Merinus hadn’t come to this place unprepared. Her father had made certain she knew everything
involving Maria Morales’ death and the evidence they had against the Council.
“And they succeeded. But it wasn’t the Council.” He stared down at her, his eyes hard, furious. “I know
their scent, I know the stench of their evil. As cloying and cold as the scent of your arousal is sweet and
hot.”
Merinus opened her mouth to argue until the last words penetrated her brain. She felt her face flush, her
heart rate increase. She stared at him in surprise. How had he known?
“Explain to me why a young, innocent woman is standing here before me, her cunt wet and prepared for
an animal? And I am an animal, sugar, unlike any you will ever know.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Merinus trembled beneath Callan’s regard. His amber eyes almost glowed, his voice lowered, husky. A
quick, very brief glance below his hips showed a bulge that made her more than nervous. Evidently, she
wasn’t the only one afflicted. And an affliction more than described it. She felt fevered, her skin sensitive,
ready for his touch. It was unlike anything she had ever known. It was unlike anything she ever wanted to
know.
“I don’t know.” She heard the nervousness in her voice, the confusion. The longer she stayed in his
presence, the worse the temptation to touch him was growing.
She stared at his chest, no longer able to stare into his eyes. Those amber depths drew her in, made her
want, made her need things she wasn’t certain she should want.
She flinched when his fingers gripped her chin, uncertain, almost frightened now. Had he not been aware
of the desires flaring in her body, she could have handled this. Could have handled the direct look from
his eyes, the caress of his fingers against her chin. She ran her tongue nervously over her dry lips, aware
of the sudden fullness in them, the ache, the throb just beneath the skin.
His eyes narrowed. His thumb reached out, running experimentally over the soft curve, picking up the
moisture from her mouth. Her chest tightened as she tried to breathe normally. She couldn’t seem to
draw in enough air to fill her lungs sufficiently. She felt the need to fight for breath, to release the moan
she held there.
“You’re dangerous.” There was that growl again, rumbling just beneath the surface of his words.
“Whatever this is, Merinus, could mean our lives.”
“Anomaly.” She bit her lip. She had no answers for this.
A mocking curve of his lips showed his disagreement.
“There is no such thing as an anomaly when dealing with one such as I,” he assured her. “I’m instinct,
Merinus. An animal barely disguised. Any response is one to fear.”
“Not an animal.” She shook her head, seeing the bitterness in his eyes.
She drew away from his touch quickly. He made her body weak, pliant. She needed all her wits about
her now.
“What would you call it then?” There was a thread of anger running through his voice. “If I did as you
asked, and by some miracle of God did not end up dead, then I would be known as America’s Freak.
More experiments, more tests. At least this way, I’m free. As long as I can run faster than their soldiers
and hide better than their trackers, then I can survive.”
“And is survival enough?” she asked him, angry that he didn’t want more. “What about those who will
come later? The poor souls that meet their killing criteria? Don’t you feel in some way responsible to stop
it?”
Cynicism washed over his expression.
“So passionate,” he murmured, leaning against the wall, his arms crossing over his chest as he watched
her. “I’m one man—”
“With a nation that will back him,” she argued desperately.
“Your innocence is to be commended, Merinus,” he bit out, straightening now, stalking closer to her.
“As are your motives. But you have no idea of the piece you’ve bitten off here. It’s bound to choke you.”
He gripped her arm, jerking her against his body, allowing his erection to cushion against her stomach.
Merinus breathed in harshly, her hands bracing against his chest as he locked her to him.
“You spout off with your morality and your ideas of justice, and all the while your juices froth from your
cunt, tempting me, driving me insane with the scent. It’s not the story you want and it’s not justice. You
want to be fucked by the Cat Man. Admit it.”
He gripped her hips, ground himself against her. Merinus gasped out, fighting against the slow relaxation
of her body against his, the needs suddenly swamping her. Where had they come from?