Shepherd looked only amused, or fascinated might have been a better description. “And now you are shy…” he cooed, evilly. “This is nothing I have not said before.”

But she had purposefully never listened… she had ignored it and hated the sound of his distorted raspy voice.

“You know I find you to be very beautiful,” the monster continued, proudly prowling, trapping her against the sink. “You are, in fact, the most comely female I have ever seen.”

Claire was sorely tempted to snap something nasty at him, to bring up Svana, or the Omegas, or anything to get him to stop looking at her that way. Instead she just stammered, “I… am cold.”

“Well then, by all means, pretty little one”—Shepherd’s thick arms encircled her—“let me warm you.”

A stifled noise sputtered passed her lips as bulging muscle pulled her flush.

His lips came to her ear and the man growled in the most licentious voice she had ever heard, “And you have the most beautiful pussy I have ever known. It is perfection. Anytime you should ask, I would lick it, taste you until you screamed my name like you did four times last night.”

“STOP!”

Stroking his touch up her body until Claire’s jaw rested in his hand, he pulled the Omega from where she tried to hide her face against his chest. Their eyes mere inches apart, his hand delved between her legs to lightly swipe the gathering slick at her folds. Pulling slippery fingers away, he made a satisfied male noise and left her standing, panting, flushed, and aroused, while muttering, “Bird’s egg blue,” as he left.

Those moments… when one has a black bag over their head, when a body is being jostled, and you know, you just fucking know, your number is up… those moments just plain suck.

Feeling hands shove her back until her rear end made an uncomfortable connection with a hard chair, Maryanne prepared for her greatest performance. Or she did until the bag came off in a swoop and she was face to face again… with Shepherd.

The words caught in her throat, the typical sensual quality she knew how to use to manipulate failed, and all Maryanne could do was stare.

That man had decimated Thólos… ruined her city. That man stank of Claire’s cooch. Ewww…

“Well,” Maryanne let out a breath, “turns out I was right about just where Claire disappeared to. Guess that means I’m off limits, huh?”