By choice or by force Ch. 02

Laurie lay on the bed and watched as Michael began to pull off his clothes in an almost frantic way.

Fabric tore and buttons popped, and one tiny missile almost caught her right in the eye!

She had indulged in many fantasies of Michael over the last few months, but now that he was actually here with her - the whole thing was almost overwhelmingly - real.

Almost.

As Michael shed the last of his clothes, he stood in all of his muscular naked glory and simply gazed at her with his molten eyes.

"Mine!" he snapped again.

Although she was no virgin, Laurie was very inexperienced with men, her shy retiring, and often timid nature meant that men did not warm to her easily.

But she found that instead of feeling nervous especially since Michael seemed to be in the grip of some sort of macho cave-man stuff, instead of feeling nervous of him, she felt positively elated.

She felt sexy and sensual and every inch the woman instead of the girl.

She sat up on the bed suddenly and began to pull open her jacket.

"Yes," she hissed. "I can be yours - all yours!"

The strappy camisole beneath showed off her delicate cleavage to perfection, and Michael felt the blood surging through his system, and hardening the parts of the him that would seal her words forever.

He stepped towards the bed and sat down.

He did not wait for her to finish undressing, but simply scooped her up into his arms. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and tugged back so that he could stare down into her face for a moment, and gaze at the almost hypnotic swirling blue of her eyes.

She was just amazing, this woman who would be his mate for life.

He felt another surge of power and energy and his mouth crushed down on to hers.

His tongue thrust into her mouth, and he explored and enjoyed the taste of her for all of two seconds, before it was not enough.

Then he pushed her back down onto the bed, and grabbed the waist belt of her jeans.

He gave a quick tug and the buttons popped open.

Laurie lifted her hips impatiently and he quickly and efficiently removed her jeans entirely, taking her lacy briefs with them.

He stroked his hand down her silky thigh, and then knocked her legs apart, so that he could position himself for the thrust of his life.

He did not wait or hesitate put speared into her, stretching and filling her - all in one movement.

Laurie let out a yelp of surprise, followed by a growl from the back of her throat.

Michael buried himself deep inside her, but he was not content to linger there, he needed to move, to stoke the flames of their passion and drive them both to fulfilment.

And as Laurie lifted her hips and thrust back at him, he knew that she would be with him all the way.

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pressed her mouth to his.

"Make me yours!" She hissed against his lips.

He began a fast-hard jabbing then, that sent deep thrills into Laurie.

She gasped and she gurgled and her arms tightened around his neck.

The pleasure was more than anything that she could have imagined and it sent her driving towards her orgasm without much thought or consideration for him, as she continued to thrust her hips in rhythm with him.

Meeting his thrusts with her own, each of them getting faster, harder and more urgent - driving them to their gratification.

Laurie squeezed her eyes tight, as Michael's fluids washed through her, and warmed her, and sent her over into her own orgasm.

Laurie was no virgin, but her experiences to date had been with a couple of college students, the first had been a young man who she had been friends with for a while, and the other had been a one-night stand and the secret shame of her life up until now.

With both of those young men, the moment that the sex was over, they had withdrawn from her body, and turned away to straighten up their clothing - or to allow her to dress.

She expected the same from Michael, even though this experience so far had been nothing like those other times.

She waited for him to slip out of her, and for him to move away.

She braced herself for that moment of abandonment and chill.

But Michael held himself deep inside her, as he held his weight up on his arms.

He stared down into her exquisite face as the brief look of euphoria flooded it.

And then she opened her eyes and a look of almost sadness came into them.

"Everything okay?" he asked gruffly.

She looked up at him, and the moment fled as she clenched around him.

She nodded and a shy smile touched her lips. "Yes, oh yes, everything is just perfect!"

He relaxed a little but even as he smiled back, his eyes darkened, and Laurie gasped as she felt him swell, and harden inside her.

"Again?" she whispered joyfully.

He smiled a sheepish sort of smile. "If you can cope with me?" he challenged huskily, as he slowly and tentatively started to move.

She did not bother to answer, but reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her mouth to his.

"Oh yes I can cope... but can you handle me?"

**

Hours later, Michael fell back onto the bed with a gasp of pure tiredness.

"Woman!" he growled as Laurie curled up beside him with a smug little smile - even though she too looked worn out.

Michael had never met anyone like her before. Not only had she kept up with him - enthusiastically so, she had become more demanding as time went on.

At a point where most of his liaisons were crying out 'enough', and 'no more', Laurie was whispering in his ear, and stroking him in an attempt at arousing his passion once more,

"Come on," she had whispered huskily, as she rolled on top of him. "You said that you wanted to make me yours... but I am still doubtful!"

He felt the thrill of her words as for the first time he thought that he might actually find a sense of fulfilment with a woman.

But he knew that he could not let her think it was just about the sex. He knew suddenly that he had to bond with her, to make her understand, and agree to the commitment which he would demand from her and pledge to her, he wanted her to understand exactly what he was, and he wanted her to understand and accept him, before he made love to her again.

He ran his hand up her spine, and under her hair, before grabbing a hand full and tugging down sharply.

The action lifted her chin, and moved her mouth from his.

"Ouch!" she hissed, but he saw the look of excitement in her eyes.

He caught the gaze, and locked on, and his eyes flashed golden and silver, and then turned black.

Laurie gave a gasp of surprise, but her eyes remained passive, even though her lips quivered.

"I want you," he growled. "I want you to know who you belong too."

"Yes," she whispered. "I want that too."

"Then open your senses to me, see me and only me," Michael knew that this was not the way that it was meant to happen, that the bonding should occur naturally. Laurie was susceptible to influence from him, but it was almost as though she was protected from him as well?

He sat up and tugged again so that Laurie moved as well. She curled her legs and ended up sitting on his thighs.

"See me," he said again as he kept his eyes locked onto hers. "See only me..."

His voice thickened and deepened and he saw her mouth go slack, and the pupils expanded turning her eyes black.

"I see... you," she whispered.

She blinked and her eyes went blue again.

And she smiled a cheeky sort of smile.

"Since you're right in front of me, I can't help but see you!"

Michael felt the air abandon his lungs, and for a moment he thought that he would not be able to draw a breath.

He thought he might suffocate as the room dimmed suddenly, and darkness tried to invade his senses.

Laurie frowned in concern and moved away a little.

"Are you okay?" she asked nervously.

He shook his head and drew in a ragged breath.

"Yes," he finally managed to squeeze out the single word.

He took several deep breathes as Laurie watched him anxiously.

He rested his head against the pillows and closed his eyes as he tried to process what had just happened.

For the first time in his life, Michael had tried to bond with a woman, and worse still he had tried to do it without her consent...

"That's it!" he blurted as his eyes snapped open, it had failed because of that!

"What?"

He turned to her, and took her hands in his.

"I have to tell you something about myself," Michael said seriously.

"Okay?"

Michael sighed and shook his head sadly, as he thought how best to tell her - without scaring the living daylights out of her.

"I am not like you... not completely... I am not like anyone of normal human heritage..."

"Oh?"

He fixed his eyes on her, and his grip tightened. "Please understand that I would never do anything to cause you or anyone else any harm... I would never want to hurt - or coerce you into anything!"

"Okay?" she said again slowly, and his eyes narrowed on her lips as her tongue flickered across them in what was an obviously nervous gesture.

He gave a low growl of frustration. What the hell was he thinking? Laurie was still just a girl, a girl who he had screwed in every way imaginable - but she was still just a young - very young woman - who could not even walk down a street without needing to be rescued, just what did he think he was doing?

"I'm a changeling!" he snapped suddenly.

Laurie gasped and her eyes narrowed in confusion. "What?"

"A changeling - a sort of well a werewolf... amongst other things - animal shape shifter - a not all human but something more!" he fired out the words as he tried to explain to her - what he was.

Her mouth dropped open, and she could not seem to meet his gaze.

"Oh," she whispered weakly.

He reached out to touch her again and Laurie flinched away.

Michael felt his heart freeze in his chest, and a solid lump formed at the back of his throat.

She was afraid of him!

He did not think that he had ever felt such a raw pain like this before.

His own body seemed to want to kill him, as his heart froze and his lungs refused to work.

The woman, who he had all but bonded with, who he would love until his dying breath, was afraid of him!

"Laurie!"

She stiffened suddenly and then turned to look at him, and her eyes were wide and clear, and beautifully unafraid.

Michael felt the lump in his throat move, and his heart gave a lurch and his lungs expanded with air as he drew in a deep breath of relief.

"You have to believe me Laurie... I would never - could never harm you," he said again as he sought to reassure her.

She gave him a tight little smile.

"I do believe you - I understand completely what you are, but you see..."

She never got any further, because his mobile suddenly started to beep at him.

He gave another low growl of frustration, but as it beeped again, he glanced at his watch.

It was almost morning, almost six o'clock, and he had an important meeting to attend at nine o'clock.

Before he could even think of attending that meeting though, he needed to shower, and change, and then he needed to get in to his office and read through the report that he knew would be waiting for him.

He had set his alarm so early because he knew that he would have a lot to do this morning - before he could attend that meeting.

His phone beeped again - louder this time.

"I think that you are wanted?" Laurie said with a tight smile.

"By you?" he asked hopefully as he leaned closer.

"I think that last night answered that question - for both of us!"

"I'm not talking about that... I mean the rest of it; I mean the bonding!"

"The bonding?" she looked confused and shocked.

"The bonding is what we call it, when we find a partner that we want to be with... for ever - a life partner."

"What... Oh!"

The colour flooded her cheeks, and she could not meet his eyes.

His phone beeped again - even louder this time, and then as if for good measure it began to ring as well.

He turned away from Laurie to answer it, and so missed her look of pure joy.

"Yes, Richards here?" he snapped as he answered the call.

"Mr Richards, you asked me to call you at five minutes past six this morning - to ensure that you were awake, and to remind you that you have that report to read through and approve," his personal assistant Maria was a calm middle-aged lady, who was nothing if not efficient.

"Thank you, Maria, I am awake and out of bed, I'll be in the office for seven, but don't feel like you have to rush in as well."

"Very well Mr Richards - I left the report on your desk."

"Thank you - I will see you at eight," he switched off his phone and looked back at Laurie.

"I haven't time to talk about this now, but I will be back later."

Laurie shivered. That sounded almost like a threat to her?

He reached across and grabbed her arms, to drag her to him, and his lips bruised hers, as he kissed them savagely - more for his own pleasure, she thought, than to give any to her.

"Later!" He growled against her mouth. "Later we will talk and make plans for our future together."

He pushed her back down onto the bed, and grabbed at his clothes, and as Laurie sat and watched him dress, her whirling spinning world slowly began to right itself.

For weeks - months now, she had been dreaming and fantasising that this would happen. That Michael would see her and fall in love with her, and eventually form the bonding with her.

But the dreams and fantasies were all coming true too fast for her, they were crashing in and piling themselves upon her, crowding in on her, and stopping her from thinking rationally.

And the then there was the realisation that he was one of her kind, not just a human but more...

And there was his almost constant attempts at dominating her, she was already starting to feel worn out by the need to keep fighting the impulse to bow down to him - she suddenly had a mental image of spending years of fighting his urge to dominate her.

And in short, she panicked.

"I can't!" she blurted out. "I can't bond with you; I can't make plans... I cannot make such a major commitment without us actually knowing anything about each other!"

He looked surprised - and shocked again that she seemed to be defying him over almost everything.

He pulled on his jacket. "I have to go now, but we will talk about it later," he growled.

His eyes darkened and his shoulders seemed to grow even broader, as his voice thickened and he towered over her.

It was as if he actually grew whilst he stood there, and Laurie felt herself shrinking as she almost cowered to his authority.

Almost.

Suddenly she threw back her shoulders and glared at him. "We will only talk - if you are prepared to listen too!" she all but shouted.

**

Michael stepped into the elevator with a sense of purpose. He pressed the button and felt the jolt as it began to carry him up to the top floor.

He tapped his foot impatiently and ran his hand through his hair a couple of times.

It had been a day full of frustrations. His meeting had not gone well, and several incidents throughout the day had seen him glowering at his poor employees, often before they could even speak.

It hadn't taken long for word to get out, that the boss was in a bad mood, and whereas he usually had an open-door policy where any and all could drop by, to voice concerns or discuss some project, this afternoon, he had been abandoned.

No one wanted to pop in, it seemed, and so he had been left on his own - to stew and brood over Laurie.

He would talk to her right now, would get her to admit to the bond and commit to him as she should have done last night... or this morning.

The elevator shuddered to a halt and the doors whooshed open to reveal the woman from the night before.

She stepped inside and he was aware of her quick look.

As the doors closed and the elevator jolted into motion again, he knew that the woman was watching him - almost nervously.

Michael bit back a snarl of frustration; he was so not in the mood to fend off her advances.

"Excuse me..." She began hesitantly.

Michael turned and almost glared at her.

"I'm sorry but I am spoken for," he snapped.

She blinked at him, and a dull colour entered her pale cheeks.

"Well good for you," she retorted dryly. "But if it's that pretty little thing from last night, and you were hoping to see her again tonight... well I think that you will be out of luck."

"What do you mean?" he demanded impatiently.

"Well it's just that I saw her getting into a van about a couple of hours ago... well not exactly getting into it, but rather being put into it... and I was not totally convinced that she actually wanted to go!"

He suddenly saw that what he had taken for nervousness a moment ago, might actually have been concern.

His eyes hardened and turned a metallic silvery colour, as he moved closer to the woman.

"What did you see, tell me everything that you saw... remember every little detail and describe it to me."

The doors whooshed open to reveal the top floor, but Michael simply leaned forward and kept his finger on the button to hold the doors open, as he kept his gaze fixed firmly on the woman, and the woman began to talk...

Moments later he stepped out and the doors closed and he heard the elevator as it began its descent.

Michael opened his own door, and allowed it to swing too behind him.

He walked across the darkened room, and snatched up his telephone.

Even in the darkness he knew which numbers to punch into it, after reading the number from the notepad next to the telephone.

He listened impatiently to the dialling and the ringing, and then a moment later a gruffly feminine voice answered.

"Hello, this is Rowena Beaumont?"

"Ms Beaumont," Michael said shortly. "I'm ringing for some information, regarding your new tenant - my neighbour."

"Who is this?" The gruff voice demanded.

"It's Michael Richards."

"Michael Richards ... your new neighbour? Laurie - what do you want with Laurie?"

He could feel the waves of distrust and aggression, almost as a physical force, and he actually held the phone away from him for a moment.

"I need to contact her family," he said through gritted teeth, as he put it back to his ear.

"... Tell me why and I will ensure that they get the message," she finally said suspiciously.

Michael sighed impatiently. "I think that she might have been abducted!" he snapped after a moment.

"WHAT!"