Beast's Claim - Piper Stone Page 0,1

spine elongated, creating a wave of anguish, I dug my claws into the mud, struggling as the pain became blinding. As the bones began to break, lengthening and reshaping, all I could think about was the human who would become mine.

Her delicious pussy.

Her tight little asshole.

Her total surrender.

The vision intense, I struggled to return to the ugliness of what I’d become, but her face remained at the forefront of my mind.

That’s when I knew.

The human belonged to me.

She’d been foretold, a female who would be my salvation, as well as that of our entire species.

The human who would be my mate.

There would be no turning back, no chance at altering the course of nature. I would take her, train her, and she would bear my cubs. There would be no escape, for if she tried, she would be marked from my harsh punishment.

Soon... little female. I will devour you.

For I was the alpha.

Of our kind.

Of the panthers.

Breeds...

Chapter Two

Raven

Monsters.

Why do they always seem to come late in the night? I finally found the answer after searching for years. The darkness allows their beasts to come out and play...

Spirits.

As my grandfather had always told me, animals had the purest spirits on Earth. They were incapable of hiding their feelings, or their predatory nature. Yet they were also capable of great love and loyalty, even compassion after all the years of torment.

While I’d been taught that beasts of the forest were our friends, creatures to be revered and honored, there were few who felt the same. So many continued to believe the majestic animals were actual monsters, holding onto belief that they should be enslaved or worse.

Exterminated.

Because of what we’d done with our wars and greed, our desire for power and influence. We’d destroyed their ecosystems, forcing them to turn into another kind of beast altogether.

The worst kind.

Human.

My entire world and all that I knew was shattered on the day I met him.

Jabari...

A strong and virile creature hunting for his salvation, for a way of reaching freedom, his hunger knew no bounds.

I was no longer the renowned scientist, a woman to be reckoned with.

I was his mate and he was coming to claim his prey.

* * *

You are mine. There is nowhere you can run, no location on this planet you can hide where I won’t find you. I’m coming for you, Raven. I am the alpha and you belong to me.

The words rushed into my mind for the third time that day alone, the deep baritone of the man’s inflection always leaving me wet and aching. Sadly, they were only a product of my imagination, a deep-seated longing that remained furrowed in the darkest recesses of my mind. Maybe because of loneliness. Maybe because of long hours. I brushed them off as I always did, attempting to focus on my work.

Monsters...

They were all I’d thought about for years, although in my mind, the beasts intent on dragging the human race into extinction had every right to inflict whatever form of retaliation they had in mind. I shifted away from the steel table, arching my back in an effort to soothe the ache. All the work I’d performed during the last few months seemed futile, especially since the company I worked for had one purpose.

Saving the human race.

The same chemicals that had altered the DNA of the beasts had also done so to mankind. Eventually, humans would fall prey to a horrible demise.

My frustration wasn’t based on any ulterior motive for humans to succumb to the recently discovered effects of the decades past chemical war. I simply had no desire for the Breeds to be exterminated in the process.

And I knew they would be.

All the posturing I’d heard from the government, all the promises made were based on officials who knew little about the Breeds or cared to find out. Sadly, I had the distinct feeling that even the almighty White House couldn’t prevent various militia-style factions from hunting them down. The dissidents were already doing so, terrified that the Breeds would take control. Maybe beasts who’d once ruled the forests, jungles, and deserts should be the ones leading every country. After all, they were far superior creatures.

At least in my mind.

I’d studied the various Breeds for years, engaging with dozens of them, learning about their newly manifested cultures since the horror of their awakening. At least that’s what several of them had called the tragic turn of events, the DNA of massive beasts altering given the horrific chemicals used, animals suddenly able