Southern Shifters: Scents and Scentability (Kindle Worlds Novella) (5 page)

She laughed. The throaty sound thrilled him.
Yes, so they are. You’re beautiful, did you know that?

If he could shrug, he would have, but the cat liked the admiration. Rising he brought his face closer to hers then rubbed his cheek along hers gently. The move earned another laugh from her.

Your whiskers tickle.

His scent sat just above hers, the contact letting him mark her ever so lightly. She withdrew her hands a moment then pulled her hair back before settling into the pillows. The bare column of her throat drew him.

As did the mark just above her collarbone.

His
mark.

She was marked for him.

The shock of it stole through his system. She wasn’t a leopard. Not even a shifter. How could it be?

It’s a birthmark.
She’d noticed where his attention strayed. It was far more than she knew, but he took care to disguise the direction of his thoughts.
I’ve always had it. I used to make up stories about it, but they were too fanciful and my parents wanted me to concentrate on what I excelled in.

Yes, perhaps they should start there. The mating mark beckoned to him, but he and the cat were close. Settling in, he cuddled her half on her lap and half on the bed. She didn’t seem to mind his weight and they liked blanketing her. With his fur and additional heat, she would not be cold.

What did you excel in?

Silence, then,
Do you really wish to know?

Yes. Everything.
No hesitation.

Stroking a hand down his back, she sighed.
I’ve always had two talents—telepathy and chemistry.

R
evealing
personal facts about her people was forbidden and punishable by death. Telling outsiders about them, about their weaknesses, could lead to harming her clan. Yet, Darcy didn’t want to fall back on the old restrictions. He’d asked about her and she wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him everything.
I’m an extraordinary telepath.

A grin lit his mental voice.
And humble, too.

Fighting her own smile at the tease, she lifted her shoulders.
I’ve always tested in the upper ranges. In fact, they’ve never been able to find a limit to my range.

What does that mean?
The whole focus of his attention blanketed her as much as his body did. The cat was exquisite. Over five feet in length, but as powerfully muscled as he was and soft. So damn soft. She couldn’t help herself, she continued to stroke his fur and he didn’t seem to mind at all. Whenever she stopped, he butted her hand in silent demand.

It means I have to actively block the minds of others. We’re all telepathic to some extent.

Yes. Some more than others.
His agreement helped.

According to the tests, I cannot be blocked. If I want to invade the mind of another, I can delve past their shields and take what I need. I can also reach at least halfway across the continent to communicate.

The cat’s purring quieted.
With anyone?

I’ve never tried with a stranger. My instructors had me reach out to them. It may be that I need to know the mind. It is not something I’ve ever felt the need to attempt. I actually prefer to keep other minds out.

Too many times when she exposed herself to large crowds or found herself in the vicinity of too many human minds, their thoughts overwhelmed her. A person could have thousands of thoughts in a day, dozens tumbling over each other, half-formed or never finished from lists of materials to trying to remember test materials to considering how to tempt a prospective lover—and those thoughts all existed in the same space.

I cannot imagine what that must be like.
She heard both raw honesty and a hint of sympathy. The red haze coating his thoughts earlier seemed absent, or at least held at bay by a cool intellect wrapping around her mind. She could feel his cat, or maybe it was simply another fanciful flight of her imagination, but the cat seemed as settled against her mind as he was her body.

Both offered her a strange sort of comfort.
You were right.

I usually am, but what was I correct about this time?
The smugness and utter lack of humility amused her, and she laughed. Bennett lifted his head from her lap and tilted his face as he studied her. The noble cant captivated her. She hadn’t lied when she’d said she always wanted a pet, but he was no domesticated beast designed to soothe her. He was a powerful predator, yet she’d never felt safer. The flick of his ears in her direction bespoke of his attention, and the rumble of his purr continued to erase the upset caused by his stray thought earlier.

Perhaps it had only been a stray thought.
That it would be easier to get to know each other if you were in this form.

Yes, it keeps my hands to myself and lets you touch me. Win-win.
Wry humor colored his words.
It does not however diminish my desire to taste you.

A shiver raced along her spine at the declaration.
When you thought earlier about simply fucking me and getting it out of your system, did you mean it?

Felines couldn’t frown, yet the glow of his eyes seemed to diminish a fraction.
Yes—and no.

Well, at least the answer he offered was honest if vague. Biting her lip, she drew a finger down the center of his face to his nose. He nuzzled her hand and his lips peeled back to reveal powerful jaws. With one swipe he could end her. With one bite he could tear out her throat.

I will never hurt you.
The declaration resonated.
Don’t be afraid of me, Darcy.

He’d never said her name before, but he wound so much emotion and power into the two syllables, she shuddered.
I know.
She did.
You’re magnificent.

You may compliment me all you wish, simply don’t be afraid. Now let us return to your earlier question.
Command threaded through his every word.
I do want you. I want you in a way I shouldn’t—

Because it’s forbidden.

Yes.

Her Clan would execute her. His could banish him

They won’t touch you.
His purring ceased, and his growl vibrated over her. Wrapping her arms around him, she buried her face against his fur. It put his mouth close to her throat, but she trusted him. The realization settled into her bones.
Trust.
She held it for this great cat in her lap.

Coupling outside of the Clan is forbidden. They banished a Guardian over it. I have no doubt they would banish me.

Then we…

And I don’t care.

Shock collided with shock, and she drew away so she could see his face again. The cat licked her cheek, the rasp of his tongue both rough and oddly soothing in the same time. She laughed.
I cannot be the reason you are banished.

You misunderstand me, Darcy.
Again her name sent a quiver to tauten within her belly and languid heat to her core.
I don’t care if they banish me. The Clan gave me a home when I lost mine, but I do not need the Clan. I do not live for the Clan. If they want to send me away because I—of any pleasure we find with each other, I will survive.

I’m not sure I would.
If they were being honest, she felt the need to add,
I’m a chemist, not a predator. I make perfumes.

Is that why you’re in the mountains?
Suddenly they moved into treacherous territory. An odd consideration, since she’d admitted to wanting to break the law by having sex with him. Lots of sex.

His purr replaced his growl, and he rasped his tongue against her throat this time.
Think of anything except my body slamming into yours, or I will shift and the conversation ends.

Is that a promise or a threat?
Was she really playing with fire?

Both.

Another laugh erupted from her, and she snuggled down into the pillows and patted her chest. He accepted the invitation and pillowed his head on her breasts over her heart.
I want to know your story first, so I will try not to think too hard about how much I liked your kiss.

A rumble of response.
You smell delicious.

She giggled.
Do I smell like catnip?

Only for me.
Then quieter, and more forcefully, he added,
Only ever for me.

Not a hard demand to answer.
I’ve never felt about anyone as I do you.

Good.
Approval wreathed the word.
Tell me about your chemistry. It has to be boring and will distract me.

Without thinking, she thumped his shoulder.
Don’t call my work boring.
Then smoothing her hand over the spot she’d hit, she stroked his fur.
I love understanding why things smell the way they do. Roses. Saltwater. Rain. Grass. Even snow. They all have very distinctive scents and most of us don’t pay attention, but I always did. I wanted to capture those scents, bottle them, and see if I could make them work on skin.

His eyes slitted half-closed, but she felt his attention, his mind wholly focused upon her.

In school, I avoided excelling in information gathering or telepathic scans, even with my reach. I fumbled them, so they would think I lacked something in that department.

Clever.
The ring of pride in his tone surprised her.

You don’t even know what would have happened if I hadn’t avoided excelling in those areas, even with my range.

I don’t have to. You didn’t want it to happen.

Well, true.
She grunted and he shifted his weight so he rested his head on her shoulder, his whole body extended along her side. The warmth of him chased away even a hint of chill. So much so, she considered removing her socks.

Go ahead and remove them. Show off your sexy pink-painted toes.

Another giggle escaped her.
You make me feel beautiful.

Good. Stop distracting me. Tell me about your chemistry.

She didn’t want to talk about her experiments, because it would lead back to her assignment. Deep in her soul, she knew she’d never experiment on Bennett. She’d made the decision the first day, and simply hadn’t acknowledged it.
So, I like scents and when we had a chemistry class, I discovered how you make them. You know, if you’re not nature.

A snort of laughter in his mental voice, but the cat only purred.
I understand.

I have a bit of a talent with it. I could smell something outside then recreate it chemically. It took time, it was never instantaneous, but I designed a perfume one which was subtle and pleasant but not overpowering—only it had a side effect.

Which was?
he prodded

Sucking on her lower lip, she battled indecision.
Shifters really liked it. It wasn’t a stench so strong it hurt your noses and, with your keen sense of smell, most perfumes are too strong.

The cat raised his head.
Allure. You designed it?

A blush scalded her cheeks. He’d heard of her work.
Yes. The Council was extremely excited about my work. They hired it out to a company to produce it, and used the profits to build me my own lab. I liked the idea of enhancing a person’s scent, not covering it up…

The cat’s eyes actually widened.
Uninhibited…is yours too?

She didn’t know what to do with his knowledge, so she simply nodded.
It works with a person’s chemistry, adds a touch of vanilla and sweetness to their own scent, but doesn’t overpower.

It’s decadent, and very much favored by a number of the she-cats I know.

Pride crashed right into jealousy.
Oh, really?

Sheathe your claws, sweetheart. I said they favored the scent, not that I favored them.

Hmmm.

He nuzzled her throat, and his whiskers tickled her. Despite trying to resist, she couldn’t contain the laughter from escaping.
Better. No other women matter. Do you understand?

No.

Head raised, he fixed his gaze on her, and she suddenly couldn’t breathe from the weight of his personality settling over her.
Only
you
matter. Do not ever fear my mentioning another, just as I have no worry about your previous lovers or any other males.
The growl in his mental voice said otherwise.

Are you sure about that?

Yes…because I can rip
their
throats out.

The threat of violence shouldn’t have increased her desire, but it did and she caught his face in her hands. Fierce and powerful, he didn’t resist her capture.
Then know I can make poisons that smell as sweet as cookies, and they’d never even know who took them out.

Another rumble and the cat dipped his head until his forehead rested against her jaw.
Then neither of us have anything to fear. We are all that matters.

Treason. Insanity. Dangerous. She didn’t care.

Just us
, she agreed.
Only us.

I want to shift. I want to be me in this bed with you.

She wanted that, too.
But I need to tell you one more thing before we cross any lines we cannot uncross.

Nothing you can say will change my mind, Darcy.

Bennett.
His name did the trick. He raised his head once more.
I’m here because I’ve discovered three new powerful scents—one which attracts, one which repels, and one which erases a scent entirely.

No response, though she could almost sense his thoughts behind the curtain separating them. She refused to intrude.
They wanted you to test them on me.
Not a question.

Yes.
Releasing a shuddering breath, she went still as he rose, his paws braced on either side of her. She was utterly vulnerable to him, if he struck, she had no defense, yet it wasn’t fear she drowned in.

Did you?

Moistening her lips, she zeroed in on his gaze. “I would never. I kept avoiding doing it. I didn’t want to treat you like some laboratory animal. Even when you weren’t around, and even before I got to know you, I didn’t want to.”

The world above her shimmered and his body changed. The fur slid away and the man gazed at her. “I believe you.”

Then his mouth crashed down on hers.