Chapter 1
Soleil
I lowered behind the brush, watching the human male recline against the rustling bedding he’d sprawled out under him.
Watching him for the last two moon rotations had been interesting.
This male was interesting. The way he held himself was not fearful, but composed, as if he’d been here before.
But that was impossible; humans never escaped here alive.
In my time watching him, I kept my distance, stalking the human male.
The best part of humans arriving in the Jungle was watching them acclimate, but soon enough, they all suffered the same fate.
Moons ago was when the last two humans were here. Two. A male and a female. They survived the longest. In observing all these humans, I learned a lot. About their tendencies. Their odd phrases that I struggled to understand.
Humans were tenacious despite injuries, weather, or the other creatures living in the forest. But this was not their habitat, and it showed. Their soft skin was too feeble. I knew how easy it was to hurt the thin skin when I wore my human form, which was why I didn’t bother to, preferring my fur.
I slinked under the wide fronds. The low chirps of insects continued to fill the foggy jungle.
He lay on something thin, almost a blanket, but unlike any that I’d seen other humans bring. It was much noisier.
I shouldn’t have been so close, but I couldn’t help it.
He kept making this sound, a loud rumbling sound coming from his nose.
I liked it. He was very close now. He looked harder—harsher than any of the males that had been stuck here.
They’d been less wide too. I crept even closer, giving in to the urge.
Inhaling, I stilled, my claws slicing into the dirt. He smells so good.
The fur on my back lifted, and another shiver wracked my frame. Not only did he smell good, he smelled right—perfect—mine.
I’d found my mate, and he was a human.
He exhaled, his head turning to the side to expose his thick, straining neck. Power lined his body despite him being human. Heat pulsed through my frame, and I flicked my tail as a purr vibrated in my chest.
Loping closer, my wide strides devoured the ground until I hovered over my mate. An indent formed between his eyes. Slick would begin to gather, enhancing the ache to mate.
My mate. I will claim.
Humans mated differently to my kind. In such various ways as I’d learned from watching them.
I pushed back my panther form. Small pinpricks of pain flitted over my too-sensitive skin until I was fully human. I bared my teeth. This form had no protective barrier . . . but I would be okay because my mate was human.
I didn’t hesitate, running my fingers over his chiseled jawline. Smooth, with the barest abrasiveness.
He exhaled, parting stern lips.
“Not now, Ann . . .”
I stiffened, a growl escaping my lips. What was an Ann? Aggression swelled in my stomach, and I stopped from shifting. If I did, I would slice my claws through his throat.
Was it another female? No, he must be claimed—Now. No other female was for him.
Sliding my hand under his shirt, I scraped my human claws against his hard belly. It did not feel soft as other human males I’d fucked, but my claws could still sever the thin skin easily.
He groaned, head rolling from side to side, causing the material under him to be noisy.
Everything about him screamed strength, but I could still overpower him with the spirit of my Beast. I continued gliding my claws over his flesh.
Little bumps rose on the surface. I’d never seen these on a human.
No, more like I never cared to focus when I took my pleasure.
Veins bulged near his belly and disappeared under clothing.
I yanked at it to unveil his swelling member.
My mouth parted with a harsh exhale. So long, and thick, and it was still growing. This human could be mistaken for one of my kind with this sizing.
My mate had a bulbous tip where liquid gathered. I reached for the length and wrapped my palm around the veiny member. I watched with fascination as more liquid accumulated.
The urge to lean forward and lick it was too strong to resist. Swiping my tongue along the moisture, I collected it. Salty and mine. I purred and licked again.
Mate’s chest shuddered.
He liked this.
Good, because I did too, but I would take the time to lick him later.
I had to claim him first. Swinging my leg over his waist, I poised his hard cock at my entrance, and slid down, my slick dripping down his shaft.
I whined, settling all the way to the base of his length.
I exhaled, tingles spreading and invading.
He filled me perfectly. He was thick and girthy, stretching me for him.
I clenched my channel around the stiffness. Mate grunted, his head rolling and lips parting. He gripped my legs, closer to my bare ass, and forced me up his wet cock to slam me back down.
I gasped, my eyes widening.
Oh . . .
There was no stopping the frantic movement of my hips now. Writhing over him, I couldn’t stop watching how each move made his face twitch. I flexed my channel, and he made a deep guttural sound.
His eyes slitted open, glazed and unfocused, with parted lips. Still, he continued digging his fingers into my skin, driving his hips up. Fire burned in my stomach, and I chased it, grinding down frantically. I placed my hands on his chest, writhing without control.
Mate made another slick-inducing sound, so vibrating and harsh it shoved me over the edge of the pinnacle. A gasp left my lips before it turned into a deep moan.
I stopped the frantic roll of my hips, unable to move as my body floated on ecstasy.
Mate didn’t stop; he continued bouncing me, his teeth bared.
Pleasure unlike any other wracked my frame, making me jolt over him.
As soon as my sex clasped around him with the last wringing of my release, he grunted and warm seed jutted out from him.
Bliss. So much bliss.
In a way no other would satisfy. Not like my mate.
I leaned down, and the tips of the fur on my head trickled over his chest. I rubbed my blunt human claws against his clothes, rubbing one of the buttons near where some skin was exposed on his chest. He panted, breaths ragged and hard.
Nestling my nose into the crook of his neck, I sniffed him as I tongued his throat—his hands settled on my shoulders, stopping me from tasting him.
I hissed and sat up.
Mate groaned, and many words I had not heard fell from his lips. Then he said, “It’s not a fucking dream,” he murmured, his eyes flicking side to side, so wide it looked painful. “You’re real?”
“You’re mine,” I said, a hint of a growl in my voice. I stiffened to make my sex clamp on his length.
“Fuck,” he groaned.
It was another one of those words I hadn’t heard before.
He hiked up his hips, then rolled me so suddenly I landed on my back.
Foliage pressed against my skin. I yanked my arms, but his grip held on tighter, his hips slamming to force his member deeper inside me.
I gasped, my spine arching off the ground.
He moaned, his eyes closing, but the pleasure left quickly, and he shook his head.
“Who are you?” he snapped, eyes narrowed on me.
I blinked up at him. He was still seated against me, making slick slide free. I hiked my hips to take more of him. Mate hissed a breath out and pumped so hard, our human skin slapped.
He bared his teeth and stilled, hissing a breath out.
“More,” I ordered, needy for Mate.
He pulled his hips away, and our need wet the inside of my thighs. I whimpered. He wasn’t giving me what I wanted so desperately.
I growled, the vibrating sound loud and demanding. His grip loosened on my wrists, and I rolled out of his hold, shifting. It was easier to navigate the thick foliage with my paws. I shook my fur out and returned my gaze to Mate.
His mouth had fallen open, and he didn’t seem to be breathing.
I cocked my head and, in a move so quick, he pulled a knife from his belt. The glint reflected off the blade. I hissed, backing away. He approached and sliced the blade in an arc.
The look in his eyes was similar to how all the other humans that saw me with—fear.
Mate feared me?
I loped into the Jungle.