing beneath the sweater. The delectable sight of her milky white globes with pale mauve nipples standing to attention made his breath hitch and his cock harden more than it had when he first took her into his arms. Ray began to tremble as he waited for her next move. Why so nervous? 51

Brit Blaise He couldn’t remember the last time anything had been this important. This is life altering. “I’m willing to make love to you…really make love with you for the first time,” she said. Why did he hesitate? His feet were cemented to the floor. Rachel ran a hand over her breast, where he’d been staring and hadn’t realized. When he looked up to her beautiful freckled face, she smiled…really smiled. The radiant glow did for his feet what her breasts couldn’t. He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her and drew her against the length of him. Rachel linked both arms around his neck and lifted onto her toes. She brought her mouth within a hairs-breadth of his and waited. The sweet aroma of mint curled into his nose, and the warmth of her breath excited him beyond comprehension. He was in over his head. “Wolves mate for life.” Now why the fuck had he said that? He’d slept around and often. Ray couldn’t meet her eyes, but she reached to tilt his head where she could see into his soul if she cared to look. “Maybe people should too,” she whispered. Her words produced the momentum for him to seize control. He held her tight against his chest and kissed her. The taste of her caused overwhelming need to well inside him. This was more than fucking… His beast rose, and a painful twinge almost took him to his knees. Just once he wanted to make love without interference. “Easy,” she whispered into his mouth. Was she talking to his beast? His wolf growled, but settled. Never in his life had anyone other than Ray controlled his beast, and he’d only just managed. “Easy,” she said a second time and for the first time ever when Ray held a half-naked woman in his arms, he couldn’t sense the presence of a hungry, horny wolf.

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Chapter Six Ray stood by the side of his king-sized bed, naked from head to foot. It humbled Rachel to see such a magnificent male ready to give her pleasure. His long lean body showed not an inch of excess except maybe there… He had a perfect body, the most spectacular she’d ever had the privilege to see, let alone touch. Oh, how she wanted to touch him. His cock jutted out toward her, proud and potent. She had him inside her twice, but somehow this time the meaning had changed. She’d changed…forever. A flood of moisture between her thighs from excitement and anticipation made her grab for him to hurry him along. She wanted to take her time with him. But she didn’t want to take her time…even more. Rachel sat on the edge of his bed, just as naked as he. Normally, she’d be self-conscious, but she could only think of him. When he took a step nearer, she reached for him and bent over to place a kiss on his cock while she circled him with her hand the best she could. He leaned into her kiss…all the encouragement she needed to drop to her knees and take him into her mouth. Ray threaded his hands through her hair and moaned. She alternately sucked and licked around the firm velvety top and stopped to nibble on the tag of skin on the underside. He tasted salty and warm. He took her head into his large hands and pushed forward only a little, but enough to send a message. Lowering her mouth over him, Rachel took him 53

Brit Blaise deeper using the strong muscles at the back of her throat to grasp him. She began to swallow, but panicked and pulled back. Not one to give up easily, Rachel took a deeper breath and began again, working him further, feeling him pulse as her throat surrounded him. She eased him in and out until she needed to breathe, then released him and stopped to look up into his face. He smiled at her and said, “Close.” He sighed. She’d wanted to see a full smile on his handsome face, and she’d gotten her wish. It curled her toes. He bent down to catch her under the arms and lifted her for an openmouth kiss that left her breathless. “No more. As good as that feels, I want to come inside you.” Lifting her with ease, in one forward motion, he took them both to the center of the bed. Ray rested on one side of her and anchored her to the mattress with the weight of his leg over her. His cock lay along the side of her hip, more enticing and warmer than the rest of him. When she caressed the dark hair on his muscular pecs with the tips of her nails, he moaned and gave her a crooked grin. “As much as I want to take my time with you, we have to get to Phoenix soon to find Sarah,” he told her. He kissed her neck and began to work his way down toward her breast. Each touch of his lips set her on fire. His tongue was magic as he swirled over her nipple and caused a riot inside her. A second later he began to move lower, kissing and nipping his way over her belly. He didn’t stop until he settled between her legs and nudged them further apart. When he used both thumbs to separate the folds of her sex, she pulled up on her elbows to watch. Both vulnerable and wanton at the same time, she couldn’t resist. He glanced up at her, his hair ruffled and his eyes heated. He gave her a wink before burying his face. This startled her at first. Having a man’s face between her legs wasn’t a daily occurrence. Or weekly. Or monthly. He laved her from clit to core and back again to concentrate on her little friend. The sweet agony bowed her back as her body responded with jerk. Waves of fiery ecstasy coursed through her. The tension spiraled. Rachel 54

Wild Cowboy Domination wanted to scream from the pleasure, but held it inside in case anyone was close enough to hear. Holding still was another matter. She involuntarily arched toward the ceiling, both mentally and physically. It only took him seconds to bring her to the brink. Shimmering waves of pure, sweet pleasure took her higher and higher. She slammed her head back and grabbed the sheets with both hands as she tried not to come too quickly. As she crashed over and the first wave slammed into her, so did Ray’s cock. He buried himself deep inside her as she crested.

~~~ She squeezed his cock with her contractions until every lucid thought left his brain. Ray could only think about the explosion about to rip him apart. He thought each thrust he delivered into her tight heat would be his last. His balls loosened, but the off-the-charts internal push to detonate with each pump didn’t. Ray worked it. In and out…in a feverish pitch. He trembled. When Rachel cried out a second time, he lost it. He came so hard it lifted both of them from the bed. He entered a place of pleasure he’d never been, more mental than physical, and he kept coming. When the spiral brought him to a pinnacle more emotional than he’d ever known sex could be, he did the only thing he could do. He kissed her long and hard, using his tongue to communicate what she did for him…to him. A languid boneless peace eventually settled upon his spent body as he sucked the plump curve of her lower lip into his mouth. She opened to take his tongue and gently sucked him back. He began to harden inside her again. How did this woman make him go from completely spent to rock hard in seconds? Ray started to move his cock deeper when an orgasm hit him so hard he saw stars, and his beast screamed at the same time. He could feel her smile 55

Brit Blaise against his mouth as he held onto her, almost afraid to move. So soon? He couldn’t believe he’d come a second time when only moments earlier he’d experienced the most explosive orgasm of his life. What the hell had just happened? And please let it happen again and often! “Good boy,” she whispered. Was she talking to his beast? Incredible!

~~~ Ray steered to the side of the road and cut the motor. When he turned off the headlights, it took a few seconds for Rachel to grow accustomed to the darkness. She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Cindy can see inside most of the windows,” Ray said. “The Waynes will be in the big Mesquite tree in the rear. And Dave is inside your handbag.” The news gave her a jolt of surprise which morphed to fear that she might’ve crushed him. “Now you tell me! I hope I’ve been gentle with him.” Rachel tried to remember if she‘d tossed her bag on the floor of the truck or laid it down gently. “So that’s why you told me to leave it unzipped. I should’ve known. Did you tell me what Dave is?” “He’s a wererat,” Ray gave a dismissive wave. And she stifled a nervous laugh over his bizarre statement made matter-of-fact. “And he didn’t get inside your purse until you laid it on the floor. I would’ve told you to be careful if you’d been carrying him around. Karen and Thomas are wererats, too, but neither of them have the experience to help us with something so potentially dangerous for us all. Gardner may only be one man, but he’s as evil as they come. When you first get inside the front door, find a reason to put your bag down and then distract Gardner. And don’t forget this.” Ray touched the gold necklace he’d given her, his hand warm against her skin, and she shivered under his touch. Rachel was still trying to wrap her mind around having a wererat in her purse. She covered his hand with hers. The necklace didn’t look like it, but it was a whistle. Although when she blew it, she didn’t hear anything except air. Ray, on the other hand, jumped out of 56

Wild Cowboy Domination his skin when she blew it in the truck while sitting next to him on the drive to Gardner’s house. “Just put your lips together and blow. I’ll break the fucking door down to get to you.” When he pursed his lips to demonstrate, she wanted to throw herself in his arms. It would be so much nicer to get lost in a kiss than deal with Gardner. Rachel had never just shown up at Gardner’s without an invitation. The fact it was late at night made it worse. Ray had stopped several doors down just out of sight, and she walked up to the gated drive. The Southwest-style, stucco multi-story houses were impressive, but only on acre lots so Ray’s truck wasn’t far away. Just on the other side of the gate sat her Miata. All of a sudden she had the perfect reason for being there. She hadn’t considered Gardner would take her abandoned car back to his house for safekeeping. She figured the people she’d believed to be her parents would’ve seen to it. She depressed the button on the gate and waited. On either side of the iron fence were cameras. “Yes?” a female voice said from the speaker next to the button. “Rachel Benson. I’m here to get my car.” “Just one moment, Miss Benson.” A short time later the hydraulic gate grated open. Lights in the front of the house and down the walkway came on, all at once. Gardner burst out the front door and approached too fast…too confrontational. The menacing scowl on his face confirmed her impression. “It’s about time,” he said angrily when he reached her. “You have some explaining to do.” “Not now, Gardner. I’m worn to a frazzle, and I didn’t get a single answer to what happened to my sister. Everything I did was for nothing. Everything.” She gave a mock shudder taking care not to shake her bag, and immediately regretted her dramatic gesture. Since when did she think she could act? Had she blown her chance? Gardner gave an impatient jerk of his chin. The tight single line of his 57

Brit Blaise eyebrows eased as he delivered a thoughtful stare, but something sinister flickered in his beady eyes. Rachel needed to get inside his house and chose her words carefully. “The other night when you said Ray Wilde knew my sister in Montana, I knew I had to do whatever it took to get answers from him. Only Ray didn’t have answers or at least none he cared to share with me. He’s not a very nice man. I wish you wouldn’t have pushed me into his arms to get information.” “I pushed you into his arms?” he shrieked. “Did I push his cock into your cunt, too?” She couldn’t let him see how his harsh words affected her. It made her feel dirty to hear her relationship with Ray discussed with Gardner’s sleazy infection. “Jeez, Gardner. Get a grip. You know how important it is for me to find my sister. If you can’t handle that, I’m out of here. Where are my keys? Why didn’t my parents take my car with them instead of leaving it here with you?” “You’re keys are inside the house. Fucking a cowboy didn’t give you the answers you wanted? Imagine that.” He took a step nearer, and Rachel had to fight the urge to retreat. His fists clenched at his side and any minute she suspected he could use them on her. She needed to be strong. “If you’re going to be nasty about this, I’ll wait right here while you get my keys. I have enough to deal with without your emotional drama. I don’t need this right now.” “You don’t think I have a right to be pissed?” The force of his seething reply almost caught her off guard. The threatening way he moved into her space made her want to retreat. She steeled herself and didn’t move. “No, I absolutely don’t. I’ve never agreed to be your wife. I’ve told you more times than I can count. Twenty-four is too young to settle down. I won’t even consider marriage as long as my sister is missing.” The suspicion and anger in is eyes didn’t give her much hope of getting inside his house. Maybe she should try another tactic. “Get my keys, or I’ll report you’ve stolen my car.” 58

Wild Cowboy Domination Gardner glared at her and then shrugged. “Come in. We need to talk.” If she allowed him to believe she was anxious to enter his house, she’d lose the opportunity. “No, I’ll wait here.” “Are you afraid to come inside the house with me?” “Of course not. I just don’t want to hear any more of your complaints about how I’ve disappointed you.” His face turned still darker, and he pushed his hands into his pockets as if he didn’t trust himself not to use them on her. Maybe she did need to go. “I won’t say anything else tonight,” Gardner said eventually. “I promise.” He turned away and walked toward the house. She shrugged and followed him, each step torture. He’d been more aggressive than she’d anticipated. Could she do this? This was out of character for her, but if Helena and Jon Wayne were her parents, genetically she had the capability of doing far more. On the other side of the front door, she hesitated while she contemplated the best place to situate her purse. She had to get it on the floor where Gardner couldn’t see. “I really could use a glass of wine. Do you mind? And I need to use the little girl’s room.” She didn’t wait for him to answer and headed toward the closest bathroom. She held her purse a little higher. “If you can hear me,” she whispered. “Be careful of the cameras. Every room has several. I wouldn’t doubt the bathroom does too. I’ll set my purse beside the sink and leave the door open while I wash my hands.” She walked inside and laid her unzipped bag on the floor while she made a prolonged display of washing her hands. As hard as it was, she resisted looking at her bag. But before she picked it up, she opened it to retrieve a lipstick. No rat. She shuddered. When she walked back into the living room, Gardner waited with a glass of wine in both hands and offered one to her. No way would she drink it. On a good day she hated to drink red wine in Gardner’s pristine white living room. White furnishing, white walls and plush white rugs. Even the accessories were 59

Brit Blaise white. Now, she didn’t trust what he might have put in the glass along with the wine. Hopefully, Dave was a white wererat, but she doubted it. “Thank you.” She held the stem, put the drink to her mouth and pretended to sip. Gardner absentmindedly rubbed his middle finger around the lip of his glass and then set it on the mantel. He swept his hands through his short brown hair and then headed out of the room. “I found something of your sister’s. I think you’ll find it interesting.” Should she follow? The plan was to slip a vial of sleeping powder she had hidden in her waistband into his drink. That’s why she’d asked for wine. Did she dare play along with this game and avert from the plan? “What did you find?” “It’s in the den. Follow me.” Rachel had no choice. It there was a chance he had something which might reveal Helena’s whereabouts, then she had to take it. She placed her glass next to his and followed. “Here,” he said and moved to the other side of the room. He held his open hand toward a silver urn resting on his desk. It was emblazoned with a fiery red bird much like the one on the dishes he’d been so proud to display. “It’s pure silver.” Rachel came closer. “Did it belong to Helena?” “No, I had it made.” Rachel should have known he’d lied. “I thought you said you found something of Helena’s?” The cell phone she’d borrowed rang and she involuntarily jolted. She pulled it from her waistband and flipped opened it. After looking at the number displayed, she rolled her eyes for Gardner’s benefit. It was Ray, but she didn’t dare let Gardner know. “Hey, Mom. I told you I’d be a while. What’s up?” Tension crackled in her voice. Could Gardner tell? 60

Wild Cowboy Domination “Get out of there right now,” said Ray. “We have Sarah.” “I’ll be there as soon as possible, Mom. Are you certain you shouldn’t just call an ambulance instead of waiting on me? Okay. Okay. I’m coming. I’m leaving Gardner’s right now.” She flipped the phone shut. “Mom. She wants me to take her to the emergency room. Gall bladder.” Gardner looked like he wanted to argue. “My keys, Gardner?” She held out her hand, palm up. He reached into the top desk drawer and removed her keys. He held them in the air as though debating whether to turn them over. “I’ll come with you.” “If you’re not busy, do you think you could take her instead of me?” It was a high-stakes risk, but she didn’t think for a moment Gardner would agree. “It’s probably nothing, she does this all the time. I shouldn’t have asked. I have to go, just in case.” He shook his head, but gave her the keys without an argument. “We still need to talk.” “I’ll be back when I can. I need to get some rest, so maybe tomorrow.” Rachel didn’t waste time. She left the den and headed for the front door. Expecting him to stop her at any minute, she held her breath. Once Gardner talked to her so-called mother, she’d never be allowed to return. As she reached for the doorknob, Gardner’s house-phone rang. He hesitated answering it and followed her out the door instead. A moment later, she heard the answering machine pick it up. She was out the door as fast as her feet would go short of running. She didn’t want to rouse his suspicion. Her breath came in pants and she tried to hide it with Gardner following. Thankfully, he hadn’t closed the gate and locked her in. “I wish I had more time to see your urn,” she said, hoping to mollify him. When he smiled, so did she since she had her hand on her car door and the keys ready. She got in and closed the door without saying anything else to him. She held her breath while she started the car. When it started right away, she 61

Brit Blaise broke out into a cold sweat and shook almost uncontrollably. Somehow she managed to get the car in gear and hit the accelerator. She did it! In her rearview mirror, she saw Gardner walk back toward the house with his cell phone to his ear, but she didn’t care. Too bad she’d left her purse. She’d have to cancel her credit cards, get a new license…oh well. She’d made it. In the next instant, a wolf ran out into the road in front of her car. She slammed on the brakes.

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Chapter Seven When Ray ran his hand up her leg, Rachel understood why he’d hidden her panties after they’d made love. He wanted her bare-assed and at his mercy. She desperately needed to do some shopping. Begging for old clothes from the other women at the ranch, she could do. Begging for another woman’s panties…no way. “I thought Ray was a goner when he jumped in front of her car,” Cindy said and slapped Ray on the back as she carried a bowl of food to set on the table. There were sixteen people gathered around the table, and despite the long tablecloth hiding Ray’s hand from view, Rachel worried someone would know. “If you think that’s bad, you should’ve seen her face when I shifted back into human form in her car. I’ll never forget.” Ray smiled and dipped his hand between her thighs. She squeezed her thighs tight to stop his progress. His fingers, hot and inquisitive, trailed a line along her inner thigh and skated higher to the juncture between her legs where he’d soon find her hot and wet. When Ray boldly continued his exploration under the table, Rachel sighed and opened to him. The last thing she needed to do was have an orgasm in front of her new family, but she couldn’t resist him. Drat him! The man was insatiable and it was catching. “Did you find time to clean my car?” Her voice sounded raw. 63

Brit Blaise “What’s a little hair?” He dipped a finger inside her, and she gasped and covered her mouth with a napkin and coughed to mask the error. The man qualified as certifiable to pull such a stunt in front of her new family. Her family. Would she ever get used to them? She looked down the length of the dining room table and gave thanks. She’d always wanted family more than anything she could’ve wished for, and now she had more than she wanted. Her father glared at Ray. All of the Wayne family had green eyes with gold flecks. When they were angry, they had more gold than green and seemed to glow. “It’s a good thing it all turned out so well.” Her father had his fork pointing to Ray when he spoke. Rachel concentrated on her father, but she couldn’t ignore the second finger dipping inside her. Sarah gave a little cough and raised her hand like a schoolgirl. Ray stilled his exploration. The small woman with long blonde hair hadn’t spoken since her return. “I thought I was a goner. And I want to thank everyone for not giving up on me.” “You’re welcome,” Ray told her. She nodded and gave him a thin smile. “I went to Gardner’s house to get my sister. I don’t know how he found out Karin was in town. I didn’t even tell anyone here. When Dave found me, I didn’t realize I was looking at a shifter, I have a phobia about rats.” Sarah speared her salad and stuffed her mouth as she glanced at Dave. “Sorry, No offense.” Dave gave a shrug and a smile. The look Ray and Rachel exchanged said they’d forgotten to tell Sarah about her sister. Ray removed his hand from her between her legs and gave Rachel a worried glance. “Boss, we’ve got company,” a male voice called from the hallway. Everyone at the table tensed even more than when Sarah had mentioned 64

Wild Cowboy Domination her sister. “It’s a postal truck. Probably nothing,” a young man peeked around the corner to say. Cole jumped up from his seat next to Sarah. “I’ll see what it is.” People went back to eating and visibly relaxed, except for Ray who continued to stare at Sarah. Although only a small demonstration, their reaction to the arrival of something as simple as mail showed Rachel what these poor people went through every day of their lives. They had to be constantly on guard for their survival. Sarah didn’t seem to have an appetite. Since taking her one, large bite, she poked her fork in her salad and didn’t take another one. Rachel smiled at Sarah when she looked up. “I’m not too hungry, either.” “It was kind of you to help me,” Sarah gave a shy and endearing smile. Cole returned with a letter in his hand. “Weird.” He walked the length of the table and handed it to Ray. “It’s from Gardner.” Ray frowned as he took the letter with the tips of his fingers. “It’s too light to be a bomb. What the fuck is Gardner up to now?” He picked up his knife and slit the end of the envelope. When he looked inside, he let loose a stream of curse words. Rachel leaned closer to see, but he moved it away. Ray pushed away his dinner plate and grabbed his empty coffee cup off the saucer and set it where his plate had been. He poured grayish powder out of the envelope onto the saucer. “If it’s Helena’s ashes, I’ll kill the fucker!” Jon, her father, screamed at the top of his lungs. “It’s her isn’t it?” “There’s one way to be certain.” Ray pushed the saucer closer to Rachel. “Give me your finger,” he told her. “Wait!” Jon yelled. “Gardner can’t possible know the ways of the firebird. He’s more than likely scattered Helena’s ashes to the wind.” After Ray spoke, he gave an apologetic glance to Rachel. “I shouldn’t have said that in front of you. I know 65

Brit Blaise you’ve hoped to find her alive.” Why was she just now discovering her own mother was a shifter…a firebird? “What did you mean there’s a way to be certain if the ashes belong to Helena—my mother.” “Helena was powerful. If human, she’d be called a witch. But the firebird clan calls her Alma"One Who Knows All.” Rachel’s father’s voice, strangled with emotion, stopped him from speaking. “She would find a way to contact her daughter, even from the dead.” Rachel slanted a look toward her father to her right at the end of the table. “Firebird? Like a Phoenix? Are you one, too?” Her father nodded. “Like a Phoenix, but not of the Phoenix clan.” Were all the Wayne family firebirds? “But you were never married to my mother.” His golden eyes blazed with frustration and pain. “No.” He stood and walked to stand next to Ray. “Tell her.” “If you touch the ashes, you may have a vision. Perhaps you’ll see what happened to Helena and more than likely it won’t be pleasant.” His eyes were hooded as if he didn’t want to influence her by whatever he was feeling. Rachel’s determination didn’t falter despite his warning. Her courage was like a rock inside her if it meant finding answers about her mother. “I want to know.” Ray pushed the saucer toward her. “Just the tip of your finger.” Rachel reached for the saucer with a shaky hand. As she touched the ash, Ray’s arms surrounded her, lifting her onto his lap. “I love you.” Had he said the words or had the hallucinations begun? A warm wind blew over her and a peaceful calm seeped into her bones. What had they been worried about? In the next instant, flames licked at her, but it didn’t hurt. Only it wasn’t Rachel who burned. It was her mother, and Gardner stood over her with evil in his eyes. The sight of him infuriated Rachel, but waves of euphoria swept over her until she rested her head on 66

Wild Cowboy Domination Ray’s shoulder.

~~~ “Rachel, wake up.” Her heart beat strong against him, so he didn’t worry, but the faces around him showed agitation, all the same. “She’s fine. Helena would do nothing to hurt her, not even in death.” A moment later, she blinked her beautiful green eyes and brought her hand to his whiskered chin. “Did you say you love me?” He tried to maintain his cool when his heart soared with love for her. He hadn’t meant to tell her in front of everyone. “I love you, although I swore I’d never love a human. What did you see?” She glanced over to her father and then to her grandmother and shuddered. “My mother is dead. Gardner killed her. There’s no hope.” Ray stared at the remaining ashes on the plate. He so wanted to give her hope. Helena would’ve already returned if she could. They’d lost hope after the first month and now four years later… “I don’t think so.” “The dishware Gardner is so proud of—is that a representation of my mother? Is that a firebird?” “Yes,” Ray told her. “I thought so. He showed me another in his den emblazoned on an urn on his desk. It looked like a burial urn. Do you think it could be my mother’s ashes?” Ray couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He’d been too interested in making love to her when they could’ve been talking. Maybe they would’ve discovered this sooner. Jon knocked into the table and caused several glasses to topple. In a matter of moments, general chaos ensued as everyone began to talk at once. Ray stood and reached for Rachel, drawing her into his arms. “Don’t say anything yet,” Jon said. “We don’t know if it’s Helena’s ashes for certain. And we don’t know…” Ray understood Jon’s reasoning and why he’d stopped speaking. He 67

Brit Blaise didn’t want Rachel hurt. If there were enough ashes in the urn, why hadn’t Helena already risen from the dead? “Did he say what the urn was made of?” Jon asked Rachel. “He said it was pure silver. Why would that matter?” Ray looked at Jon and shook his head. Helena could melt silver in an instant. There must not be enough ashes remaining for her to rise. “I’m going to Gardner’s anyway.” Jon headed for the door. “We can’t take a chance it’s Helena. Maybe it isn’t silver.” Cade joined him. “I’m going with you.” “All of us can go,” Cole’s face was full of strength and determination. “You’re going back?” Rachel demanded. “You can’t. His house is a fortress. He has alarms and cameras in every room. You’ll be arrested or worse.” Jon stood rigid by Ray’s side. They’d been close friends for a very long time. He knew what he’d do in Jon’s place. “I have to, no arguments.” Jon showed no sign of relenting. Rachel sighed. “Then I’m going with you. Maybe he’ll let me inside again. I left my purse and can use it as an excuse.” This time, Ray didn’t want to hear it. He’d about lost his mind the first time she’d gone to rescue Sarah. “He has to know you helped Sarah escape.” “I’ll call him. What can it hurt? Can I use your phone?” “I don’t think you want my number showing up if you want him to answer. Your phone is still on the bookcase.” “I’ll get it,” one of her uncles said and took off. When he brought it back, Rachel flipped it open. “My…the woman who pretended to be my mother has called five times. She never leaves a message. Maybe I should return her call and see if she’s spoken to Gardner.” Before he could tell her to wait she hit the programmed single digit. “Hello, Mom?” Her eyes started to tear and she shrugged. “You called?” When she gave a thin smile, Ray let go his tension. His beast, however, did not. 68

Wild Cowboy Domination “Fine. I’ve realized the error of my ways, and I’ll call Gardner right now. Thanks for not giving me away.” She gave Jon a raised thumb sign and clicked the phone shut. “Gardner called her. When he questioned if I took her to the emergency room, she confirmed I had. She said she didn’t want to ruin my chances with him, and Gardner is desperate to talk to me.” “I guess Helena didn’t choose so badly after all,” Ray said. He’d wondered why she’d chosen those two to act as Rachel’s parents. “I’m calling Gardner.” She flipped the phone open again and dialed. “May I speak to Gardner, please? This is Rachel.” No one spoke while she waited. “Gardner. I need to see you. Will you be home later this evening?” “See you then.” She flipped the phone shut and sighed. “Is it possible he doesn’t know Sarah is missing?” Everyone looked at Sarah who shrugged. “His housekeeper hates him. Maybe she found a way to keep him from finding out. It isn’t like he visited me every day. I only ever saw the housekeeper.” Ray gave the thumbs up to Sarah and turned back to Rachel. “He’s expecting you soon then?” Rachel gave him her hand. Her face was tight and her complexion pale. She put on a good act, but he believed it worried her to go back to Gardner’s. The wolf in him could smell fear. “I need to change.” Jon shook his head. “I don’t want you to do this. We were lucky once, let’s not push it. We can manage without my daughter thrown into something she can’t handle.” Ray didn’t want her involved either, but if she was anything like Helena, there’d be no stopping her. “It has to be Rachel’s decision.” “I’m going. Give me fifteen minutes to get ready.” She didn’t hesitate, which only made her more attractive. Pride swelled inside Ray as he followed her. They’d made love for hours when they’d come back from Gardner’s, but he needed her. 69

Brit Blaise He needed her. She shrugged out of her cotton gown and he caught her from behind. He hadn’t thought of this when he took her panties earlier, but now he wanted to shout his approval. “On your hands and knees.” She didn’t argue and he didn’t explain his rude urge to take her there and then. This was his beast. She dropped on all fours and looked up at him over her shoulder as he unzipped and pulled his cock from his pants. Her luscious rounded ass made him salivate. He dropped down behind her and nudged her legs further apart and tried to slow the humping beast inside him. He moved close and found her sweet hole. He panted and shook uncontrollably as he thrust inside her. His cock was so filled with juices, he ached. He rode her, fast in and out until his cum rose hard and quick. The walls of her pussy tightened and tugged at his cock. He let go and filled her with his seed.

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Chapter Eight Just as she thought, Rachel had no problem getting back inside Gardner’s house. Not only did he welcome her inside, he brought her into the den, just like before. She moved toward the firebird urn on the edge of Gardner’s desk while he pulled the string on the blinds and looked out the window overlooking his back yard. “I could swear I heard something. Look! Did you see that? It looked like a wolf.” A chill ran down Rachel’s back, but she managed a huff. “You’ve got to be kidding. You’ve been watching too many scary movies. This is Phoenix. It could’ve been a coyote maybe.” He turned away from the window and shut the blinds before he gave her a menacing glare. “I know what I saw. You’re no better than Helena. I should’ve known.” She struggled to maintain a commanding tone. She didn’t want to show any weakness. “Known what? You’re losing it.” Gardner reached for the intercom on his desk, just as Rachel’s hand closed around the top of the silver urn. Gardner watched her, but didn’t seem concerned. She lifted it from his desk and clutched it to her breast. “Time to let the wolves out,” he said when he depressed the button. “Now?” a man’s voice asked. “Immediately. We have company.” “Since when am I company?” Rachel managed a tenuous smile. 71

Brit Blaise “Whore!” The word slapped her. How dare he? She clenched her jaw to kill the retort on her tongue and backed toward the door, but Gardner moved faster than she would’ve believed possible. He grabbed her free arm and twisted it behind her. She wrested away, only to be punched in the face. She saw stars and fought to control her rising panic. Gardner grabbed her arm again. This time his fingers bit into her, and he jerked her off her feet. Somehow she managed to keep hold of the urn as she went face first into the side of a chair. The pain she’d experienced moments before didn’t compare with this. She began to wonder if she’d make it out of his house alive. Gardner grabbed her by the hair at the back of her head and began to drag her across the floor toward his desk. Her scalp popped as it separated from her scull, making her scramble to move with him. The pain cut through her like a knife. He stopped by the bookcase behind his desk and released her. She didn’t know why, but she needed to take advantage of the opportunity. Rachel reached for the whistle on a chain around her neck. She got it to her mouth and began to blow. Gardner didn’t notice as he swept books from the case. One hit her in the forehead making her lose the whistle. As she reached for it a second time, she looked up to see Gardner open the bookcase to expose a steel door. Gardner punched numbers into a keypad on the front of the door, and the metal skated sideways with a hydraulic hiss to reveal a hidden room. It was dark, and she couldn’t see inside; she wanted no part of it. Rachel dug both feet into the floor and tried to scramble away when Gardner seized her hair a second time. This time she didn’t care if he scalped her…no way was she going inside that room with him. She slammed him in the knee with the urn. He let out a howl, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he reached down with his other arm and wrapped it around her throat, both pulling on her hair and choking her at the same time. She 72

Wild Cowboy Domination pummeled his head with the urn, yet somehow he managed to hang on until she became light-headed. “I give,” she whispered hoarsely before she passed out altogether and he released her. Her head cleared as he turned on a light. The room was packed with boxes and shelves with food and supplies. Gardner dragged her inside and shut the door behind them. Rachel didn’t have a clue if Ray would get to her in time. As the door whooshed shut, Gardner kicked her. He landed a blow to her calf and then another to her hip. The pain made her recoil against the wall and curl into a ball. He stood over her as if waiting. Rachel didn’t raise her head or move. Even when he walked away, she didn’t trust he wouldn’t come back and kick her again. “Kill him!” Gardner screamed. Rachel jerked up to see him speaking into a microphone. In the next instant, she understood. There were four monitors on the wall, each with a different view of the house, both outside and in. On one of the monitors, she saw three wolves were locked in a fight to the death. Was one of them Ray?

~~~ Ray didn’t worry about the larger foe. He was a stupid fighter. He went for the meaty part of Ray’s shoulder. But the smaller wolf was wiry and dived for Ray’s throat while Ray fought to sink his fangs into his foe’s gullet instead. Just as Ray bit down and his jaw locked, pain sliced through his leg. He was jerked off his feet. The piercing scream of a firebird rent the air, and in the next instant the sharp teeth of the wolf holding him, let go of his leg. Ray lunged forward just as the smaller wolf came for his throat again. This time Ray seized the smaller wolf by the side of his neck and hung on while his foe fought ferociously to pull away. It wasn’t a death hold, but maybe it would make the enemy expend energy very quickly. Out of the corner of his eye, Ray saw the larger wolf covered with blood. But whose blood? When the wolf shook his head, Ray understood. One of the 73

Brit Blaise firebirds had ripped out his eye. Another scream and feathers beat against Ray’s nose as the firebirds tried to help him. Ray used the moment and plowed his teeth deeper to get the other animal’s jugular. When Ray’s teeth pierced deep into his adversary’s flesh, blood ran hot down his throat, hot and potent, tasting tinny and sweet. One more time Ray released and then gave a fierce snap. His fangs sank into a vein, and blood sprayed Ray’s face. It ran into his eyes almost blinding him. This time the stench of death permeated the air. “He’s finished,” Jon shook his head. Ray released his grip and the wolf fell lifeless at his feet. He looked up to see Jon shifting from a firebird back into human form. Rachel. Ray ran for the house and saw an arcadia door shattered. He’d worry about changing later. Two of the firebirds beat him inside. By the time Jon joined him, Ray had half-changed back into human form. Parker, one of the firebirds looked like he’d taken a blood bath. “Where is she?” Jon demanded. No one spoke and then Jon started to run down a hallway. “Search the house. Everyone hurry!” Ray headed toward Gardner’s den where Rachel had said she’d seen the urn. It would be the first place she’d go. Once inside the room, he saw the books on the floor in front of a steel door and fought to regain control over his beast so he could speak. The bones in his body were like liquid fire as they shifted so slowly. Skin rippled in waves over his fur. His body temperature spiked making him wish for something, anything to cool the burn. When his face finally shifted to normal he opened his mouth. “In here!” Jon, Parker and Cole Wayne ran into the room, followed by Dave who hadn’t shifted from his rat form. “One of you get the housekeeper. I think Gardner has Rachel behind the steel door.” He experienced a sense of hopelessness. He could do many supernatural feats, but he couldn’t walk through steel. Ray examined the keypad while the sound of feet padding over the floor told him someone had 74

Wild Cowboy Domination gone for the housekeeper for all the good it would do. “Can we figure out the code?” Jon asked. Ray’s bones popped and cracked, but he delayed as he put his nose to the keypad. Four of the numbers carried Gardner’s smell. “Three, four, seven and nine. How many combinations would that be?” “Too many if my daughter’s in there with a mad man.” “Here she is,” Parker called. “She says only Gardner knows the combination.” Ray turned to pin the housekeeper with a heated glare. It was the same timid woman who’d served Sarah’s sister on the silver platter. She didn’t blink. She told the truth, she didn’t know the combination. “How the fuck can we get in there?” Cole slammed a chair into a camera on the ceiling, and parts rained down onto the floor. “No sense letting him see how he’s stumped us. At least we’ve narrowed it to four numbers…that’s a hell of a lot better than ten.” “Gardner’s a dead man if he touches her,” Ray growled.

~~~ Rachel wanted to shout with elation as she watched the battle end. Ray hadn’t been killed. However, she kept her face down so Gardner wouldn’t see her reaction. He’d been intent on watching the fight and now paced the small room like a caged animal. “They can’t get in here. There’s no way they can get in here.” It may take them some time, but Rachel didn’t doubt they’d get inside to rescue her. She knew they were outside the steel room. She’d seen them before the monitor went blank. Gardner put the microphone to his mouth. “Get out of here or I’ll kill her, Ray. I mean it. I’ll kill her.” Rachel never knew the true meaning of hate until she looked at the evil man in front of her. “I’m your bargaining chip, Gardner. If you kill me, then you don’t stand a chance in hell of getting out of here alive.” 75

Brit Blaise “Fuck you, whore. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. I wonder what Helena would think of you fucking a man she once fucked?” He lied. Her stomach pitched at the thought. Please let him be lying. “Ray and m—Helena didn’t have that kind of relationship.” “You’re a fool. They fucked liked rabbits. He made sure I saw them just like I saw the two of you. He gets off on sticking his dick in a woman in a public place. He’s a stinking animal in more ways than one.” He made a grotesque humping motion against his fist. “You’re wrong. I love him.” Gardner whipped around, his eyes blazing with anger and he stalked toward her. “You fucked him when you won’t let me touch you, whore?” A scream welled inside her, but Rachel held it and let it build. She gripped the urn and waited, huddled on her side with her back against the wall. When he came close enough, she kicked out and connected with his shin. Instead of stopping him, she only angered him. He dove for her and slammed her head into the wall with his shoulder. For the second time, she nearly lost consciousness. Gardner ripped at her clothes. She fought through the pain and hit him with the urn. She’d aimed for his head, but connected with his shoulder. He knocked the urn from her hand, and it slammed into the wall with a loud thunk. In the next instant, an explosion of fire erupted from where the urn landed. The back of Gardner’s shirt caught fire. He howled and flailed as he tried to snuff the flames. Rachel brought her leg up and leveraged him away from her. Gardner crawled to where there were bottles of water stacked against the wall. He fumbled with a gallon of bottled water and finally succeeded in removing the top before he poured it over his head. Smoke rose, but it wasn’t just coming off Gardner. Rachel glanced back to where the fire started. A shadow of smoke moved away from the wall. It billowed and swirled into the shape of a bird… No. 76

Wild Cowboy Domination It was a woman! With each passing second, the smoke dissipated and she became clearer. Helena! How? Was Rachel hallucinating? “Helena!” Gardner threw himself at her. Helena raised her hand. A bolt of fire flew from her fingertips to slam into Gardner’s chest. It lifted him from his feet and tossed him back against the bottles of water and they crashed around him. “Don’t get up. Next time you’ll die, and I don’t want my daughter to see me kill you. Although I should annihilate you for this, I won’t.” Helena walked to a small wooden chest and opened it. As the remaining smoke dissipated, she brought a blanket out of the chest and wrapped it around her body. A moment later, the air cleared enough to tell Rachel why. Helena had been naked. “I’ll never take life for granted again. And I will be more careful of my associations in the future. The man actually considered us engaged. He was an idiot. The only thing he got right was the metal he used to contain my ashes. I couldn’t melt his damned urn no matter how hard I tried. Now let’s get out of here.” Helena walked to Rachel and reached for her. “Can you walk, my sweet one? My daughter. How desperately I’ve longed to acknowledge you.” The words melted her heart. Rachel nodded and took her mother’s hand. It was hot to the touch, but there was no pain from the intense heat. Instead, a zing traveled from her hand and spread. Every place where she hurt became instantly better. She stood and her mother took her into her arms. The effects magnified. “I can’t believe my own daughter helped raise me from the dead. I’ve never been more proud! Now let’s get moving. I could never sit still two minutes. Can you imagine what four years in an urn did to me?” Helena threw her arm in the air and did a graceful pirouette. “I need to fly.” Helena started toward the door with her arm around Rachel and then paused to look at her with eyes so eerily like Rachel’s. It took her breath away. 77

Brit Blaise How had she missed this? “I’m not scaring you, am I? I thought because you were here you must know about me.” “And about Ray.” “Ray?” Helena raised a delicate brow. “If you know about Ray’s wolf, then it must be serious between the two of you.” Rachel’s face warmed. “Very serious.” Helena sighed. “I tried to protect you from all of this nonsense. I wanted you to have a normal life for as long a possible before—” When her mother stopped speaking and looked away a cold chill ran along Rachel’s spine. What did the future hold for her that worried her mother? But soulful revelations could wait until later…she needed Ray’s arms around her. Helena showed Rachel the switch to release the door, not that Rachel needed to know. She’d never set foot on Gardner’s property again. “What about Gardner? What if he says something to the authorities? What would happen to the sanctuary if he talked?” Rachel looked over toward his motionless form twisted against the water bottles. “They would lock him up and throw away the key. Would you believe a woman could rise from ashes? Or any of the other mysteries you’ve seen firsthand? Don’t worry about Gardner. Besides, in a way he did me a favor. I’ve discovered I have powers beyond my wildest dreams. And I have a very vivid imagination.” Helena paused, her hand on the switch. “Now if I’m not mistaken, we both have gorgeous men waiting on us.”

~~~ Two weeks later Ray bobbed his head up from between her thighs to look at her with an arched brow and a devilish grin. “Feeling smug, are you?” Rachel wanted to say more, but it took such 78

Wild Cowboy Domination effort to talk…to move. “I haven’t finished. I could lick your sweet cunt all day if you’d let me.” Rachel smiled and tamped down the temptation to grin like the love-sick woman she was. He was already so cock-sure of himself, he didn’t need encouragement. “I might be persuaded. But today’s our wedding day. How would it look if the bride and groom were late?” He grinned. “Don’t worry. I’m more anxious for this wedding than you. I can’t wait to start the honeymoon.” He waggled his dark brows and gave her pussy a noogie. “I’m serious.” She giggled. “No, this is serious.” He pushed up onto his knees and took his cock into his hand and lifted. “I can’t go to my wedding with blue balls. The bride is supposed to wear something blue, not the groom.” “Why didn’t you say something? Silly man.” She spread her legs wider and reached out for him. She touched her fingers lightly to his balls and found them tight and hot. He pushed her hand aside and lunged forward. He caught himself with his arms before pinning her hips with his weight. A second later he grabbed the sheet to wipe his face. Thank goodness. She’d grown accustomed to the taste of her own pussy on his lips, but this time she had to be all over his face given how long as he’d been down there. Ray kissed her and eased his cock inside her at the same time. He moaned, long and loud. She didn’t think it possible but a familiar sensation thrummed through her well-sated body. Would she ever tire of this…of this wonderful man? No way! “I’m going to need at least an hour. Can you give me that?” She smiled. “I’ll give you my entire life.” “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. Your entire life could be a really, really long time with mystical firebirds as parents.” 79

Brit Blaise Helena had already been giving Rachel hints…testing the waters so to speak. “Then you’ll need to keep me very busy to pass the time.” “Like this?” He began to pump into her faster. Bliss filled her with each thrust. The thrum changed to a keening tightness, so perfect it brought tears of joy to her eyes, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Exactly like this…forever.”

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