Tingling all over, I shuddered from the realization of how excited I was, my mind reeling from what I was seeing. Was he real? Was I just imagining this? I pressed my hand over my lips to keep from moaning as I tried to take additional steps away, my legs heavy.

  “I’m going to fuck you.”

  There was no urgency in his steps or in his words, yet I knew his powerful command was not to be questioned. Every inch of his body seemed illuminated by the golden rays of sun, giving him a translucent quality. I was mesmerized for a few intense seconds. Then I knew that I had to get away from him or I would be lost forever.

  Forcing my mind out of the filthy wave of longing that had encapsulated me, I gave him a heated glare of defiance. “Never.”

  He wasn’t going to take me. I refused to succumb to… whatever the hell was happening to me.

  Madness.

  A black fantasy.

  I bolted once again, almost reaching the stairs leading to the front door. I could do it. I could make it.

  When a strong hand snagged my arm, yanking me backwards and against his chest, I let off a primal scream.

  The feel of his fully engorged cock pressing against my ass was intense. I knew the beast was going to make good on his promise.

  He would punish me.

  He would take me.

  He would fuck me.

  And I’d never be able to get away.

  Chapter 4

  Nicolina

  Come to me…

  Grimacing, I shook my head as if removing cobwebs from my mind was going to make me forget about the horrible… delicious… dream. I shifted on the seat, trying to rationalize why the dreams had become more intense during the past few nights. Last night’s dip into fantasyland had been bizarre, much like the one I’d had involving my classroom. I took a whiff of my arm, able to gather his scent although I’d taken a shower that morning.

  Jesus.

  I had to be losing it, the conversation I’d had with Cassie remaining fresh in my mind. The girl had been more terrified than I’d ever seen her. Had I always known that the president’s proclamation hadn’t been widely received with joy? Of course. I just didn’t realize there was an actual government agency hell bent on destroying them.

  Maybe that’s what they were doing.

  As if anyone really knew what went on behind closed doors any longer.

  What was worse was that I’d known he’d stood outside in the trees only yards away from my house. I’d gathered his scent, testosterone that drifted across the river. I’d considered searching for him but knew better than to provoke a rogue Breed. And that’s what he had to be; a ferocious creature hell bent on destroying humans.

  Then why did I hunger for him with every ounce of my being?

  I rapped my fingers on the table absently, the vision of the beast lingering in my mind. I’d seen the tiger, the beautiful creature hovering near the clear water source. He was regal, his stripes bold and almost perfect. Given he was the most beautiful shade of white, his dark markings added to the incredible power he exuded.

  And instead of crystal blue eyes, his were green, the color of the Aegean Sea. I almost laughed at the thought.

  He’d watched me from afar over several days, studying me intently when I’d traveled to the forbidden zone. From the second I’d laid eyes on him I hadn’t been afraid. I sensed he was alone, genuinely curious as to what the hell I was doing. I thought about the painting, my art my absolute passion, providing joy as well as relief from the everyday drudgery of normal life. Maybe my painting had in some crazy way brought on the fantasies.

  I glanced at my sister as she pulled the inoculation canister from the small medical bag. While Yasmine currently used her medical background working as a scientist, she’d handled almost all of my basic needs after our parents’ death. Today was no exception.

  The vitamin shot.

  My thoughts drifted to Cassie, a slight red flag rising in my mind.

  “What’s in the inoculation?”

  Yasmine wrinkled her brow as she approached. “Nothing different than usual. Vitamins B and D mostly. They are by far the most natural way of handling all those nasty little allergies you no longer have. Why?”

  “Just curious. I guess a lot of people need them.” I turned away as she gave me the shot, trying to remember the first time I’d experienced visions of the tiger. I wasn’t entirely certain, although I’d certainly been fascinated by them for the majority of my life. However, visions of the particular tiger had only occurred since…

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” my sister asked in her usual pointed way, interrupting my thoughts. While she had a smile on her face, I could sense a level of tension I wasn’t used to. She administered the shot, her face pinched.

  She’d been my caretaker for years after the death of our parents. Her arrival at my house was unusual given the long hours she worked. I normally went to her facility or her house to receive the injection.

  “Why would anything be going on?” I asked before shoving a drink in her direction, watching as she closed her bag securely. A part of me wanted to get my hands on the vial she used. Jesus. I was second guessing my sister now, as if there was some kind of conspiracy going on. However, she was acting differently than the last time I’d seen her. Yasmine was usually all business, her acceptance of my offer of alcohol just as surprising as her visit.

  “Because I know my baby sister. That’s why. You’re usually jabbering on about one of your students at this point. Then questions about the same shot you’ve taken for over a year come out of the blue. That’s not like you.”

  I chuckled as I swirled my drink. A strong shot of vodka seemed perfect after my sleepless night and tense day teaching. I’d expected another visit from Joseph. Thank God Justin’s nanny had been the one to pick him up from school instead of the asshole. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

  “Uh-huh. You’re a terrible liar, you know. You always were. You just thought you got away from the vicious little lies you told me when you were a teenager.”

  “Vicious little lies? When did I ever do that?” I huffed in a teasing manner.

  “When you were intent on meeting with whatever boy you thought was sexy at the time. Let me think,” she mused as she walked toward my studio area, lifting her drink as if in a toast. “There was Jagger and Steve. Mike and what was his name? Oh, yes, Cade. He was my personal favorite. The bad boy with a heart, I think you continued to try and convince me. Last I heard, he was doing twenty to life in the state penitentiary.” While she laughed, she forced me to remember some very awkward and interesting occurrences.

  I had been the regular bad girl, which is why the profession I’d chosen had shocked her to death. I’d never learned to follow the rules, even forced to run from law enforcement on more than one occasion.

  Still, she’d introduced me to the principal of the school. I’d been put through a range of tests, but within a month, the job had become mine.

  A series of thoughts rushed into my mind, not ones I was fond of. She’d called the school special before. Just how special was it?

  “They were just appetizers,” I said, laughing.

  “Does that mean you have a hunk on the side? The main event?” she teased, although her words were directed.

  Another red flag raised in my mind and I hated myself because of it. Still, there were no such things as coincidences. The timing was too close.

  “Hell, no. I have no time for men with hidden agendas.” Which was true. I hadn’t bothered to go out on a date in well over a year. Even then, the single dinner out had been disastrous.

  “Uh-huh. I know you too well. It won’t be long.” She gave me a look before walking toward the painting of the tiger. “Wow. This is magnificent. You did this?”

  “Don’t seem so surprised. You know how much I love to paint.” For some reason, I cringed as I watched her reaction. Yasmine had never been fond of my work, calling it a waste of time more than once.

  Yasmine reached out, as if ready to trace the tiger’s face. When she jerked her hand away, I was able to catch a quick glimpse on her face. I could have sworn it was horror followed by some form of resolve. What the hell?

  “Is something wrong?” I moved closer, darting a look at the painting. The impressive-looking piece was more special than any I’d done. I’d managed to capture the tiger’s powerful demeanor, eyes that bore into mine from every angle.

  “It’s very… alive, sis. 3-D and so spectacular. This is some of your finest work. Just incredible. Interesting subject.”

  Why did I have a feeling that the sight of the picture invoked something else entirely? Perhaps an unpleasant expectation? “Tigers have been in my mind a lot lately.”

  “Why?”

  “Honestly? I’m not sure. Maybe because I’m teaching my students about the powerful beasts.”

  I could swear she was paling, her lower lip quivering.

  “Don’t you dare tell me that I shouldn’t be teaching the kids that Breeds are honorable creatures. I’ve heard enough of that shit to last me a lifetime.” Telling her about my dreams was unacceptable. She’d spent an hour lecturing me on why becoming involved with any Breed wasn’t in my best interest. I’d never understood why she’d never accepted them as humans, at least to some degree. We’d been taught by our parents to consider them as equals and we both knew at least a handful of acquaintances who’d enjoyed a relationship with one or more.

  On a carnal level.

  I bit back a smile thinking about it. While I’d never been with one sexually, I’d heard they were very skilled in the bedroom.

  She slowly turned her head, her eyes glassing over. “No. Not at all. I’m just… stunned by the painting.”

  Now she was the one lying to me.

  I decided to take a chance given her strange change in demeanor. My sister was high ranking enough within the medical system that she might know if what Cassie said held any merit. “What do you know about the department of human operations?”

  A quick jerk of her head sent a rush of adrenaline through my system.

  “Where did you hear about the organization?” Even her voice held a tremor at this point.

  “Evidently, the parent of one of my students works there. He’s an asshole.”

  “Yeah, well, most of them are.” She took a huge gulp of her drink, which was entirely unlike her.

  “Meaning?”

  She walked toward another easel, surprised to see yet another painting of the same tiger. “You’re fascinated with tigers more so now than ever. Is there any particular reason? Have you seen one in real life?”

  My sister was perhaps the most conservative woman on the planet. While she’d embraced that Breeds in their human form had just as many rights as the rest of the population, she wouldn’t understand my adoration of one of them. “They’re regal. Majestic. And they are very powerful. As I said, I find them fascinating, nothing more than that.” I’d never blatantly lied to her before, but my instinct screamed deep inside that I needed to be cautious.

  “They are also very dangerous. All the Breeds are. They love to undermine our attempts to be free of the same affliction they have.”

  “That’s what certain factions of the population want you to believe, Yasmine. You’re an educated woman. You know what they’ve been through all these decades, including the morons who are determined to hunt them down like live game. They were forced to endure years of terrible pain as well as misunderstandings about who they are. I refuse to fall into that bullshit.”

  “They are savage animals, Nicolina, and I know what pure humans are going through. Without a cure, our children won’t live to see children of their own. That is, if they can even have them.”

  She gave me an odd look, haunted, as well as an acceptance that for all the great scientists working on the cure for the human race, the early trials had yet to be successful. “You ignored my question. What do you know about the organization?” My question held more of a demanding tone. What the hell was she hiding from me?

  “Enough to know you don’t want to mess with them. They are well financed, organized, and have a particular agenda, although I’m certainly not privy to what that is. Stay away from them.”

  The second warning in two days. Now I was more than curious as to their intent.

  “I have no intention of tangling with them, although the man’s attitude pissed me off. Holier than though. A real jerk.”

  She gave me another heated look. “Don’t be the bad girl any longer. You have a wonderful life. Students who love you. A beautiful cabin by the lake. You can paint to your heart’s content. You have your entire future laid out for you.”

  “How did I get the job?” I asked after a few seconds.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The job. I’ve heard there are thousands of applications. I didn’t have stellar credentials since I’d only had substitute positions before getting the job.” I gave her a hard look, lifting a single eyebrow.

  Yasmine exhaled, turning away. “I told you before. Ms. Givens and I have enjoyed spending some time together. I happened to mention you and she asked for your resume.”

  Spending time together? My sister had barely been out of her lab long enough to visit my house. “Hmmm… Okay.” The same nagging slithered into my core. The principal of our school was highly respected, the wife of a high-ranking law enforcement officer for a higher level of government. The way she ran the operation of the school was very efficient, the building very secure.

  Which made the dream I’d had even more interesting.

  She smiled, relaxing visibly. “Besides, you had an amazing recommendation from several of your professors.”

  The angst in her words was troubling. “Is something going on you need to tell me about?”

  Chuckling, she took one last longing look at the paintings before moving toward me, passing by and heading toward the front window. The very reasons I’d purchased the cabin were the picture window overlooking the river and the front porch. The swing I’d installed only the summer before was meant as my respite from the world when I needed quiet time.

  “You’re very special, Nicolina. I’m sure you know that by now. You’re also highly intelligent.”

  It was my turn to laugh. “Special? How so? Because I deal with screaming kids all day?” At this point, fighting with her wasn’t something I wanted to do.

  She sighed in an exaggerated manner, the tremor in her breathiness troubling. “Because you get to choose how you live your life. That’s real freedom. Don’t forget that. Plus, you have specialized gifts, although I do hope you keep them private.”

  Gifts. While she’d sheltered and protected me in her own way, her words were definitely abnormal.

  I shuddered just hearing her words. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. I mean nothing really. Work has been stressful.”

  “Is that why you’re drinking? I don’t even remember the last time you had a drink with me.”

  “You don’t see me often, sis. I enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine almost every night. It soothes the demons,” Yasmine said quietly.

  I walked closer, flanking her side. “You’re scaring me. Is there something going on at the laboratory?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle. There are always politics and issues to deal with. I’m just tired from working seven days a week. Wouldn’t it be nice to take a vacation together like we used to?”

  “I’d love that. Can you get the time off?”

  “Not a chance.” She started to laugh yet I could swear there were tears in her eyes. “The tiger. He really is beautiful.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  “Did you know that the white Bengal tiger is considered the alpha of his Streak?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “They are extremely rare genetically, the occurrence once in often a generation. I’ve heard that the tiger is just as important to the continuation of the Breeds as was the white lion.”

  Given she was a geneticist, I had the distinct feeling that their DNA structure was entirely different than that of the other Breeds. “Meaning they are a valuable commodity.”

  Yasmine nodded. “More so than you know, except there’s only a rumor that one even exists. However, if there was even a chance to study one, I think that would be fascinating.”

  “Which means that if anyone of these government or dissident organizations managed to capture him, the creature would likely be destroyed.”

  “Possibly. Anyway, it’s all conjecture since the only one actually on record died not long after the chemical reactions that forced their shift into human form. It’s a shame, but that’s nature. The survival of the fittest.”

  I watched as she finished her drink, the limited ice clinking in the glass. I’d never seen her so nervous, not even when she accepted the position where she worked now. My thoughts drifted once again to the tiger. Maybe he was purposely staying hidden, fearful for his life. I closed my eyes, images of him in his human form shifting into my mind. Almost instantly, I was aroused, my entire body aching to be near him.

  My reaction was ridiculous.

  “You were always fascinated by tigers when you were little. I just haven’t heard you mention them for years,” she commented in passing.

  “I don’t remember that.” A cold shiver shifted down the backs of my legs.

  “You were pretty young. After Papa died, you drew picture after picture. I think that helped with the healing process.” Yasmine turned slightly, studying me as if trying to figure out why I’d been born with the gift of precognition.

  Or often being able to read minds.

  I’d called the abilities a curse the majority of my life, doing everything to keep that part of me turned off. Now she called them a gift.

  “Did you know that when you were really young, you ran up to one of the Breeds, jabbering on with questions about him being a tiger?”