by Codi Gary
Clyde cursed. “Is she alright?”
“Freaked at first, but she passed out. I just can’t deal with holding her hand through her transition and fighting Dakota and Pax.”
“We’ll take off tomorrow and give you a hand.”
Xander didn’t want Clyde and his family getting in the way of what he needed to do. “Dakota and Pax are mine, Clyde.”
“Easy there, boy wonder. I meant we’ll come up to take care of the girl. But you know if you need some backup, we’ve got you covered. I love you like a son. No sense in you dying because you were too damn stubborn to accept our help.”
“This is not about pride. This is about me finishing what I started.”
“Boy, you took on each of those shifters one on one. Pax and his bitch don’t strike me as the type to play by the rules.”
“I can handle it.”
He heard Clyde sigh. “I hope so. We’ll see you tomorrow. Try not to get yourself killed before I can give you a hug, alright?”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Night, son.”
“Bye.”
Xander ended the call and set his phone down on the counter. If he was being completely honest with himself, he didn’t expect to make it out of the show down with Dakota and Pax alive. Clyde wasn’t wrong about them not playing well with others. Judging by the way she’d reacted when he’d warned her about Pax, Dakota’s devotion couldn’t be shaken. It was sad that she was completely under the sociopath’s spell or she may have gone down another path.
Xander poured himself a glass of whisky and sat on his couch, closing his eyes, his mind drifted back to that morning. His parents had been planning the mating ceremony for months, inviting females for their three sons. He’d gone out with his friends as a last hurrah in case he met someone. As the youngest at twenty-three, he hadn’t felt ready for it, but was willing to try at least to make his mother happy.
He could still remember coming home, high on life after a long weekend with his boys. He’d walked through the door, the smile still on his face when the blast of death had washed over him. His duffle bag had fallen from his shoulder to the floor as he rushed forward, the smell of blood and decaying bodies choking him.
He found his father first, although he hadn’t recognized him. His face had been completely bashed in, his head severed from his body. His two older brothers were lying halfway down the stairs, practically on top of each other. It looked as though they had been shot a hundred times until their insides were just mush. They each had their own apartment, and Xander remembered wondering what they were doing there, thinking that it must have gotten late so they just stayed over.
Xander had screamed his mother’s name as he’d leaped up the stairs. Opened the bedroom door to find her sprawled grotesquely on the bed.
When he saw what they had done to her, he’d lost the contents of his stomach all over the floor.
They’d taken all the jewelry and electronics in the house, even ripped into the safe. A robbery gone wrong is what authorities had called it.
How could he express all that pain and horror into words that Greer would be able to understand? The sheer hate he carried in his heart for those responsible wouldn’t diminish by talking about it. An eye for an eye.
The scent of death hadn’t covered the smell of the shifters responsible. He’d called in every favor, tracked down all leads. Finally, he’d caught a break when he’d accidentally found that first werewolf at the strip club. After he’d beat him, he’d tortured him for hours until he’d dragged every member’s name out of him. He’d gone to hell and back over the last five years.
It was his right to take his revenge.
He heard a cry and rushed upstairs, abandoning his whisky. He stood outside Jill’s room, and all was quiet. Then he heard Greer’s gasping breaths.
He knocked on the door. “Greer? Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Her choked reply ripped his heart out and he turned the knob. “I’m coming in.”
She didn’t tell him to stop, so he pushed the door all the way open. As the hallway light streaked in, he saw the tears on Greer’s cheeks and closed it behind him.
“What happened?”
“Nothing, it was just a dream.”
He sat on the side of the bed, and started to reach out and tuck her hair behind her ear but stopped. He dropped his hand, resting it on his thighs. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Greer appeared to be shivering. “Not really.”
“Alright.”
He caught her staring at him hard, as though he was a puzzle she was trying to solve.
“That’s it? Not going to press me?” she asked.
“No, of course not. I’m here if you need me, but I can’t force you to talk to me.”
She didn’t speak for several moments. “I was being chased by a wolf. It leapt onto my back, tore into my shoulder. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t fight.”
“Was it me?” he asked.
“No. The wolf had dark fur.”
Dakota flashed through his mind, but knew he was being paranoid. Greer had never met Dakota, as a human or wolf. It was just a dream.
“I am sorry I dragged you into all this,” he said.
“It’s not your fault. I just wish that you trusted me the way I do you.”
“What do you mean? I trust you.”
“Do you? Because I want to know you better, even the dark and twisty stuff like your parents’ deaths. I lost my parents too. It helps to talk about it, but you hold yourself back from me.”
He laid his hand over the blanket, resting it on her knee. “It’s not about trust or holding back. It’s hard to think about, worse to talk about. I have to live with the images in my head for the rest of my life, but there is no reason you should too.”
Greer scooted closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. “The fact that I want to know you is reason enough. There is something here, Xander, whether you want to admit it or not. I’m scared to death of everything, but I’m here, willing to overcome it for you. Can’t you do the same?”
13
Greer had never left herself so exposed to anyone and the fact that he hadn’t said or done anything spoke volumes. She’d lost her damn mind, opening her heart to a man, a werewolf, whom she’d only known for five days. It was sheer madness.
She leaned back, dropping her hand from his shoulder, but with lightning speed, he grabbed it. He held it to his chest, and she flattened her fingers against the muscular wall, her gaze slowly traveling up to meet his.
“I want you here. I have since the first moment I laid eyes on you. But if something happened to you—
She covered his mouth with her other hand. “You already promised to keep me safe. So, unless you were lying through your teeth, you don’t need to worry about losing me.”
Xander pressed a hot, hard kiss in the center of her hand. Her nipples hardened as tingles rushed up her arm and shot through the rest of her body. His lips traveled along her wrist to her forearm. When they reached the inside of her elbow, she giggled.
He lifted his head with a grin. “That tickle?”
“A little.”
Xander leaned over until his mouth pressed against the side of her neck. She trembled under his caress and he whispered along her skin. “How about this?”
“No.”
His tongue traced up until he reached her ear. “Right here?”
She moaned as he sucked her lobe into his mouth. “Oh.”
When she thought she felt the brush of his teeth, she jerked away. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Bite me.”
She was afraid he’d be mad at her, but Xander took her hand in his instead. “I will never mark you without your permission.”
“Mark me?”
“Bite. When we chose a mate and they happen to be human, we will mark them. It shows the pack that she belongs to him, and he to her.”
Slowly,
she relaxed and laced her fingers with his. She tugged him to her as she lay back on his bed. He came over her, holding himself on his hands above her.
“Kiss me, Xander.”
She sensed his movement and when his mouth brushed hers, it was like being hit in every pleasure point she had. Their mouths pressed harder, his tongue slipping between her lips and she tangled her hands in his hair, cradling the back of his head. The kiss deepened as she opened her mouth, swirling her tongue with his. An ache built between her legs and she could feel her arousal dampen her panties, the only thing she had on beside the old t-shirt he’d given her.
He pressed his lower body against her and she struggled to get closer, to push her center into him to ease the tension radiating there.
With a growl that vibrated against her mouth, he lifted enough to reach between them and yank the blanket away. Only their clothing separated their skin now, and when Xander thrust against her, she spread her legs, wrapping them around him. He was still wearing his jeans and t-shirt, and the rough friction soaked the thin cotton covering her. She hadn’t dry humped a guy since high school, and she’d forgotten how freaking hot it was.
Xander broke their kiss, his mouth traveling down to her neck, his hot breath rushing over the shell of her ear. “Fuck, I want you so bad.”
God, she knew the feeling. She loved sex, and after going almost a year without, she was ready to explode.
He rolled so he was on his side, propped on his elbow. His fingers played with the bottom of the t-shirt she was wearing, the tips skimming her stomach, silently asking permission to move underneath.
She reached down and pulled the shirt up and over her head. Greer had always been self-conscious about her body, especially her stomach which she could never get completely flat no matter what she did.
But with Xander’s hand splayed across her abdomen, creeping up toward her breasts, and his rough voice whispering, “You’re so damn beautiful,” she wasn’t worried about her imperfections. All she wanted was to revel in Xander’s touch.
His palm covered her breast, squeezing it and her back came off the bed with a guttural moan. When her eyes fluttered open again, she could just make out his face in the pale moonlight pouring in from the window. His hungry expression tightened her core and she whimpered, needing his mouth once more. As he massaged her flesh, her arm came up around his neck and pulled him back down for a kiss.
His hand left her breast, but before she could protest, it was sliding inside her cotton briefs. Xander’s finger slid down between her lips, teasing her until he found her clit. With just one, short brush across the hard nub, she gasped against his mouth.
His finger circled her, rubbing the tight nub in fast, even strokes. Warmth rushed over her and a sheen of sweat coated her skin as he brought her closer to orgasm with every brush of his fingertip. She dug her nails into his shoulders, hanging on as her body jerked and spasmed. The rush of release flowed through her, shaking her to her core.
Greer broke the kiss with a wild cry. Lost in a euphoria of pleasure, she closed her eyes and let go, completely coming apart in Xander’s arms. As she came down, she blushed. She’d never been much of a yeller during sex, but that had been incredible.
Xander’s face was buried in her neck, leaving a trail of kisses in his wake. “God, I could listen to you come all day.”
She laughed breathlessly, still embarrassed, but relieved he liked it. Her fingers rubbed his shoulders where her nails had dug in. When he lifted his gaze to look at her, she stilled. His eyes had brightened, and as he stared at her, so intensely, she was reminded of the wolf inside him.
She shivered, but when he looked away, she cupped his chin. “Don’t. I’m not afraid.”
“Liar. I can smell your fear. I could hear your heart rate pick up when I looked at you.”
“I’m afraid of your power. I’m afraid of your wolf. But I don’t fear you.”
14
Xander didn’t know how to take Greer’s admission, especially when his wolf was riding so close to the surface. He’d sensed her fear, the moment of horror.
How was this ever going to work if she couldn’t see that the wolf wasn’t just a part of him; he was the wolf. Without it, he wouldn’t be the man he was. Could she ever really understand and accept that?
A scream of pain erupted from across the hall, disrupting the heavy silence between them.
Xander leaped up from the bed, racing across the hall to Jill’s room. As soon as he threw open the door and saw her down on all fours, he knew she was shifting. Her shirt ripped as her bones contorted. Thick, clear mucus sprayed the walls as tawny hair sprouted up through her skin. Her face became rounder instead of elongating the way his did. Jill bowed her head and screamed again, only the sound became distinctly animalistic toward the end.
When she lifted her feline face to his, he met her aquamarine eyes with pity. The terror inside them added to the guilt he already felt. If only he’d killed Pax sooner, he could have saved so many lives.
By the time Greer joined them, it was over. She’d taken the time to get her shirt back on and compose herself. She gasped as her gaze locked on her best friend and Xander waited for the recoil, for her to scream and back away like he’d seen so many loved ones do when faced with the reality of a shift.
Jill stood on all fours with her long tail swishing behind her, her clothes in a ragged pile around her. She lowered her head, and Xander saw tears fall to the hardwood floor.
Xander turned his attention back to Greer. She’d covered her mouth, her brown eyes wide as she stared at her best friend. She took one step, then two until she kneeled in from of Jill. She cradled Jill’s furred face and lifted it to hers. She rested her forehead on her best friend’s.
“I am so sorry,” she choked.
Xander stood back as Jill wrapped an arm around Greer, her paw resting on the opposite shoulder. Jill nuzzled her short face into the crook of Greer’s neck and the two of them sat there, motionless except for the rise and fall of Greer’s shoulders with each silent sob.
Xander felt as though he was intruding, especially when he heard Greer whisper, “I love you. No matter what.” She kissed the end of Jill’s nose with a wet laugh. “Besides, I kind of like this look. Brings new meaning to the terms cat in heat.”
It sounded as though Jill snorted, but it was cut off by a scream as Jill shifted again.
Greer stumbled back and Xander bent over to help her to her feet. He wanted to keep her there, proud of the way she’d accepted her best friend’s new existence. Also, a little jealous. He wanted to feel that unconditional love from Greer. The acceptance. It had only been a few days, but he wanted to belong to Greer.
And he wanted her to belong to him.
When Jill’s body finally stopped twisting, she huddled on her side in the fetal position, naked and shaking.
Greer rushed forward and yanked the quilt off the bed, spreading it over Jill. She wrapped her body against her friend’s back, spooning her as Jill cried.
“It’s okay, baby. I’m here. It’s going to be okay.”
Xander cleared his throat. “I’ll get you some water. I always need a tall glass after I shift.”
He left the two women alone and stopped off in his room to grab another shirt and a pair of sweats for Jill. By the time he came back with the water and the clothes, the two of them were on the bed. Jill’s head rested in Greer’s lap as she stroked her hair, humming a tune he couldn’t place.
He set the clothes on the edge of the bed and held out the glass. “You can put these on, if you want.”
Greer took the glass from him as Jill moaned, “I hurt everywhere. I don’t even want to move.”
Xander tried to be reassuring, but he remembered the first time shifting. It was brutal. “It gets better. Pretty soon, you just have to think about it and you’ll change.”
“I never want to do that again.”
“I’d demonstrate, but then I’d have to get naked,” Xander jo
ked.
Jill released a weak snort of laughter.
“You’re not getting naked,” Greer said sternly.
Xander quirked an eyebrow at her and she scowled at him. With a grin, he pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it aside. “One thing you’re going to have to learn about shifters, baby, is we are not a modest breed.”
Greer tried to get up and stop him when his hand went to his pants, but Jill wrapped her arms around her waist, holding her there. He had been hoping some teasing would make Jill feel better, but Greer’s almost possessive reaction to him undressing was delicious.
By the time he’d dropped his drawers, Greer was struggling to cover Jill’s eyes, bent over with laughter. Jill pulled at her hands and Xander was relieved to see the wide smile on her face.
“Come on, I was assaulted and turned into a were-cougar! The least you can do is let me ogle your boyfriend.”
Greer’s face turned tomato red and he took the opportunity to slide smoothly into his wolf form. He wasn’t exaggerating when he’d told Jill it got better. His transition now was fluid and swift.
Greer released Jill and took a step toward him. Jill watched in the back ground, but Xander only had eyes for a hesitant Greer, who held her hand out to him. Xander knew that although she had feelings for him, seeing him in wolf form like this wasn’t easy. Jill had been her best friend for years; they’d only just met.
Attempting to put her at ease, he jumped up on her, his paws hanging over her shoulders and ran his big thick tongue over her cheek.
She stiffened briefly before she burst out laughing, wrapping her arms around his body. “Okay, okay, you can stop now.” She ran her hand over his dense coat and he leaned into her caress.
“You do make that look easy,” Jill said.
Xander dropped back onto all fours and shifted once more. Noting the blush on Greer’s cheeks and the open appraisal Jill was giving him, he turned his back to them. It was more for Greer’s sake than his; he wasn’t lying when he’d said shifters had no modesty.
“Good butt,” Jill whispered.