The Shifter Special

Quinton lived for his instincts, and right now, his instincts were pointing him towards Ledia. He had spotted the dark beauty as she left her house, her footsteps quick as she jumped in that beater of a car. There she was, completely unaware of the ways she had called out to his animal heart. From his position crouched in the bushes along the alley, he took in the sight. Loose jeans that no doubt hid slender legs, the green tank top with her breasts outlined--in her haste, she'd skipped a bra. All the better for him. He could all but taste her honey-brown skin through the clothing. The beast within had chosen.

Ledia grit her teeth and got out of the car, slamming the door. Fine time for it to break down. At least she'd managed to get it off to the side so it wouldn't block the way for other vehicles as it took its last breath. Her home just a few houses down, she made the rest of the short trek on foot. The sun had set, so she decided to call a tow truck in the morning. She expected a nice bill for the expense. What she did not expect was to see a wild lion casually walk into her path.

Fear knotted her gut. Ledia froze to the spot. She glanced around for someone, anyone, who might be able to help her. Someone who could at least distract this huge beast, or at least shoo it away while she ran the rest of the way home. Nobody was within sight, the neighborhood eerily quiet. She was on her own. She tried to keep her breathing steady.

A low growl cut into her thoughts. The menacing, deadly rumble seemed to vibrate the ground, as if she could feel tiny quakes through her feet. It felt... she wasn't sure..Yes there was fear, but something else. Stomach muscles tightened, she took a hesitant step back. Run! Her mind commanded.

But Ledia couldn't run. The beast would catch her and rip her to shreds in seconds, an apex pradator built to do exactly that. Sharp teeth set in a powerful jaw, eyes that saw everything, that feline grace apparent in every line of its body. The dim lighting of the streetlamps did nothing to diminish the impact of its presence. In fact, it just casts everything in shadows.

"Go away." It came out as a bare whisper.

He simply stared at her.

Ledia again tried to shove down the rising panic, knowing it was likely feeding the animal's instinct to hunt. Taking a deep breath, she paused. Maybe it wasn't going to hurt her. Could this be one of the elusive changelings? If so, why wasn't it shifting into a human, why torment her like this?

Her foot bumped something on the sidewalk--a stick, and not a very big one. She considered her options, only one coming up. The animal would only get angry if she hit it. If you won't move, I'll have to make you move.

Not taking her gaze off him, Ledia slowly bent to pick it up. The big cat snapped its teeth, anticipating what she planned to do. Her hands shook, almost dropping it. Again, she tried to wave it away, and again, it refused to leave. "Who are you?" If this wasn't a changeling...

Desperation had her by the throat, she took one last look up the street. Her back yard stood at the end of a cul-de-sac, a beacon of safety. Chucking the stick as hard as she could, she darted a wide berth around the beast and bolted.

A roar erupted behind her, and she hoped the stick was enough to keep it busy, knowing it wasn't. If she could just get far enough away... Her yard got closer and closer just as she heard that angry growl again fill the air close behind her.

Legs pumping, Ledia's heart pounded in her throat when she took a glance over her shoulder, only to see it mere feet away, gaining on her. It wasn't even running, just trotting as if in no big hurry. As a last ditch effort, she headed towards the tree in the middle of her yard.

Not wanting to look behind herself again, she scrambled up the trunk, not knowing or caring where her limbs landed--she just wanted away from the lion. She cursed. This wasn't a very big tree. Panting, she turned just in time to see it raise itself up on its hind legs and place its front paws on the same branch her hands gripped. He was massive up close.

Without warning, light infused the large feline, engulfing it in almost blinding rays. Its body shifted. Now in its place stood a naked man.

"You almost took out my eye."

The words were low, delivered in a timber that she felt in her chest. And, judging by his thunderous expression--she had aimed the stick in the general direction of his head--it was probably true. His fault, for not shifting sooner, but now that he was a man, she could do little else except gape at him. What little lighting from the moon overhead showed her a solid jaw, a hint of stubble. She stood next to him, adrenaline fading. Her eyes traveled the length of him, heat stirring low in her own body. The heat spiked when she spied the semi-hardness of his erection.

Breathing out, Ledia turned her back on the human feline and strode towards the back door.

He met her there, his eyes went to her hand and his face relaxed into concern. "Come on, you're hurt."

In a corner of her mind, she wondered if any neighbors were witnessing the scene. Where was her brain? She should protest or something.

Ledia blinked up at the imposing figure with his hands on his hips. Power radiated from him. That was something that had always made her uncomfortable, knowing that any one of them could easily overpower her. Like now. What did he say? Something about her being hurt? Glancing at her wrist, she noticed the red scratch she barely felt. A big hand gently grasped her forearm, lifting it to get a better look. "It's not bad, but still needs to be cleaned just in case."

A rebuttal was stuck in her throat, but Ledia relented. Unlocking the door, she headed straight to the bathroom without stopping, tossing off her jacket and shoes. No way was he going to follow her. No way was he even there in the first place. It was all a dream, a hallucination, she told herself. Because she wasn't this mute in real life. Flicking on the light, she wet a washcloth and dabbed at the small injury. She frowned. Now that she could properly see it, it wasn't that bad at all. Wasn't even bleeding, so why had he looked so--

The cloth was pulled out of her hand. "I'll do that."

Wow, Ledia thought. His physique was devastating in the light. Easily half a foot taller than her. Broad chest. Hard, capable hands. Built solidly, he had the look of a fighter. Most changelings Ledia had met were lower on the food chain, without the ability to shift but retaining all the characteristics of the animal. Only the strongest (some called them the purest) changelings could shift fully into the animal that was their other half.

It took a moment for her to notice he'd tossed away the rag and was staring down at her. Pure heat in his gaze, hot and hungry... predatory. She blinked, swallowing past a dry throat. She decided then and there that she was not going to let fear stop whatever this was. One of his hands held hers while the other stroked up her arm.

Awareness passed between them, electrical and potent. Warmth spread downward to pulse between her legs. There was a rawness to the sensations, purely instinctual. She knew nothing about this man, other than he'd previously been a lion, but it no longer mattered. Here he was nude and giving her a look that said he knew exactly where this night was headed.

He moved until his chest pressed against her, pushing her against the sink. The corner of his mouth lifted into a grin, nostrils flared. "When was the last time you were taken?" he asked in a sensually low voice that felt almost like a stroke.

The hand on her arm slid under the tank top to cup the underside of her breast. Her body jerked, an involuntary gasp. That bold hand squeezed, then he was molding it ever so slowly, never breaking the searing eye contact. The nipple hardened, and she looked down to see that instead of touching it directly, he made it rub against the fabric. The sight of his hand moving under her shirt made tingling warmth traveled down her torso to mingle with the growing ache between her legs. He'd cornered her in her own bathroom, now seducing her one slow movement at a time.

"Touch me," he murmured. So she did, both palms landing on the skin of his broad shoulders. Breathing deeply, sliding her palms down the muscles of his chest. She moaned deep in her throat, as if she were the one being stroked like this. He felt so good in her hands, his rumbling pleasurable against her fingers.

Just then he lifted her by the waist to take her mouth in a scorching kiss. A jolt of something almost magnetic went through her as their lips touched. They were full, hard, licked and nipped at hers for long moments. Her roaming hands slid up to run fingers through his thick hair. He leaned to whisper in her ear, "Don't think, just feel."

Hot breath on her ear sent sensation down her neck. "What's your name," she blurted.

"Quinton," he mumbled, kissing her neck, licking at her pulse like the cat he was. She shivered at the feel of his lips on her skin. The erection she could feel was hard, heavy. Her hands clasped his skin, hot under her touch as if he burned with a fever. "Mmm," she moaned again. It was too much.

He carried her to her room, after she told him where to find it, and laid her down on the bed. The only light came from a lamp on the bedside table. Her arousal grew when he knelt between her bent legs and pulled off all her clothing, beginning with the jeans. Each slide of the material was its own new seduction. Her entire body flushed as his gaze traveled all over her now bare skin, caressing her without touching. His power was thick in the air, so strong it felt like a physical entity between them. Changelings were their own force of nature.

Another growl--deeper--made liquid heat rush between of her thighs. His nostrils flared a few more times, smelling her desire. Then he moved to trap her lower body with thick legs, while gripping both hands above her head. He gave a distinctly animal look in his golden brown cat-like eyes. The hold was firm though it didn't hurt. She writhed in anticipation of what was coming.

Ledia's heartbeat slammed against her ribcage when his head bent to suck a nipple into his mouth. She jerked and cried out. A hot brand on her sensitized skin. He sucked hard, scraping with teeth, while his other hand slid down to massage her other breast. Her eyes squeezed shut, reveling in the pleasure of his licking tongue, the suction of his mouth.

The man-lion barely paused to switch to her other breast. His mouth pulled greedily on her, his tongue rolling her hardened nipples. Delivering occasional licks and kisses to her upper chest. She wimpered, lost to him, lost to her body's reactions. Her vocal cords could do nothing except encourage him with gasps and hard sighs.

Slowing, he took one last suck of her nipple as it slid out of his mouth. Moving with the quickness built into his genes, he slid down her body and spread her legs wider before she could draw in a breath. Then he pressed his mouth against the place where it ached the most.

Ledia raised herself up on her elbows. Seeing him devouring the most intimate part of her nearly sent her into a trance. Already, her slick folds spasmed as his mouth worked its own magic. Her vision blurred as the tears spilled over, she could no more stop the moans coming from her than she could stop her body writhing. The orgasm ripped through her seconds later, clenching her muscles.

He didn't give her time to recover before rising up to position himself between her still shaky legs to slide inside her. Ledia screamed, eyes wide. A satisfied, primal grin from the man who knew what he had done. Ledia had never answered his question of how long it had been since a man was inside her. Too damn long. Digging her head into the pillow, she arched her back and rode the wave.

The movement of his hips against her were slow but no less firm. One arm held her around the waist, pressing her flush to him while his other hand gripped her hair. He bit the side of her neck, the pressure of his teeth borderline painful. Vibrations against her chest when he growled in between guttural moans. Her hands gripped the slick muscles of his back. He jerked more, slamming a few more times inside her before his own orgasm tore a shout from him.

***

Ledia lay on her side, half-dozing and still breathless. Her body hummed, still tingled in places where he'd either bit or suckled. Not a single complaint, because this stranger made her completely boneless.

Quinton lay spooned behind her, his chest to her back. One hand lay on her hip, thumb stroking her skin. "I'm sorry."

Ledia was about to ask when he continued, "I went to fast." A kiss on her shoulder before he left her side. "Too much in a hurry."

He can't be serious. She could barely move. Strong hands grabbed each ankle, and she was being pulled to the foot of the bed. A yelp escaped her throat when he flipped her over with a skill that screamed experience. Balanced on her hips, her feet touched the floor. She turned her head to the side. He moved to stand between her legs in a wide stance, opening her to him. Hands ran up her sweat-slicked back, down to her ass where he molded and fondled. Then back up again in a massage straight from her dreams.

Ledia folded her arms under her head and relaxed into the unexpected but very welcome caresses, moaning at each pass. Already she could feel her body readying itself again. He paused to play with her clit, circling it with a finger before rubbing at her opening. Just when she thought she would come again, he gripped her hips and she felt the tip of his erection ease into her.

Quinton felt primal satisfaction at Ledia's groan as he moved slowly, inch by inch, all the way then back again. He kept that languorous pace, enjoying the view of the slope of her back, her ass that his hands were already addicted to. He paused as he felt her muscles clench and quiver. He was close to coming again himself, but he held it, bringing her another orgasm that had her whimpering breathless curses at him. He chuckled deep in his throat, watched as she clutched at the sheets. One more torturously slow thrust in her body. Another. Then another. This time the orgasm was longer, deeper, and he had the pleasure seeing her back arch from this angle, gripping him tightly.

***

Dawn crept its way through the blinds on the window on the far side of the room. Ledia stirred. She would have wondered if last night had been a dream but for the awareness of a male body sleeping next to her. As carefully as she could, she shifted her body until she could take in the sight. Next time, she would pounce on him.