Mating Instinct (The COMPLETE Ridgeville Series) Read online

  Ridgeville: Mating Instinct

  All 10 Ridgeville Books

  Celia Kyle

  Contents

  He Ain’t Lion

  You’re Lion

  Ball of Furry

  Head Over Tail

  Fierce in Fur

  Deuces Wild

  Sealed with a Purr

  Like a Fox

  Big Furry Deal

  Lion’s Honor

  About the Author

  Copyright Page

  Part I

  He Ain’t Lion

  Life sucks… And then you get turned into a werelion…

  Curvaceous, blonde bombshell Maya Josephs is looking for a little action to take her mind off of her recent break-up. Crazy werecats or not, an evening at Genesis is exactly what she needs. And when she meets the hotter than hot, super-sexy owner, Alex O’Connell, the alpha lion shifter is just the man to fit the bill for a one-night stand.

  Dumped like a rotting piece of meat by her ex, Maya is on the prowl, fixin’ to do whatever it takes to get herself a piece of the gorgeous furball. Besides, what’s the harm in a girl having a little bit of fun?

  1

  The evening began normally enough, but staring at the lush woman making her way through his club, Alex O’Connell realized it was the calm before the shit storm.

  Awareness slid through his night club, Genesis. One by one, each shifter male became aware of the newcomer—an unknown human female—in their midst. She smelled nothing of their lion pride or the nearby wolf pack. Hell, she didn’t even smell of the local wererabbit warren.

  Shit, fuck, damn, and growl.

  He ran a hand through his hair and willed his inner beast to calm. Unfortunately, the bastard wasn’t in the mood to be denied and it latched onto the “fuck” portion of his thought. The cat wanted to fuck someone all right. Her. He’d already scented the lush woman, and was more than ready to pounce, strip her naked, and bury himself in her.

  How had she gained entrance on tonight of all nights? Who was this unfamiliar female swaying curvaceous hips amongst his felines, completely oblivious to the trouble she was about to cause?

  Alex’s pride was on edge as were the wolves and rabbits crammed into the club. The Gaian Moon would rise high in mere minutes and when that happened… All hell would break loose. He had no doubt the males within the club would fight to claim her.

  The moon was nature’s way of ensuring shifter cubs would be born, and the clans would continue to flourish. Without it, their numbers would almost certainly dwindle and they’d become extinct.

  The humans in attendance knew what they were in for the moment they’d become pride familiars. The pride, pack, or warren would care for them and any offspring for the remainder of their lives as long as they made themselves available at the Gaian Moon gatherings. Giving birth to cubs ensured pride protection and support.

  There were several true matings in their pride, but those couples remained at home to make little cubs of their own while the others romped their way through Genesis.

  The female in the tight, cleavage-revealing red dress, though, was not a familiar. Alex knew this, because he was the Prime, damn it. It was his job to know everyone in his community, including those around them.

  Shit, fuck, damn, and growl.

  His felines stared at her as if she were a slaughtered deer, and they hadn’t eaten for weeks. Even so, she continued to mingle fifty feet from where he stood, yet he still scented her heat, singling her out from the gatherers. He needed to do something. Fast.

  “You need to do something, Alex. And fast. She’s not one of ours.” His Second’s words cut through his thoughts, mirroring his own. “I would have, but they’re already sniffing after her.”

  Staring at the gathering crowd, he knew Grayson couldn’t get the woman out of the building had he tried. The males were too worked up over her to listen to anyone other than the pride’s Prime.

  “I know.” Alex barely recognized his own gritty voice, and he paused in surprise to take stock of his body’s responses to the new arrival. His cat, normally easy to control after years of practice, fought Alex’s restraint, snarling and snapping at its internal cage, prowling just beneath the thin veneer of his skin. The fucker wanted out. Now.

  His arms tingled, skin prickled, and he knew—without looking—golden fur sprouted from his forearms. The throbbing in his hands would soon reveal fuzzy fingers, and lethal, razor-sharp claws. Fuckity fuck.

  “How’d she get in?” His lengthened canines made speech difficult, but not impossible.

  He watched expressions flit across his Second’s face, where feelings of regret and remorse dueled for supremacy. “I put Gina on the door, and she said she could’ve sworn the woman was on the list and that she scented of you.”

  Alex rolled his eyes, immediately refocusing on the tempting interloper. Her blond hair practically glowed under the dim lights, her pale skin a beacon his lion was more than happy to follow to the ends of the Earth. “Gina’s still pissed at me for not mounting her the last moon, and I’m sure she’s itching to start trouble.”

  Grayson nodded. “You may be right.”

  Alex’s lion wanted this stranger. No doubt about its feelings, the beast practically begged and snarled its needs. Part of him wanted to charge through the gathering, steal her away to his den. Unfortunately he couldn’t, not without revealing his true nature to the woman. Sure, shifters were known to the human populace, but they weren’t exactly “out and proud” with their existence. Nonchalance and closely kept secrets ensured the shifters protection thus far, and the various clan leaders around the world wanted to maintain the status quo.

  As the Prime, Alex had too much on his plate already, and he’d rather not add “calming a panicking human” to the list.

  “Bring her upstairs. I’ll talk to her, and then send her on her way. Maybe give her an incentive to return another night. We can’t have her in the building once the doors lock.”

  “There’s only five minutes left, Prime.”

  As if his title within the pride wasn’t enough pressure, the last thing Alex needed was to be further stressed by his Second’s reminder of the remaining time, damn it. His cat was more than aware how long it had to wait until it could mate with the fertile, willing females on the club floor. The opportunity to produce cubs of its own appealed to the cat. A child was a child, mated parents or not, and the lion wanted one or two… maybe twins. He could take care of things in one shot.

  His lion had yet to be successful, but it was more than willing to keep trying. “Then make it fast.”

  * * *

  Maya’s friend Gina hadn’t lied. The guys in Genesis stared at her as if she was a slice of chocolate cake. Okay, she was probably the only one in the club who’d drool over chocolate cake, but whatever. Then again, their semi-drooling activities could be because they were werecats. But wait, weren’t dogs the droolers?

  Maya mentally shrugged. Gina, even if she did seem a little cat crazy, was fun to hang out with, and now she was Maya’s very best, hook-me-up-with-hotness, friend.

  She’d always known shifters lived in Ridgeville—her best friend forevah was a werebunny—so the cat-owned club didn’t surprise her. The impending orgypalooza did, but who was she to judge when she’d come with the intention to, uh, come. With condoms.

  She came to come with condoms. She almost laughed out loud at that one, but swallowed the giggle.

  Taking a look around, she wondered how many other non-cats occupied the space. Then again, who cared if the men were wolves, bunnies, or lions? They were all smokin’ hot in their human form and that’s all that
mattered.

  Well that, and the fact they certainly seemed to like a girl with some cushion for the pushin’. Maya was a realist, always had been. She had big hips, big thighs, and big breasts, which added up to a big woman. Whatever. ‘Cause she was perfectly content with who she was. They looked more than “content.” Yum.

  She wanted to have a fun night on the town, and forget about her ex’s betrayal and hateful words. It’d been a month since the blow-up breakup, and it was high time for her to shake off the remnants of Henry’s cruelty and reclaim her life. The first order of business was a debauchery-filled night at Genesis, where no one would know her as half of “Maya and Henry.”

  Maya wove her way through the crush of bodies, trying to ignore the brushes against her. The casual touches roamed from her hips to ass, and sometimes the sides of her breasts. Each one aroused her, sending a sliver of desire along her nerves, and her body thrummed in anticipation.

  Gina told her the club held a sex party of sorts every six months. It was a “shifter” thing so it wasn’t advertised, but people in the know gathered together to have a bit of fun. Were werecats considered people?

  As she approached the bar, men parted like the Red Sea, and then crowded close as soon as she passed. One male settled on each side of her while she felt the presence of at least two others at her back. Their hard cocks were not lost on her.

  She should totally be disgusted. Really. ’Cause good girls wouldn’t get turned-on by being surrounded by a handful of werecats with boinking on their minds. Okay, she was a total bad girl. There, she thought it, er, out loud.

  In truth, their blatant desire sent a thrill down her spine, settling nicely in her pussy, and causing her needy clit to twitch. She sure as hell wouldn’t kick any of them outta bed.

  The men crowded closer, capturing her with their bodies, chests rubbing and touching, random hands petting, and she couldn’t think of a reason to push them away. No, tonight she’d be a wanton sex goddess. Okay, that sounded kinda lame.

  She’d be a horny slut.

  For one night.

  One. No harm, no foul. No babies.

  Go team condoms!

  And if tonight was as awesome as she thought it’d be, Maya definitely wouldn’t return in six months.

  Nope.

  Well, maybe.

  If she were invited, sure, probably.

  When she turned her attention to the bar, she found the mixologist staring at her, sex and seduction obvious in his heavy-lidded gaze while his focus remained on her ample breasts.

  “Can I help you, miss?” His soothing voice wrapped around her, and her sex grew wetter, aching with want and prepping for a night of naughty fun as she took her seat.

  A low growl vibrated the air a split-second before a commanding voice sounded behind her. “No, you cannot ‘help’ her. Get back to work. I don’t pay you to chat up women.”

  The men surrounding her melted away, the mixologist scrambling in the opposite direction, moving toward other customers in haste. A glance to her left and right revealed she had a generous, five-foot radius of personal space.

  Maya turned on her stool and faced the man who’d sent her suitors running. She immediately tossed out her aggravation over being deserted. ’Cause she’d be more than happy to take on this growly hunk. Yummy.

  This guy was taller than the others with an air of authority wrapped around him. He approached, a predator clothed in skin, and she seemed to be his prey. She definitely wanted to be caught by him.

  “Ma’am, if you’ll come with me…” He held out a large hand, and she wondered what it’d be like to be touched and stroked by him, forced to come over and over again until he shoved what she hoped would be a large dick into her heat.

  A small shudder shook her body, lower lips growing heavy with desire. His nostrils flared, chest expanding when he inhaled deep, the hue of his amber eyes growing deeper with each flurried beat of her racing heart.

  Definitely a big cat and it was obvious he smelled her longing. That should’ve squicked her out. But it didn’t. Huh.

  Maya slid from her stool, a slight wobble when she gained her feet, her new stilettos giving her grief. She totally should’ve gone with three-inch heels instead of four.

  The hottie was there in a blink, arm wrapped around her waist, a steadying hand encircling her wrist. “Are you okay? Have you had a lot to drink?”

  She furrowed her eyebrows and puckered her lips into a pout. “No.” She kept pace with him as they wove through the club, men and women moving aside as they approached. “You scared the bartender away before I had the chance to order.”

  The stranger leaned down, nuzzled her neck and inhaled, before he purred in her ear, “Sorry.”

  Holy shit, oh, dear God, please take her now. He hadn’t touched her yet, not really, but she already wanted this man. Wanted to be spread over a table and taken by him, and she couldn’t give a flying fuck who watched. No, she’d just make sure there was an admittance charge.

  At the bottom of a set of stairs she found her voice. “Where’re you taking me?”

  “Alex O’Connell, the owner of Genesis, would like to meet you.” Damn. There was that lovely purr again.

  Okay, she could certainly do that. Maya wasn’t exactly an “in the know” regular, so meeting him was probably a good idea. She wasn’t sure if hosting orgies in clubs was legal in Ridgeville, so meeting a random newcomer without a direct invite kinda made sense. Besides, Gina warned her she might have to chat with the head honcho before the fun began at midnight.

  She shoulda brought catnip along, as a peace offering or something.

  Maya licked her lips, and stole another look at her escort. She wondered if she could finagle him into a bit of slap-and-tickle immediately followed by a thorough, hard fucking.

  Before she knew it, they were at the top of the stairs, her escort knocking on the wooden door.

  One rap was all he managed before the door was wrenched open. An obviously livid man stood on the other side, his face a ruddy hue, and eyes that looked ready to shoot daggers at her. If it weren’t for the teeny-tiny fact that he looked like he’d gladly end her life without a second thought, she’d drool all over him. She had no problems with dropping to her knees and begging to touch, and be touched, by him.

  “Grayson, you took your time.” The man spoke through clenched teeth.

  Oh. Oh, my. While her escort, Grayson, had gotten her warm in all the right places, this man, Alex O’Connell, made her want in a way she’d never experienced.

  Even with his thunderous expression she wasn’t afraid, not really. Grayson held an air of authority while this man personified power. It radiated from him but, for some reason, she felt he wouldn’t harm her. He demanded—and others listened—but he also seemed to have a fierce level of control.

  “Yes, apparently, I did.”

  Maya didn’t have eyes for Grayson any longer. No, she was all about Mr. Alex O’Connell and his bad self. He easily topped six feet, and then some. His hair appeared reddish-blond, and shone in the dim club interior. As did his eyes. Oh, damn, his eyes were the palest amber, and held something she couldn’t quite describe. It called to her on a primal level, all of her instincts screaming to climb him like a freaking mountain and never come down.

  Too bad fluffy chicks, especially her, were not climbers. She wondered if she could get him to lay down and then she’d do some climbing… onto his lap for a nice, long ride.

  Alex’s shoulders were so broad he nearly spanned the doorway. They led to an equally wide chest which tapered to a trim waist. His shirt was so tight she saw the ripple of every muscle when he moved, and she counted each dip and rise along his abdomen. The black top matched the snug pants that revealed just as much as they hid. She couldn’t help but steal a glance at the juncture of his thighs, nearly gasping as the large package grew beneath her gaze, showing her that despite his anger, she turned him on. Thank god. Her body was responding too, whether she liked it or not.
>
  Beneath his attention, her nipples pebbled and hardened within her dress, pressing against the slinky fabric. Her arousal didn’t stop with her breasts, though. It slithered through her body, awakening and strumming her nerves as it wove to her aching pussy, flicking her clit as her wet channel clenched in response. A shiver struck her muscles and she imagined his thick cock sliding, and then slamming, into her body. Powerful. Hard. Fast.

  Alex took a deep breath and his nostrils flared, mimicking Grayson’s actions from before. His fierce anger melting into an even more ferocious expression she could only interpret as hard core, wanna-do-you-now-so-stop-touching-my-friend-and-bend-over lust.

  Whew.

  Yes, please.

  “That’ll be all.” Alex snapped out the words as he reached for her, pulled her out of Grayson’s arms and hauled her into his apparent sanctuary, closing the door once the man left.

  With the need and desire to be bent over any flat surface, she couldn’t really find the energy, or inclination, to care about his aggressive behavior.

  Maya came to Genesis to take her mind off Henry, but these feelings were completely foreign. When she was deciding whether or not to come, she’d figured she’d get turned-on, have a little fun, and then leave once the “thank you, ma’am” of the “wham, bam” portion of the night came to pass.

  Now, she wasn’t sure if one taste of Alex would be enough.

  He led her deeper into the room. She got the impression of dark wood and masculine furniture, but he didn’t give her a chance to look around. Within a few steps he had her captured, with her leaning against the back of the sofa while he loomed above, his rock-hard erection pressed against her hip.

  “What’s your name?” His mouth hovered near hers, his heated breath fanning her skin. Close enough to kiss, but he didn’t close the distance. Damn it.

  “Maya.” Mouth and throat dry, she licked her lips. “Maya Josephs.”