Soul of the Wildcat (27 page)

Heart racing, Kathryn's mind worked furiously. Could it really be true the
Puma concolor couguar
had somehow returned to the area? Herds of white-tailed deer, a primary food source for the cougar, had recently increased in number. Given the almost pristine preservation of the old-growth forest, it was also possible that a few hardy cougar holdouts had survived undetected—perhaps breeding themselves back into significant numbers. If that were true, efforts to conserve the region would be more vital than ever.

Then Skeeter belched and farted. “'Scuse me,” he mumbled.

Kathryn reconsidered her sources, both rude and socially unacceptable. The cougar tales might be Wild Turkey combined with a couple of good ol' boys telling some tall tales to impress her. She regarded her now drunken companions and sighed.
Until an actual cougar sighting is confirmed, hearsay is all I have.

The storm kicked up again. More fat drops fell, sizzling when the water contacted the crackling flames. Seconds later the rain pelted a little harder.

Tugging the wide brim of her hat lower to shield her face, Kathryn reached for her coffeepot, removing its lid and dumping the grounds into the fire.

“Well, fellas, it's been nice visiting,” she said, tucking her cup and coffeepot into her backpack. “But I really want to get out of the storm.” Earlier she'd made plans to head for a nearby ravine. The low cliffside would provide a good windbreak and place to spend the night. Come morning she'd head back to base.

Willie's big hand closed around her wrist. “Hang on there,” he slurred. “Where ya goin' all the sudden, sweet thang?”

Jerked out of private concerns, Kathryn shot him a glare. She tugged, but couldn't break his iron grip. An unbidden surge of anger obliterated sense. “Let go of me.”

Grinning like a monkey eating shit, Willie held tight. “Just enjoyin' the pleasure of your company,” he said softly, ominously.

Kathryn planted her weight and yanked harder. “I'm not enjoying the pleasure of yours!” Heart thumping hard in her chest, panic clawed her throat. “Let me go, asshole!”

Willie grinned. “Yes, Ma'am.” He let her go.

Driven by her own velocity, Kathryn stumbled backward. Tripping over an unseen stone protruding from the ground, she landed on her back. Her head struck the ground, and a smattering of white stars sped in front of her rapidly blurring vision. A mass of thick hair tumbled out from under her cap. Arms and legs akimbo, she lay stunned.

Both brothers got to their feet, casually inspecting the damage.

Pulse pounding in her ears, Kathryn made a quick grab for the knife sheathed on her hip.

Willie guffawed and expertly knocked it out of her grip.

Skeeter stepped between her open legs, settling a heavy boot at each of her ankles, effectively pinning her legs in place. Swaying, his gaze never strayed from her crotch. “We could have a l'il fun here now.”

Willie knelt beside her. He reached out, fingers skimming the inch-wide expanse of bare skin between her jeans and coat. “Been a long time since we had a taste of pussy fine as this,” he leered.

Their words reverberated through Kathryn's mind. Suddenly her body quaked, their intent setting off a chain reaction deep inside her. If they raped her, they would probably kill her. Concealing a body in these dense woods would be a piece of cake. Every second she squandered put her that much closer to dead.

Fighting to clear the haze in her pounding head, she swallowed hard and struggled to sit up, move away from the range of danger. Unable to find her footing, she scrabbled backward like a hermit crab. She got a foot, maybe two, away.

A grin hitched up one corner of Willie's mouth. “You ain't goin' nowhere, honey.”

Hands like manacles captured and pinned her wrists to the ground above her head. Dazed and confused, she hadn't even been aware of Skeeter coming around to cut off her retreat. He'd moved a hell of a lot faster than she had.

Grinning and straddling her body, Willie's big hands worked the zipper of her coat. He fumbled her shirt, ripping it open when he couldn't undo the buttons fast enough. Pushing up her sports bra, his big callused palms settled on her breasts. “Nice tits.” He squeezed. “Bet it makes you wet when they're sucked.”

Fear jetting through her veins, she kicked, scratched, but nothing would break the men's dominance. “Get off me, you big apes!”

Skeeter snarled, twisting her arms. “Be still. We're just gonna have a little fun.”

Kathryn spat toward the ugly face looming over her. “Fun, my ass!”

“Fun with your ass,” Willie cheerfully unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans.

Kathryn moaned, but didn't stop fighting. “Don't, please.”

Her plea went unheard.

Fingers hooking in the waistband, Willie slid her jeans down her thighs. Her panties went down, too, leaving her totally exposed. “Nothin' I like better than stickin' my dick up a nice, tight asshole.”

Kathryn clenched her eyes against the chill rush of fear spiraling through her. She considered her options and realized there were none. Zero. No way she'd get out of this one. Maybe if she just gave in and gave them what they obviously intended to take, she'd have a better chance of getting out alive. Damn. She should have trusted her gut, not let her guard down.

I don't have to remember this…

Hard to forget as thick fingers probed between her naked thighs. “An' this sweet piece o' poontang…Hot damn, it's nice an' slick.”

The stroke of his fingers against her clit sent tiny little tremors of disgust through her. “No—ah…hell…” The ability to speak all of a sudden eluded her.

Goosebumps tripping over her exposed skin, Kathryn gasped. Her stomach clenched into tight knots and a wave of mortified disgust washed over her. She felt absolutely paralyzed. Nothing in a woman's life could adequately prepare her for such a brutal assault. She swallowed hard, fighting to keep her wits about her and stay calm. Staying alive meant getting a grip on her emotions. Lose control and she would most likely lose her life.

Willie stroked deeper. A smile curved the corner of his mouth. “Goddamn, my cock's rock hard jes' feelin' her cunt.” He grinned up at his brother and winked. “Hold this li'l wildcat still.”

Skeeter's grip tightened on her wrists, his steely fingers digging in painfully. “Don't use it all up,” he chuckled.

“Plenty here,” Willie breathed. “Enough for both o' us.”

She started to pray.
Please, God, this isn't happening
…

But it wasn't stopping. Not until the men were done with her.

Lungs burning with the need to drag in air, Kathryn opened her mouth. A horrifying wail ensued, turning the blood in her veins to icy water. Yet the oh-so-terrible scream tearing against her ears hadn't come from her throat.

Something else screeched a high wild howl of vengeance.

Some
thing
fierce and terrible.

Both men immediately let her go. “Shit! Cougar!” they bellowed simultaneously. “Get the guns.”

Eyes immediately snapping open, Kathryn lifted her body off the ground, pawing stupidly at the remnants of her clothing. Between flashes of lightning and fire, she saw at least half a dozen big cats circling around them with dizzying speed.

Taken aback by the sight, air filtered out of her lungs. “My God.” To her utter shock she felt strangely calmed by their unexpected arrival. Even the drenching rain couldn't stay the thrill of sexual awareness, sending a hot tremor all the way to the tips of her toes. “They're beautiful.”

The cougars were magnificent, sheer poetry in motion. In addition, they were huge; all fur, sinew, and muscle. Cold brutality simmered in glowing amber eyes.

With a subtle display of intelligence, the big felines were canny enough to cut the men off from the campfire and their guns. If they wanted to fight, it'd be claw to hard steel, and no guarantee the humans would win.

Knives drawn, both men watched the cougars weaving around them, stalking closer to their prey.

Willie swiped his blade at the closest animal. “Ya ain't gettin' a taste o' me!” he bellowed.

Wrong.

Sharp claws tore across his hand.

Willie screeched in pain. “Oweee!” Blood dripped from the gaping wound.

Drawn by the scent, the big cats turned loose and waged an all-out attack.

Kathryn jumped, violently startled by the detonation of motion surrounding her. Right in front of her eyes, she saw one of the big cats leap on Willie, bellowing in displeasure as the frantic slash of a knife penetrated vulnerable fur. Shocked by the violence of the attack, her mind vaguely processed two more of the cougars pouncing on Skeeter. He screamed and ran, unwilling to try to fight.

But there were more cats, and not all were occupied with the hunters.

Kathryn vaguely registered one of the cougars breaking off from the fight. Its unblinking gaze settled on her. A wild cougar stared her in the eyes with the intent to kill. The hair on the back of its trunk-thick neck rippled.

She started to pray. “Oh, Lordamightygetmeoutofthisnow…”

Bounding into motion, the cougar sped at her with lethal precision. It leapt into the air, all four paws sailing off the ground in defiance of gravity.

Scrambling madly to her feet, Kathryn looked around frantically for a way to escape. All she could do was run.

She wasn't fast enough and couldn't get far enough. In that instant everything around her took on a surreal quality, as if she now viewed events in slow motion through a distant lens.

Two huge paws made contact with her shoulders, the mass of the cougar's weight forcing her back to the ground.

Hardly able to think through the thudding echo of her heart, Kathryn automatically rolled over onto her back to find herself pinned under the gargantuan beast. Shards of pain radiated through her head and neck. The cougar's huge head simultaneously came down over her face. Hot, moist breath misted her face.

Her mind struggled to compute the fact the cougar was about to eat her for dinner. Tears of pure shock stung her eyes.
I'm toast
.

The cougar's head dipped lower. Broad pink nostrils flared, drawing in her human scent. Fangs beared, an intense hiss rippled over the cougar's tongue. Ears pinning down, perilously sharp fangs were bared.

That was all it took for her to lose control.

Kathryn frantically beat at the big cat, twisting and struggling to free herself from its domination.

Her struggle failed.

The beast would not be deterred from claiming its prize.

Stray bolts of lightning struck the ground nearby, instantly electrifying the atmosphere around them, creating a corona of crackling, spluttering sparks all around them. Shimmering distortions of crimson and orange glimmered, dizzying and swift, wrapping like grasping fingers around their downed bodies. Thunder snapped the air asunder in a tremendous bashing, and the ground beneath them quaked.

Disoriented by the blistering power the lightning had unleashed, Kathryn vaguely heard the creature bellow, felt the weight of its big furry body envelop hers. Terror consumed her as her body unwillingly arched into the muscular feline frame, joining and merging. For a moment the impression that she was becoming a being of sinew and fur bewildered her. In the same instant the cougar's face blurred, momentarily appearing to metamorphose into distinct and recognizable human features. Behind the mask of the cougar, a sentient soul lived and breathed.

The strange effect lasted only seconds, no more than the time it took her heart to beat a single time.

Moaning in delirious agony, Kathryn felt herself slipping into the grasp of unconsciousness, tumbling downward as if the earth beneath her had mysteriously crumbled. Mind short-circuiting from too many impressions force-fed into her brain at quantum speed, she willingly sacrificed herself to the overwhelming grip of absolute shock and terror.

Time and space ceased to exist and her world went entirely black.