Releasing Kate (Power and Pain Book One)
Releasing Kate
Cyna Kade
Kate Logan is unaware of her genetic imprint. All her life, she’s suppressed the dark longings that haunt her. Twenty-first-century women should not want alpha males to protect or dominate them.
Michael Kyle immediately recognizes Kate as his mate. He can send violent sexual visions to her but she doesn’t seem to understand what that means. She’s unaware and untrained.
He’s ready to show Kate that pain can liberate her pleasure. But first, he has to break through her resistance. She thinks her needs are wrong and fears her craving to submit to the sexual demands of this dominant man. Michael has to be patient—gradually increase her sexual pain to free her sexual pleasure and acceptance of her submissive heritage.
If he rushes the process, if he can’t break through her barriers…she won’t survive their mating.
Note: If you’re aching to explore extreme domination and submission with as much pain as pleasure at the hands of a dark, sexy man, this is the adventure you’ve been waiting for!
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Releasing Kate
ISBN 9781419926464
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Releasing Kate Copyright © 2009 Cyna Kade
Edited by Pamela Campbell
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication November 2009
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Releasing Kate
Cyna Kade
Acknowledgment
Thanks, Pamela, for all your hard work and helpful comments.
Author Note
This book is a work of fiction. It does not accurately portray BDSM or true Dom/sub relationships. Please practice safe, sane and consensual sex in your relationships.
Chapter One
At two in the morning, Kate walked into hell. Stretchers lined the hallway. Doctors yelled orders and nurses scurried to comply. Two elderly patients moaned loudly, as if trying to outdo each other, adding to the din and the bedlam. The smell of antiseptic fought with the scent of blood and vomit. Kate barely noticed the noises or the smells or the chaos as she walked into the nurses’ station of the emergency department.
“Hey, Janet, where do I start?” Kate said to one of the night nurses who stood at the desk filling out paperwork.
Janet looked up from the charts, relief crossing her face. “It’s you! What are you doing here, girl?” she exclaimed. “It’s been a long time since you graced our halls.”
Kate smiled. Janet had been a nursing student when Kate was in X-ray school. They used to party a lot and Janet enjoyed razing Kate. It had been awhile since they’d seen each other. Janet was a night person and didn’t function well on days. Kate was an administrator now and rarely worked nights so their friendship had drifted a little.
“Pete’s a little overwhelmed. He called and asked me to help,” Kate said.
“You’re such a good boss.” Janet grinned and pointed to the X-ray request box. “Have fun. The patients are ready and waiting for you.”
Kate raised an eyebrow as she realized there were ten requisitions in the box and that each patient needed multiple X-rays. “It will take awhile to clear these out, try to keep the docs off my back.”
“I’ll do my best,” Janet replied. “You’re lucky that most of the docs are already in surgery. Oh yeah,” she paused. “Watch out for this one,” she said as she raised a form and put an orange flag on it. “He’s drunk and rowdy. He’s already punched one nurse. If I were you, I’d put him last.”
Orange meant abusive. The patient might fight and was dangerous. Usually an orange flag came with a couple of guards, but Kate didn’t see any extra bodies hanging around the department. “When I get to him, I’ll need some help,” she stated.
Janet nodded. Nothing fazed her, even a request for nonexistent help. “When the time comes, someone will help,” she replied.
Kate sighed. She hoped the patient would sober up before she had to X-ray him. It was hard to take films of patients who couldn’t or wouldn’t hold still. Besides, mean drunks were no fun. They just weren’t rational. They typically didn’t feel the pain that kept sober patients cooperative. Setting aside the problem of a difficult patient, Kate grabbed a requisition and started the exams.
After a couple of hours, the list of patients had decreased dramatically. Kate took the last requisition from the box, relieved that she was almost done, at the same time aware that this one might be her most difficult exam. Janet was nowhere in sight so Kate figured she’d check the room to see what the patient was like.
Michael sat in the darkened corner of the exam room watching the rowdy drunk on the stretcher. The dimmed lights hadn’t put the guy to sleep. Michael wished he could order the guy to leave and come back when he was sober. Unfortunately, the patient’s leg was bent and obviously broken. He needed treatment. Still Michael wondered how much longer he’d have to baby-sit.
Suddenly a surge of adrenaline heightened his senses. His eyes narrowed and his predatory instinct roared to the surface. He raised his head and sniffed before he stilled into near invisibility as the door cracked open. A woman peeked into the room.
Michael’s special gift allowed him to see her naked and bound, spread before him like a dinner feast. Her lips trembled and her body arched as his long fingers delved into her dripping cunt.
The woman gasped and cast a quick glance toward the corner where Michael sat. She shook her head as if to clear it. Then she looked at the patient, grimaced and closed the door.
Michael slowly exhaled the breath he’d been holding and smiled. He hadn’t expected to find a clan woman here. No wonder his senses had kicked in so hard. He’d been celibate for too long. He simply didn’t trust himself around most normal women—his needs were too dark and too strong. He hadn’t been able to fit in a trip to Sanctuary. Now he wouldn’t have to. Here was a clan woman to slake his needs. But he didn’t recognize her. He knew most of the clan members. Even from the distant clans. Who was she?
As if summoned, she opened the door again and stuck her head back in the room. “Hello,” she said to the patient, ignoring the sitter.
“Hey, cunt, how are you doing?”
Maintaining a professional demeanor, she explained, “My name is Kate. I’m an X-ray tech and I’m going to take some pictures of your leg. I’m going to bring in the machine now.” She propped open the door and walked back into the hallway.
“My leg’s fine! I don’t want any pictures!”
Michael
watched the woman—Kate—as she drove the portable into the room. She didn’t look big enough to control the machine yet she had it positioned in minutes. Competent as well as beautiful. She was short and curvy yet athletic, like a gymnast or a cheerleader. Michael’s cock tightened with need. He wanted to unpin her hair, to discover its length, to wind it around his hands and force her to the ground. He could almost feel her writhing beneath him.
His heightened senses caught her scent—vanilla with a whiff of strawberry. He clenched his jaw and forced his erection into submission. He tried to rationalize his response. He’d been too long without a woman. But with gut-sinking certainty he knew his celibacy didn’t explain his response to Kate. He was sure that she was clan and most likely his mate. Nothing else would cause his dramatic response to her presence.
Yet he’d never seen this woman in Sanctuary, his clan’s secret enclave, located deep in the mountains. Sanctuary protected his race and allowed them to fully engage their sexual proclivities without outside interference.
The clan was ancient. No one knew its true origin. As with any society, they had only mythology and speculation on which to base their beliefs, their way of life. History had shown the danger of revealing their innate proclivities. An entire race dedicated to the pursuit of physical sensation might have been tolerated…until their telepathic powers became known. That is where they truly differed from other people. Bitter experience had taught the clan to remain hidden. Even today.
One of their scientists had recently discovered the gene responsible for their needs, preferences and abilities. Now that a biological component had been confirmed, some of the clan argued that it was time to reveal themselves. The elders counseled caution. There was nothing wrong with working or studying outside Sanctuary but revealing themselves was a foolish idea. If clan members felt too constrained, they could always go to one of the other enclaves scattered throughout the world or live a less sexually satisfying life anywhere they chose.
Michael had done just that. He’d visited all eight clans over the years. He knew many of the other families but he’d never seen this woman before. Besides, she hadn’t responded to his presence. If she were truly a mate, she would have taken more notice of him. So if she wasn’t a clan member, who was she and where had she come from? And how did she arouse his instincts? No, she had to be clan. That was the only explanation for his reaction. Michael shook his head and yanked his thoughts back to the scene playing out before him.
“Hey,” the patient said with a drunken smile, “you’re cute! If you really want to help me, why don’t you go down on me? That will take away my pain.”
“Maybe I should relieve your discomfort by cutting it off,” Kate replied sweetly.
The patient blanched.
Michael smiled. Not only competent and feminine but spirited as well—everything he required in a woman. But if she didn’t know her heritage, he couldn’t rush her. He fought down his instinctive reaction to protect her. If he didn’t get a grip, he’d break the patient’s neck. This wasn’t the time or place to claim the woman. He had to control himself.
The patient shut up for a few minutes as Kate finished setting up the machine. Then he started in again.
Kate was just getting ready with another withering statement when a movement in the corner of the room drew her attention to the sitter. He had silently watched the entertaining by-play and she’d forgotten his existence. Oops! Kate typically tried not to threaten patients in front of witnesses. She was getting tired.
“Suck me!” the patient demanded.
Kate ignored the patient’s demand and the filth he continued spewing. She knew she’d be done soon. They were just words, embarrassing as they might be.
Suddenly the sitter stood. Kate gulped. In the dim light, she hadn’t realized the man’s size. He was not only tall but well-built. He moved like a panther. He came over and stood beside her—very close beside her. His dark hair was unkempt, as if he’d recently run his hand through it. His unusual eyes peered down at her from under thick black brows. His slightly crooked nose indicated it had been broken at one time. The rest of his bone structure was perfect. Prominent cheekbones and a strong chin that framed the firm, hard lips that tipped at the edges into a half smile.
Kate felt as though a large predator had just moved into her personal space, taking all her air with him, replacing it with a musky scent that drove straight to her cunt. This was the man she’d seen in that flash of a vision when she’d first entered the room. She wasn’t sure what had happened a few moments ago so she had decided to ignore it, for now. But she couldn’t ignore the man.
Kate forgot the patient as the stranger circled her waist with a muscular arm. The minute he touched her, Kate found herself chained to a wall facing the stranger. He held a whip in his hand and her knees buckled at the thought of what he was going to do. Kate blinked and found herself back in the room, held close against the man’s side. She looked up and he smiled down at her as he moved her away from the patient with a firm but gentle touch that lingered just a moment too long. Kate wasn’t prepared for the wave of heat that rippled through her pelvis and she nearly moaned when he released her. She shook her head. It had been a long time since any man’s touch had affected her in any way and she couldn’t remember ever feeling such an instant arousal.
Who was he? His perfectly tailored clothes looked expensive. His gray herringbone suit fit smoothly across his wide shoulders, narrowing perfectly around his waist without a ripple or pull. Tailored, not off the rack. She was fairly certain his black tie was pure silk.
As he turned his attention to the drunk, she wanted to warn him not to get too close to the patient while wearing a tie but the wave of masculine rage radiating off him kept her silent. Kate was thankful his anger wasn’t aimed at her.
The stranger used a finger to turn the patient’s head. As their eyes met, the stranger said, “You will let the tech take your pictures. You will stay still while she does so. You will not speak to her again. She is my woman.”
His woman? Kate debated protesting his claim. Before she could say anything, he continued.
“You are insulting her. If you insult her, you insult me. Do I make myself clear?” he asked. His soft voice contrasted with the wave of menace that poured off him.
Stunned by the stranger’s aura of restrained violence, Kate nearly forgot to breathe. He hadn’t harmed the patient but a sense of danger filled the room. The broad, muscular shoulders filling his expensive suit were not just for show.
The patient and the stranger seemed to share a perfect moment of masculine understanding. The patient shut up and settled down. Apparently, he agreed with Kate’s assessment.
The stranger turned to Kate.
Kate looked up and lost herself in his eyes. Such an unusual color, golden like a tiger’s eyes. They’d lost the intensity of a moment ago and now looked warm and comforting.
She eyed him warily. Her head didn’t reach the top of his shoulders so she knew he was a couple of inches over six feet. He tilted his head down. Smiling, he reached out and lightly caressed her cheek.
Kate shuddered. She wanted to lean her head on his broad chest and forget the world. She’d never felt so warm and protected. He made her feel secure.
“Finish the exam,” he commanded in a voice that softly slithered through her. It resonated in her chest and filled her pelvis with heat as his musky scent enveloped her in a protective cocoon. She just wanted to sink into his arms, knowing he’d keep her safe in this perilous world.
Kate mentally shook herself. Women in the twenty-first century didn’t expect rescue from a man. She should be angry that he interfered. She’d been a tech for years. She was used to handling abusive patients. She silently repeated the mantra. Part of her was annoyed that the stranger had intruded.
She couldn’t deny the man’s effectiveness though. The patient remained quiet and cooperative throughout the rest of the exam. Her thoughts whirled while she finished.
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Despite her internal protests, she admitted that the knight-in-shining-armor act aroused something primitive deep within her. No one had ever come to her rescue before. A long-buried, deeply feminine part of her thrilled to let the big strong man take care of her problem. Ouch, she thought as she finished up, I must be tired. She took a deep, calming breath and told herself to think about it later.
By six in the morning, the chaos in emergency was down to a manageable level. Kate couldn’t get the stranger out of her head. Usually sitters were just anybody who happened to be competent and handy on short notice. That guy definitely wasn’t the norm. Kate caught Janet just as she was leaving work. “Who was that guy?” Kate asked.
“What guy? Oh gosh, you mean the sitter, don’t you? I am so sorry, I forgot he was there and I didn’t get a chance to warn you,” she exclaimed, a strange expression on her face.
“Warn me? Why? Who is he?”
Janet looked around, obviously nervous. “Not here. Let’s go grab a cup of coffee.”
Once settled in the cafeteria, Janet squirmed.
“Give,” Kate said.
“I’m sorry. I was under strict orders not to tell anyone about him and I sincerely forgot he was in that room.”
Kate raised an eyebrow.
“Girl, he’s your new boss,” Janet stated with a smile.
The previous chief executive officer of the hospital had been arrested on Medicare-fraud charges. The staff was elated. The guy punished offenses but never rewarded good work. He’d starved the departments of funds. He had refused to buy desperately needed equipment. Working conditions had been appalling under his administration. No one mourned his leaving.
Yet the staff worried about who’d come in to fix the mess and just how it would be fixed. Everyone knew the board was looking for a hard-nosed replacement with a sterling reputation. The hospital needed government funds. Whoever came in had to be acceptable to the feds, to the state and to the insurance companies who insured the survival of the institution if not the survival of the patients. After a couple of weeks, rumors floated across the grapevine. The board had hired a new guy. Some big deal who made a career of rescuing hospitals in trouble. He typically fired eighty percent of the department heads. All the managers were concerned, including Kate.