icy demeanor was finally thawing.
He took a step forward and planted his palms beside my temples, caging
me against the tree. “You’re terrible at hide and seek.”
“Maybe I wanted to be found,” I whispered, my chest rising and falling
with each urgent breath.
Jaxson’s eyes flicked down, deepening their honey tone as his desire
flooded my senses. I studied his lips. I’d tasted them before, but damn, I
wanted to run my tongue over them and taste them again.
He growled deep and low in my ear, and I shivered, feeling the rumble of
his voice in every inch of my body. “Do you remember what I told you
earlier?”
“No,” I fibbed. I remembered everything he’d said to me before we drank
the wine, but my body had other plans, and as far as I was concerned, nothing
was going to stop me from getting what I wanted.
“Liar.” His canines slipped free, and he lowered his face to my neck,
lightly dragging his teeth over my skin. “Do you know what’ll happen if you
let me have my way with you?”
I swallowed and nodded, mindful of how close his incisors were to my
throat. “You’ll ruin me forever? No man will ever measure up?”
And though I knew it was the painful truth, I’d trade my future sex life
for one night with Jaxson.
A throaty laugh rumbled from his throat, and he gazed down at me with a
sinfully delicious look. “Oh, baby, you have no idea.”
His whiskey voice lit up every nerve ending in my already sensitive body,
but I was pinned to the tree, locked in place by his presence.
“And if another man were to touch you,” he continued, lowering his head
again and brushing his lips across mine, “I’d rip his heart out.”
Old Savannah would have kicked Jaxson in the balls, but current
Savannah was eating up his domineering possessiveness.
As I leaned forward and pressed my mouth to his, he released me and
took a step back. “We should get back to the revel before things get out of
hand.”
His voice was strained, and his fists clenched, but I could sense his desire
as strongly as my own. Why was he fighting this?
“Then go back. I’m going for a swim.” I pushed off the tree and began
marching toward the body of water that I could somehow smell. These wolf
senses were more useful than I’d imagined.
“What are you talking about?” Jaxson demanded as he stalked through
the dark woods behind me.
“My wolf wants to swim.”
Liar, she said. I hate swimming.
I wound through the trees, following the crisp, fresh scent, until it grew so
strong, I could almost taste it. I pushed through a bush and smiled. A large
pool of water was set among the forest, surrounded by a neatly manicured
lawn.
“Why must you always fight me?” Jaxson asked, his voice thick with
pent-up irritation.
“I’m not fighting you. I told you, I want a swim.” Kicking away my
shoes, I peeled my shirt off and tossed it on the grass, catching the distressed
expression that cut Jaxson’s face. “You’re free to go back to the revel, if
that’s what you want.”
I slowly unbuttoned my shorts and slid them down my hips, bending a
little further forward than I needed to slip my feet out of them. You little
hussy, my wolf said.
“Fuck,” Jaxson choked. “You’re killing me, Savannah.”
I turned to face him, wearing only my black lacy bra and panties. His
body rippled with tension, and though he looked like he wanted to rage, his
eyes drank in every inch of my body. I felt sexy and wanted.
Slowly, I moved toward him, locking him with my gaze so he knew my
intentions.
“Stop before this goes too far,” he growled.
I drew my hands up his chest, reveling in how hard and rigid it felt under
my fingertips. “You want me, Jaxson, and I want you. We’re both adults, so
what’s the problem?”
Gently, I began unbuttoning his torn shirt until his chest was fully
exposed. I could practically taste the dried sweat and blood on his skin, and it
sent a pulsing heat through me that settled low in my belly. This man was a
god among mortals, and I wanted to claim him.
Mine.
I slipped his torn shirt over his shoulders and let it drop to the ground. He
shivered as I traced my fingers down his chest, following the sexy trail of hair
that continued from his navel downward, disappearing beneath his jeans.
A rumble escaped his throat, and his hands gripped my waist, locking me
in place. “Once I start, there’ll be no turning back. You’ll be mine. Neither of
us is ready for that.”
His words only stoked the flames that were building inside me.
“You can have me tonight. No strings attached.” I undid the button of his
jeans with a wink, but his hands caught mine.
“You don’t understand, Savy,” he said gruffly. “My wolf is possessive.
Once I bed you, there will be no escaping him.”
Anger and hurt blossomed in my chest. Why was it that every time we got
close, Jaxson pushed me back, making me feel like I was the one who’d led
him to the edge?
Bastard. I pulled away from his grasp and turned, striding toward the
pool.
Though the water was dark, I saw the glint of rocks ten feet below. I dove
in, letting the cool water extinguish the rage that had risen in my heart from
being rejected yet again. I swam until my lungs burned, and then I surfaced.
I turned to tell Jaxson what an asshole he was, but when I looked up, he
was gone. Ripples lapped at my face as I treaded water, searching the area
around the pool.
He left me here. The bastard actually—
I yelped in shock as a powerful force plunged me beneath the water. Then
Jaxson’s strong arms wrapped around me and lifted me back to the surface.
I kicked furiously to stay up. I wanted to punch him in the face, but I
launched into a coughing fit.
His arm looped around my waist, and he swam toward the shallows as I
sucked in air. Once I’d recovered enough to say something, he swung me
around and pressed his mouth to mine.
His tongue parted my lips forcefully, and I obliged, meeting his urgent
kiss like this might be our one chance together. Our movements were frantic,
driven by a need to close the distance between us. Heat pooled between my
legs as I dug my fingers into his back and pulled myself as near to him as I
could. Never had I been so turned on.
I moaned as his hand grasped my tangled locks, tilting my head at just the
angle he needed to drink me in. My skin felt raw from the friction of his
stubble, but I didn’t care. I reached up and gripped his hair, holding him in
place as I worked my mouth against his.
Everything about this felt right, like this was meant to happen. If Jaxson
ruined all future sex for me, so be it. Right now, I needed him more than I
needed breath itself.
But just as quickly as his lips had claimed mine, he pulled away, his hand
still holding the back of my head. I drew in a ragged breath, thankful for the
momentary reprieve b
ut pissed that his mouth wasn’t on mine.
“There’s nothing I want more than to have you, Savannah. But trust me
when I tell you that this can’t happen tonight.” He dragged his thumb over
my lower lip, his honey eyes intense and full of lust. “And when I finally do
claim you, it won’t be when we’re drunk on fairy wine.”
Damn it all to hell.
40
Jaxson
Savannah’s lips were plump from our kiss, her breathing heavy as she
stared at me with disappointment. She was fucking gorgeous. “Then you
better let me go, Jaxson, because I’m not in control of my body right now.”
Her words were truer than she realized, I thought, biting back the curse
that rose in my throat. I tried to push away, but my fingers sank into her skin,
and my hold on her was stronger than before.
Fuck. The fates were in control now.
“I don’t think I can do that,” I said, my voice gravelly.
Savannah arched her brow, her pupils fully dilated and her skin flushed.
“What are you suggesting?”
Her palms pressed against my chest, and though we were standing waist
deep in the water, I could still smell and feel her damn heat. Like a drug, it
was clouding my judgement.
I slipped my hand around her ass and lifted her to me. Just because I
couldn’t fuck her didn’t mean we couldn’t do other things.
Savannah wrapped her legs around me and moaned as she pressed her
heat into me. Thank fuck I’d left my jeans on, or all bets would have been
off.
Cupping the back of her head with my free hand, I drew her mouth to
mine, this time with less urgency. I brushed my lips against hers, inhaling and
memorizing every note of her citrus sunshine scent. Her body fit so perfectly
against mine, and though I knew it was only because of our bond, I couldn’t
deny how right she felt.
I nipped her lower lip, and then gently parted her lips with my tongue,
tasting her desire.
“Jaxson, I want you,” she whispered breathlessly into my mouth.
Releasing my fingers from her hair, I kissed her neck, dragging my
tongue over her salty skin. She tasted so fucking good, I wanted to lick every
inch of her.
“Tell me what you want, darling,” I purred, delighting in the way her
body quivered under my touch.
“You. Inside me. Now,” she panted, arching her spine and exposing her
neck to me.
My wolf surged against my chest at the sight, desperate to claim his mate.
My intentions to move slowly were extinguished by the growing desire I felt
building in both of us. With a quick movement, I positioned Savannah on my
knee, supporting her back while I drew my other hand down between her
breasts, following the curve of her body to the apex of her thighs. The sight
of her hard nipples under the black lace threatened to send me over the edge,
and a savage heat coiled inside of me.
She spread her legs, giving me access, and as my fingers slid under her
panties and slipped inside of her, I felt just how ready she was.
“Fuck,” I growled. My jeans were suddenly painfully restricting.
“Yes,” Savannah groaned as I worked her heat, following every whimper
and shiver until she was on the edge. And so was I.
She slipped her arm between us and unfastened my jeans, then took my
length in her hand. With a moan, she ground her hips against me, her body
trembling as her fingers deftly stroked me. The forest around us faded away
as my desire intensified to an agonizing height.
When she dropped her head back and screamed my name, my release hit
me like an explosion tearing across every nerve ending in my body. Pure
ecstasy like I’d never experienced before pulsed through me. I felt like a
godsdamned teenager.
What the fuck?
My chest heaved as I cradled Savannah’s spent body, our breaths mixing.
She straightened her spine and looked up at me with a vixen smile. “That was
amazing.”
It was. Better than any sex I’d ever had. And that was alarming. Whatever
connection I’d felt with Savannah had now grown tenfold, and I knew for
certain that the image of me deep inside her would relentlessly haunt my
thoughts until I gave in.
“You are amazing.” I drew her close and kissed her gently, nipping her
lower lip before releasing her and lifting her out of the water onto the grass. I
kissed the pale skin of her inner thighs, feeling heat coil inside of me again.
“Now I need a dip to cool off.”
I pushed away from her, and she smirked at me. “You sure you don’t
want company?”
Hell, I could smell her own budding desire.
“You’re torturing me,” I grunted, not sure how strong my willpower was.
Something had changed.
I turned and dove underwater, trying to focus on anything but the sweet
taste of her mouth and the slick wetness I’d found between her legs.
I was a fucking goner.
When I surfaced, Savannah was lying on the grass, one knee raised as she
gazed at the heavens. I finished cleaning up and climbed out.
Settling next to her, I scooped her up. She nestled her head on my
shoulder and draped her leg over mine. Where there had been electricity
before, there was now only the low thrum of a current passing between our
skin.
“This was a good night.” She sighed, resting her hand on my chest. I
could smell her contentment, or maybe it was mine.
I traced her back, watching the stars above as my thoughts churned.
Savannah was everything my body desired. But she was like a bottle of
fine wine. Every sip I took, the more I wanted, and the further from reality I
slipped. From responsibility—my responsibility to my endangered pack.
Theirs was the only future that mattered. While I might want Savannah, I had
to think on behalf of thousands more.
I was bewitched and drunk. And I needed to sober up.
We had to find a cure for her condition. When she returned to being only
a sorcerer, only a LaSalle, then maybe the bond would be severed, and I
could resist her siren call.
But she’s ours.
Savannah’s soft snores filled the silence, and I smiled.
And froze.
“Savy, wake up!” I jerked upright, grabbing her shoulders, but her eyes
were shut, her mind somewhere distant.
Then she began to fade away.
41
Savannah
I breathed in Jaxson’s signature and sighed, letting my mind drift.
Everything felt right, for once.
Wake up!
My wolf’s warning echoed through my mind, but I didn’t want to. Jaxson
and I were wrapped in a marvelous dream of dancing and swimming and
kissing, and I never wanted to wake.
Suddenly, the firm warmth of his body was gone, replaced by rough
ground and a seeping cold. I shivered as a chill brushed over my skin. Why
was I so cold?
I opened my eyes and blinked, but there was only darkness. I reached out
for Jaxson, but I was alone. Fear strangled my heart, and I bolted upright.
“Jaxson!” I searched the pitch-black void—a dark so deep that it made
gone, and the only sound was the faint echo of my voice.
Where the hell was I?
Calm down, Savy, and think.
The last thing I remembered was holding Jaxson, my cheek pressed to his
warm chest. And then I’d closed my eyes…
Oh, no.
The maenad’s warning echoed through my mind: don’t fall asleep.
Fuck. I’d drifted off, and now I was God-knows-where.
My ass cheeks ached from the rocks that were jabbing into my backside,
and the ground was damp and muddy. A faint but omnipresent sound of
dripping water was maddening with my heightened hearing.
Don’t panic.
I just needed to figure out where I was and then find a way out. That was
possible, right?
I climbed to my feet, cursing when I realized that all I was wearing was
my lacy underwear. Not good.
My eyes started to adjust to the darkness. A faint purple glow began to
form shadows, and I could discern the muddy, root-ridden walls that rose
around me.
I fought the fear that surged in my heart. I was entombed in the fucking
earth, barefoot and practically naked.
Things could always be worse. Maybe.
My light source was traces of bioluminescent lichen that speckled the
walls. At least it was something.
A steady current of fresh air blew through the passage, and a sliver of
hope welled up in my chest. If there was air, then there’d be an opening, a
way out.
I thanked the fates for my new wolf senses. One time only.
Gingerly shuffling forward, I began making my way toward the source of
the air. It was slow going, but after a few minutes, my vision adjusted, and
I’d blocked out the dull pain in my soles. I had to scramble over collapsed
piles of stone and squeeze through a knifelike gap in the rocks, leaving
scratches across my stomach and bruises on my knees.
Covered in scrapes and mud, I finally emerged into a forked passage. I
paused. I’d seen this place before in a vision. When I’d last scried on the
sorcerer right before we’d ambushed Billy’s cabin. Fear crept under my skin.
Both ways were constricted, but the current of air was blowing from the one
on the left.
I started that way but froze as a faint murmur of whispers stilled my heart.
What the hell was that? I craned my neck and listened. Words, but too subtle
Untamed Fate (Magic Side: Wolf Bound Book 2) Page 28