Best Friends (New Species #15)(70)

He bared her stomach and adjusted the position of his big body, until his face hovered over her middle.

His mouth opened and Mary whimpered, knowing it was going to be a horrible way to die. Slow. Him tearing out her throat would have been faster.

He sniffed at her again and released her dress with his freakishly large hands. They appeared normal, except there was enough light coming off the waterfall behind her to see that they weren’t totally human. Fine hairs covered the back of his fingers.

Fur. That’s fur. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God!

He planted one open hand on her stomach, and Mary gasped. It didn’t hurt, but he did it with enough force that it wasn’t exactly gentle. His fingers curled, and she felt sharp fingernails press into her skin. They didn’t hurt, either, but she could distinctly feel the tip of each one.

He wasn’t going to bite into her. No. He was going to claw her skin open instead to reach her internal organs.

He lowered his head and sniffed her stomach. Mary figured he was probably deciding what would be the tastiest part of her to start with. He moved lower, and she realized that he’d ripped her dress completely open. She lie there with her underclothing exposed.

He dipped his head, sniffing at her white panties.

Not there! God. Kill me before you bite or use your sharp nails to rip me open there!

He leaned in closer, and all that wild fur/hair on his head touched her stomach. She whimpered again when he pressed his nose right up against her pelvic bone.

He growled in response. It was a mean sound, not happy. His chin lifted, and he glowered at her as he rose up a bit. He also adjusted his body higher over hers.

He’s part human.

She desperately tried to think past her fear. He looked human, but so…not. His body was human in shape, though, despite the mane of hair flowing to his shoulders, the patch of fur on his chest, the back of his fingers, and his facial traits. And Mary was desperate to live…

She reached up slowly. He noticed, and stared at her hand. It was trembling badly as she gently stoked his chest.

The hair was fur. The texture of it surprised her. She hadn’t petted many of her friends’ pets, since they tended to try to take a bite out of her. He probably would, too, but at this point, she was desperate.

Nice kitty. She would have said it out loud but was afraid the sound of her voice might set him off, and then the bleeding would begin. Hers.

His chest hair was super soft and short. She stroked it again. Nice kitty. Nice big freaking kitty.

She stopped though when a loud noise emanated from him. It took her a second to realize he was purring.

That gave her hope, and she started stroking him again.

Nice kitty. Please don’t kill me.

He wasn’t tearing her to shreds or biting into her. He just purred and watched her with golden eyes that were going to be in her nightmares forever if she managed to survive.

And she was already coming up with a plan. Mel had joked that the two things Snow loved most were food and sex.

Mary so didn’t want to be food…

She darted a look down his body and almost changed her mind. He really was the largest man she’d ever seen. He had to weigh three hundred pounds. At least. Her gaze lingered on the parts of his body that she could see. He didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. Just muscle, flesh, and big bones.

She kept stroking his chest. Not that it took much effort. Her hand shook enough that she could just hold it against him.

Could she make him more interested in her as a woman than his next meal? He was probably too lion-ish to see her as a woman. She was screwed if that were the case, and not in a sexual way. Though, he could probably kill her that way, too.

Currently, he just watched her, easing the grip on her skin with his sharp fingernails. That gave her slight hope she might live.

She swallowed hard and tried to speak. “Please don’t hurt me.”

The purring stopped, and he growled.

Shut up! Don’t talk.

There were people who’d been dubbed dog and cat whisperers. It was possible she was the reverse, and her voice sent animals into attack mode. She had an aunt who had the most annoying laugh on the planet. Every time that woman started to snort and choke—what it actually sounded like—Mary wanted to wring her neck just to make it stop.

She reached up and stroked his chest with both hands now. He watched, and the purring started up again. She figured that was a good sign. Maybe she could just keep petting him until Mel was ready to toss her bouquet. When she didn’t answer her phone, Mel would send Snow to find her, and he’d come to her rescue. She just had to stay alive until then.

Mary calmed just a bit, since he wasn’t killing her. She used her fingernails to lightly scratch his fur. He closed his eyes, and his harsh features seemed to smooth out a little, as if he enjoyed her touch.

Hope soared. Maybe she could put him to sleep and then run for her life. There had to be a way out of the basement.

She grew bolder, expanding the small area she touched. She accidently ran one fingernail across his nipple, and it puckered. His eyes opened as he locked gazes with her, continuing to purr. They watched each other closely.

Mary was tempted to beg for her life again, but she stayed silent instead. He didn’t appear to like her voice. She was a fast learner. Especially when her life was on the line. He enjoyed being petted, though. She could do that for as long as it took Mel to send Snow to find her.