Claimed by the Beast(24)

He smiled and rubbed her low back. "It's just you and me Rachel."

She turned her face back into the pillow with a small nod, closing her eyes, wanting to hide.

"Good girl, Rachel," he said, "stay just as you are, keep your bottom soft, and count them for me."

He wanted her to count? "Ow!" she called out when he struck. He caressed for a moment then struck again on the same cheek.

"Count. Out loud," he said.

"Two," she managed, her voice panicked. It was then she realized the  hardness her belly was pressed against wasn't his thighs. He was  enjoying this! He was turned on by it! "Three, four, five," she  continued, each time exhaling a breath, a grunt. She closed her eyes  when he paused, anticipating each spank, counting each one. The ones at  the crease between her bottom and her thighs were the worst, and she was  grateful every time one of the thirty was over.

"Unclench for me," he said. "Stay soft."

She hadn't realized she had tightened her muscles and glanced back over  her shoulder for a moment, watching his face as he waited, his eyes on  his mark, his hand rubbing a slow circle. Fifteen to go, she could do  this. She turned her face back into the cushion and softened.

"Good girl, punishment is almost over," he said. The last fifteen came  hard and fast and he seemed to focus on the area that hurt the most.

Once she called out the last number, she exhaled, her body going limp.  He released her wrists and she took them to her face while he caressed  her bottom. After a few moments, he lifted her to sit on his lap but she  couldn't look at him. Instead, she buried her face in his shoulder.

"It's over," he said. "First spanking is over."

She clung to him, trying to make herself smaller as he wrapped one arm around her.

"You're okay, Rachel," he said. "It's okay."

She pushed her face deeper into him as tears came. It seemed as though  she couldn't stop crying and no matter how much she tried, she couldn't  get close enough to him.                       
       
           



       

After a while, he forced her face up with both hands. Wiping her tears  with his thumbs, he kissed her hard, his eyes still open looking into  hers, while he rose to his feet, lifting her with him. She kissed him  back and he laid her down, still kissing her while undoing his jeans.  When he'd freed his cock, he tried to push her legs apart but her jeans  were still around her ankles. He let out a groan of frustration when she  reached for him, wanting him. He flipped her onto her belly and lifted  her by her hips so she knelt at the edge of the bed. He then pulled her  bottom cheeks apart and in the next instant, thrust his cock deep inside  her pussy. He fucked her hard, harder than he had last night. Reaching a  hand to take her clit in one hand, he held her tight with the other.  The heat of her spanked bottom coupled with the heat of her wet pussy.  His fingers roughly rubbed her clit, stretched it while their combined  moans filled the room and her pussy clenched around his throbbing cock  as he pumped his seed into her.





Chapter Fifteen





"Who, or perhaps the better question is what do you think could have done this, Professor?" Lawler asked.

Lance ignored him, knowing what he referred to with his statement,  sensing the danger just behind the other man's words. He surveyed the  damage to the basement door as if inspecting it for the first time, then  tried to keep from tearing down the stairs to his lab. Lawler followed  him down, a few paces behind until his phone rang.

"Sir," Lawler answered, turning to go back up the stairs but not before Lance caught the expression on his face.

Lance figured it must be Dennison on the other end of the phone but  needed to take advantage of the time alone in his lab, which looked in  no better condition than the rest of his house. Shattered glass covered  most of the countertop as well as the floor. The refrigerator door was  open and if there had been anything that he had not destroyed during his  fit as the creature, it was gone now. Long gone, mostly likely on its  way to Dennison's labs.

"Shit," he said, scanning the space. He went to his desk to find the  drawers emptied, all of his notes gone, only his computer's monitor  remaining where it was, cords dangling from it, connected to nothing.

"It's a real mess here," Lawler said, his drawl exaggerated, even more annoying now.

Lance fisted his hands and took a deep breath before turning to face him. "Where is my computer?" he asked.

"Oh, that you don't have to worry about. It's on its way to our labs in  Philadelphia. You'll have access to it there. There were a few vials,  the only things left in the refrigerator. We have those safely heading  to Wayne Labs as well. In fact, that was Dr. Dennison on the phone," he  said, walking over to where the mattress lay on the ground, the coffee  stain on it, the little bit of red, the blood that remained. He thought  for a moment of the girl. Rachel. He hoped he hadn't hurt her. Guilt  made him turn away when Lawler picked up the handcuffs.

"What were you up to down here, Professor?" he asked, smiling a crooked smile and winking as if they were old friends.

"The samples needed to remain refrigerated," he said, ignoring the man who dropped the cuffs back onto the mattress.

"We've taken care of everything, Professor. No need to worry. Would you  like to pack a few things to take with you? I realize you were not  planning on traveling for a while to our labs, but given the condition  of things here, I'm not sure you have a choice anymore."

He had one vial of serum at the university. He remembered that. It had  been one he had left behind some weeks back. He hadn't been sure if it  was a good idea at the time. Now he was glad for it.

"I've got my work at the university to consider, Mr. Lawler. I told Dr.  Dennison it wouldn't be possible for me to travel for a few weeks.  Although I appreciate you taking care of my things," he began through  clenched teeth. They'd stolen from him but given the circumstances, best  to play along. "I'll have to ask you to return them to me until I'm  able to travel."

"I'm sorry, Professor," Lawler said, any hint of a smile, as fake as it  had been, gone from his face. "But I'm afraid that won't be possible. I  think we should get going. I'll have one of my men pack a bag for you  and follow along, but your work, Professor, it's important. You won't  need that university job when this drug goes on the market. In fact,  you'll likely be sitting pretty in the Bahamas in a few months' time,  all your efforts having paid off, the knowledge of how many lives you're  saving keeping you company." He smiled again, just a small movement of  the mouth, something that didn't change the overall expression of his  face. "Ready to go? Dr. Dennison has invited you to stay at his home.  You're a lucky man," he carried on, gesturing to the stairs.                       
       
           



       

Lance walked toward them, spying the man waiting upstairs for him.

"He's got a swimming pool there, some good looking women working for  him, if you know what I mean," he said, winking again. It turned Lance's  stomach. "Anything you can think of will be delivered to you. Anything  you want."

Which translated meant he would be a prisoner in the house while working  to perfect the drug. Which also meant he would likely be under  surveillance 24/7. He walked slowly up the stairs, knowing he had no  choice. If he could call the beast forth, he would do it now and kill  Lawler with his bare hands. But how many others would have to die in the  meantime?

"I'll just grab my phone and my wallet," he said.

"Certainly," Lawler said, turning away to say something into his mouthpiece which all of the men wore.

Lance slipped his cell phone and wallet into his pocket.

"A few of our men will get this place cleaned up for you so your house will be ready for your return."

As soon as he said it, some part of Lance knew he wouldn't be returning here ever again.

"Thank you," he managed as a wave of pain momentarily blocked his  vision. It was gone as quickly as it came so he didn't think Lawler had  noticed, and this was a different pain than would come when he shifted.  This was the first layer, it would be hours-or at least that had been  the pattern in the past-before the more severe pain would come and he  would shift into the creature. He wondered where he would be when that  happened.



* * *



"He's in trouble," Rachel said, suddenly awake.

Marcus glanced at her. She looked over at him, realizing she had fallen  asleep while they had been driving. They'd left the hotel early and with  ten hours to go until they reached his house, Marcus had insisted on  driving through the day. He had only stopped to pick up lunch at a fast  food restaurant and wouldn't let her behind the wheel no matter how much  she insisted.