Title: Rampant
Authors: Shay (thewickedquill) & Sheri (wildsky)
Characters, Pairings: Alec, Max, Mystery Man (you don't expect us to reveal it before the fact, do you?), Max/?
Rating: NC17
Genre: Poooorn!
Type: Challenge Response; Standalone
Word Count: 3727
Note: Written for the RH/E2RH Summer Sizzler Challenge 2010, "Heat With a Twist".
Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to us, but damn it, it should!
Summary: Cat scratch fever, meow!

...

Rampant

...

There were a few things Max might have expected to see when she opened the door to her apartment but Alec McDowell on bended knee was definitely not one of them. She blinked but no, the image didn't disappear and Alec smiled up at her with hopeful eyes.

"Marry me?" he asked, holding out a small blue velvet box.

Max's left eyebrow flew upwards and she folded her arms, staring down at him in bafflement. "Too many concussions leave you brain damaged?"

Alec just grinned and shook his head. "I promise this offer is one hundred percent genuine and head trauma free."

Max sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes. "No," she replied and began to close the door.

Alec laughed and put a hand out to stop her. "Aw, come on, Max, would it really be that bad?"

"Should I give you a disaster-by-disaster description of our relationship so far?" Max asked sweetly, and then eyed the ring in his grasp. "And while you're feeling generous, how about giving me an explanation?"

"Okay, okay, I need a favor," Alec admitted, getting to his feet. "Jewelry optional, coitus not required."

"Damn right 'bout that last part," Max snorted. "What did you do this time?"

"Always the bad guy with you, Max," Alec said with a sigh, leaning against the doorframe. He closed the box with a snap and tossed it to her. "I need you to be my wife for the night."

"More information, Romeo," Max prompted him as she opened the box and studied the ring he'd presented to her. There was no denying it was a beauty. The rock was easily worth three grand and the setting was pure antique magnificence. She might have considered his offer if –

"You can keep the ring," Alec added with a flash of a smile, as if he'd read her mind. It wasn't as if he'd bought the piece anyway and Max was no fool. She'd fence it for a good price and her co-operation would make it worth the effort of procuring it.

"You've got my attention," Max decided, pocketing the box. "Anything else in it for me?"

Alec frowned. "That's not enough?"

"You still owe me a cut from the Burman heist," Max reminded him.

"Ah." Alec nodded. "Yeah, okay." Two cans of motor oil promptly appeared at her feet. "Better?"

Max smiled. "Deal. What's the plan?"

Alec gave Max a measuring look, his eyes sweeping over her from head to toe.

Max glared back, bristling at the blatant inspection. "What?"

Alec shrugged. "Do you have anything to wear that doesn't scream 'biker chick'?"

o . O . o

Max stepped into the brightly lit ballroom and heaved a sigh. While she enjoyed dolling herself up every once in a while, rubbing shoulders with the rich and snobby wasn't really her scene. What exactly had possessed her to agree to Alec's scheme again? Oh right. Motor oil and a diamond that would keep her in spare engine parts for a while. Alec was damn lucky he had exquisite taste in jewelry. Tonight's event was enough to put a fun-loving girl to sleep standing up. God, she must be out of her mind.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Max groused, thankful for the elaborate mask that covered most of her face. It wouldn't make a great impression to be caught scowling at the hostess, after all. The fact that this shindig was a masquerade had done more to stop her from changing her mind than the money did. Anonymity was one hell of a bonus on a gig like this.

"You let me bribe you into this, Max," Alec pointed out, eyes glinting merrily. "If you're going to be scathing, at least keep your facts straight."

"Oh, this isn't scathing. I save that for special incidents of stupidity," Max chirped. Spying an impeccably dressed waiter bearing a silver tray laden with crystal flutes filled with champagne, Max snatched a glass and downed the contents in a few smooth swallows. The waiter, who wisely remained expressionless, had paused when she claimed her prize and Max didn't hesitate to take another.

Alec watched with a raised eyebrow. "Mind slowing down a bit?" he cautioned her, accepting a flute when the waiter turned to him. Alec smiled at a matronly passer-by bedecked with jewels who gave him an appreciative once-over in return.

Max shot him a withering look. "It's hot in here, I'm thirsty and I have a metabolism that kicks the ass of the strongest alcoholic beverage they could possibly throw my way. Relax."

Alec gave Max a puzzled look. "Max, it's air-conditioned in here. I'm in a suit and I'm perfectly comfortable." Alec studied her, noting that she did look a bit flushed, and put a hand against her back to steer her across the room. She glowered at him but thankfully didn't make a scene. He took her second empty glass and handed them off to a passing waiter, maneuvering her towards the dance floor.

Alec pulled her close, taking her hand in his and sliding the other down around her waist to the small of her back. Startled, Max tilted her head up to peer at him through the almond-shaped slits in her mask, her body swaying closer to his with every passing moment. Alec made no effort to hide that he was staring, taking in everything from the rosy hue of her skin to the slow-burning feverish look in her eyes. He inhaled slowly and deeply, sifting past the perfume she'd dabbed at her pulse point to find the reality of the situation.

"Max, are you feeling all right?" he asked in a low, taut voice. He already knew the answer but he wanted to hear it from her. He could feel her hips brushing against his as they moved to the music, her fingers caressing the back of his neck.

Her mouth opened a fraction, her small pink tongue darting out to wet her lips. It was such an innocent gesture but one that was overtly seductive. Not to mention completely out of character.

"Max?" he prompted her again. "Think about it. How do you feel?"

Alec knew the moment it clicked. She stilled in his arms and swallowed hard, staring at him like a deer in headlights from behind the shelter of her mask.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I'm not due yet."

"I think your body disagrees," Alec said stiffly. Her scent was sinking into his bones. It was still faint – she must have been in the early stages – but it was there. "You're dumping pheromones."

Max shivered and took a half step back, putting a respectable distance between them once more without breaking out of his grasp. "You can tell?"

"I can smell it," Alec confessed quietly, rotating them on the spot so he could scan the room. "I need you sharp, Max. How much of a problem is this going to be?"

"I can handle it," Max said, steely determination winding its way through her tone. "I said I'd help and I will."

"Maybe we should call it a night, get you home," Alec offered but Max shook her head.

"We do the job, then we go," she said firmly, brown eyes glinting. "How about you? If you can smell it, is it going to screw with you?"

"I can take it if you can," Alec replied, hoping it wasn't a total lie. Distance would help. Lots and lots of distance. "No offence but I want to get out of this with my ass intact."

"I have no interest whatsoever in your ass," Max said primly.

"Aw, Max, it's always about my ass," Alec snickered and was rewarded with a savage pinch to the arm. "Ow! Hey! I'm just being realistic here. How long is it going to be before you're jumping anything with a y-chromosome? Come on, you're hot. What guy wouldn't want to –"

Max's index finger whipped up below his nose in warning. "One more word, Alec."

Alec grinned. Angry he could work with. He steered her towards the balcony windows and let a gust of chill night air clear the beginnings of hazy arousal from his mind. Max was his friend when things went well, his co-leader most of the time and a partner-in-crime when he baited the hook with shiny trinkets but he'd never really thought of her in a sexual way. Well, not outside of trying to get her to shake her booty for the sake of a mermaid anyway. The whole breeding partner thing at Manticore had been just a little too high on the incest ladder for Alec's tastes.

Okay, they had to achieve their objective and run like hell. Estrus wasn't something to fool around with.

"All right, can you do what I asked you here for without going all femme fatale on the male population down here? We need to speed up our timetable."

"Spin me to the buffet and we're good," Max nodded, dragging in a deep breath as she tried to calm the nerves that had sprung up the moment reality – and her hormones – had crashed in on her. "There isn't anyone over there at the moment."

o . O . o

Max watched Alec disappear, slipping through the crowd of people like a wraith, and straightened her spine. She had never been so grateful in her entire life that her face was covered. The mortification that had taken over at the realization that she'd been practically grinding her hips into Alec's had sent every drop of available blood rushing to her cheeks.

That said, Alec had handled a weird situation pretty calmly. He hadn't freaked, hadn't run. He'd just looked her in the eyes and stopped the train before it derailed. How the hell had she not known? There were usually warning signs and as much as she hated her cycle and liked to pretend it didn't exist, she had the timing down to within a week. She was early. Almost a month early. If Alec hadn't pointed out what was happening, the results could have been spectacularly bad.

And he wasn't completely unaffected either from what she could tell. His pupils had blown out, the green-gold of his eyes darkening. Hanging around probably wasn't a good option for either of them.

All she had to do was keep her eye on the prize. Tens of thousands of dollars in gold and precious stones was worth a few hours of stress. If she could just avoid anyone male until Alec came back, she'd be fine. She kept her head down and hovered near the food, picking at grapes and strawberries in an effort to remain relatively unnoticed.

God, she could feel the itch under the skin already. That was what she hated the most. The ache that refused to go away, especially the one that always camped out between her legs. Max clamped her thighs together tightly and pursed her lips. The smell was already pervading her senses. She might not be looking at the various men milling about but the scent was unavoidable.

The scent was... holy crap, it was delicious. Something was different and every animal instinct Max possessed perked up like a bloodhound. Max took a deep breath, filling her lungs with it and felt that throb in her groin intensify. She hadn't intended to look up but suddenly she was staring at one man in a crisp black tuxedo, his face obscured like hers.

No, no, no! Wrenching her attention away from the stranger, Max bit down on her lower lip hard enough to draw blood. She had to hold out, to get back to her apartment where she could lock the doors and windows and ask Cindy to hit her with a tire iron if she tried to escape. The cat inside of Max clawed at her insides, sending another spike of heat shooting southwards.

Oh crap, he was looking at her. Damn it, when had she even looked up again? Not that it really mattered. It was too late and he was staring at her from fifteen feet away, the ferocity in his gaze making Max's mouth go dry. He started towards her and Max whimpered, a litany of yes no yes no spinning circles in her head. She had an impression of blue eyes behind his mask and then he was kissing her, his hands locking around her waist with an iron strength that drove any thought of control and decency out of her head.

Max was only aware of being pressed up against a wall, her partner's hands sliding up her body to pin her wrists over her head, oblivious to the people watching in slack-jawed horror as she broke his grip and turned the tables. He threw his head back in abandon under her questing lips and tongue, letting out throaty moans that didn't belong in a public place. The guests were making varying exclamations of disgust, fascination and encouragement but Max couldn't bring herself to care. The only thing that mattered was the hard length she could feel pressed against her abdomen.

Then he was lifting her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist and the pair stumbled out of there. They staggered through the doors to the kitchens, knocking into the hired help who tried to avoid a collision with the heated couple locked at the lips.

The masked man deftly unzipped max's dress, growling in appreciation as the silken material fell away to reveal shapely breasts of richest caramel, their dark peaks hardening under his gaze. Gasps sounded around them but neither moved; whether they heard and were ignoring their audience or if they were just too wrapped up in each other no-one could tell. They didn't even seem to care, their focus on their hips, grinding together, creating an exquisite friction as he lowered his mouth to her chest, nuzzling and nipping, sucking and licking. Max let her head fall back, moaning in wanton need even as a tiny voice in the back of her mind screamed at her to stop. The voice was quickly silenced, the pleasure beating it to a bloody pulp and giving it a kick to the stomach for good measure.

His hands wandered, one slithering down between their thrusting hips to delve between Max's legs, sliding through the wetness he found there. His fingers curled around her panties, tearing them away ruthlessly and Max ripped open the fly on his pants, shoving them down so they pooled around his ankles. She grasped his throbbing cock in her hand and he groaned and bit down hard on her shoulder.

Max hissed, the animalistic beast that had taken her over reveling in the primitive act. Her partner swept the countertop clear, sending dishes crashing to the floor. He lifted her onto the surface, grasped his shaft and positioned himself at her dripping center.

"Oh my God!"

"Ugh, that's so unhygienic."

"Are they really going to do that in front of us?"

"Someone get them out! That's a health code violation!"

"Shut up! It's free porn!"

Max wouldn't have given a flying fuck about a roomful of voyeurs if they'd have only kept their mouths shut but the running commentary pissed her off. She scrabbled for something to use as a weapon but her partner beat her to it, throwing a glass at the head waiter's nose. The waiter ducked with a yelp and the room fell silent.

"Get out!" he snarled.

"But the food –" the waiter gestured helplessly at the tray-laden tables and counters.

"OUT!"

And with that, Max grasped at his firm buttocks, nails digging into the soft skin of his ass as the herd of wait staff fled the scene. Eyes dark with lust, Max tightened her thighs around his sides and met his gaze. "Fuck me," she demanded in a voice husky with need and want.

"My pleasure," he practically growled and surged forward sharply, driving into her with the kind of strength that should have tipped her off. But for the moment he was inside of her, hips pistoning, both of them drenched in sweat. They felt nothing beyond the heat and sensitive flesh, the slick push and pull of their union. Max's nails raked his back, her inner muscles milking him for all he was worth, and gave herself over to the beast.

o . O . o.

Max laid back on the counter, replete and still swimming in the aftermath of her orgasm. Her partner was still buried inside her, his cock twitching as he softened. His skin was shiny with sweat. She'd torn his shirt wide open at some point and the only part of him that was still completely obscured was his face. Curiosity tickled her and she snagged the elastic with one finger, sliding the mask away from his features.

Max froze. Her entire body locked up and joined to her as he was, he felt it.

"What?" Ames White asked, still catching his breath.

"Oh my God!" Max shoved him away, wincing at the sensation of him pulling out of her, and wasn't fast enough to stop him from ripping her disguise away as well. Her mask dropped to the floor and Max scrambled to cover herself.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," White snapped, reaching down for the trousers that were locking up his ankles, snarling as he visually searched for the tuxedo jacket that held his gun.

"Looking for this?" a lazy masculine voice inquired. The shell-shocked pair's gaze swung towards the door and in her panic Max couldn't decide whether to be relieved or humiliated to find Alec leveling a gun at White. She hurriedly righted her dress, snatched up her jacket and purse and inched her way towards Alec. She all but ran the second she was past him, leaving Alec to deal with the Familiar.

Gunfire made her flinch a few feet down the hall and Alec was behind her a heartbeat later, urging her onwards. "I kneecapped him. Move."

Max stopped him when they reached the window. "Not a word," she warned him grimly.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Alec nodded and Max dropped to the ground. The garden was eerily silent and the hush was oppressive, especially know that Alec's smart mouth would get the better of him eventually.

o . O . o.

Two blocks and a near collision later, Alec insisted that Max pull the motorcycle over to the side of the road.

"You can't ride and control the bike in this dress. I drove us there, I'll drive us back."

"I'm doing fine," Max huffed indignantly, moving to start the engine again but Alec caught her arm.

"Bullshit," he argued. "You nearly ran up off the road on that last turn. We're switching."

"No."

"Not a negotiation. Now move or your choice of fuck-buddy will be tomorrow's buzz."

Max's eyes widened angrily. "You wouldn't dare."

Alec leaned forward until his nose was an inch from hers, eyes blazing. "Just try me," he countered with a steely resolve that sent a shiver down Max's spine.

"Fine." Max dismounted and got on behind Alec, closing her arms behind his midsection. Alec brought the engine back to life and they swung back onto the road in a much steadier manner than they had arrived.

o . O . o

"I can't believe you had sex with Ames White," Alec finally blurted out, wavering between disbelief and disgust at the way the whole situation had played out.

Max glared at him, knowing it had been inevitable that Alec would open his big mouth. "Heat isn't real picky about who I screw, as long as they have strong reproductive potential. God, it could have been you if you hadn't left." Max grimaced.

A smirk blossomed across Alec's features. "Tempting as it is to bang the hot chick with no self-control, I like Little Alec too much to go there."

Max responded to that the only way she could – with a smack to the back of the head. Alec took it with a roll of his eyes.

"Thanks for trying to keep me on track earlier," Max finally sighed. It hadn't been his fault. "It usually doesn't get that strong that fast. I guess there's something in Familiar genes that got to me."

"No problem," Alec shrugged. "Didn't last long though, did it? One shot and you were lucid enough to get out."

Max scowled, her expression darkening. She really didn't want to think about how she had given in to her estrus cycle yet again, let alone how she'd zeroed in on the worst possible partner for the act. Rationally, she was aware that White hadn't been in command of himself any more than she had been but it didn't make her feel any better.

"Why aren't you affected anyway?" she asked. He'd said he could smell her. She could have sworn...

"I am," Alec admitted, "but you got a dose of what you needed. Think of this as a rest period. Give it an hour or more and your body will start revving again. You'll start dumping more pheromones and if I'm still here when that happens, we'll end up doing the same thing you did back at the party with White."

Max hung her head. That was true enough.

"Don't sweat it, Max," Alec said gently. "I may be a tomcat but I like my women to be able to make a choice. I'll be gone before it gets that far. I've got your back."

Alec's concern touched her but her circumstances were still depressing. It was still too fresh.

"It's not that. It's just..."

She'd cheated. Again. Albeit against her will and beyond her control but still... she'd cheated. Flashes of disappointment and regret from another time and place resurfaced and Max looked away in shame, sadness washing over her in waves.

Alec put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her lightly to his chest. "It'll be okay, Max. Yeah, it'll hurt him but he knows about heat, right? He'll understand. He loves you."

Max nodded slightly, hoping he was right. It wasn't a platitude. Alec tended to call it the way he saw it and looking into his friendly visage, Max actually felt calmer.

Unsure of what to say but knowing he'd understand regardless, Max leaned into his embrace.