by Lily Thomas
Then the shaman’s strong voice carried through the hut. “A long time ago, there was a witch who fell in love with a man.”
Andrea saw the flames play out the scene in front of her. Whatever had been in the pipe had been some good stuff. The flame woman wrapped her arms around the man who was also made of flames. Their feet were on a burning log in the fire pit.
“They had many lovely years together, and their union produced a couple of offspring.” The shaman continued the story.
The flame woman and man were joined by a couple of flame children. They looked happy. The man scooped one of the flame children up and swung it around. The child’s legs flung wildly in the air.
“Then, one day, the man came home with another wife.”
Andrea felt a lump grow in the pit of her stomach. This story was about to take a turn. She’d read enough books and seen enough movies to know that there was also a climax or problem that arose for all the characters.
The flame man walked over with his second wife to where the first flame wife waited with the two children by her side.
“The first wife demanded that he get rid of the second wife, but he refused.” The shaman’s eyes were glazed over, and he stared at the figures in the fire like he was transfixed. “His second wife was with child, and he refused to turn her out of his hut.”
Andrea’s heart ached in her chest. It broke for the first wife. Life had been perfect until her husband had thrown a wrench in the plans by bringing home a second woman. But the second wife could also be a victim in this story. Maybe the man hadn’t told her about the first wife and children he already had.
One of Rokki’s hands wrapped around hers, and he squeezed it lightly.
“The first wife, angered with her man with his betrayal of their love, revealed that she wasn’t just a human woman… she was a witch.” The shaman’s voice went a couple tones dark, giving his voice an ominous sound, “The woman cursed him to be a werewolf, a creature who only had one fated mate, and was bound by faithfulness.”
Andrea watched the flame man slowly shift into a wolf.
“But the witch’s anger was so strong that her magic went beyond just the man, and she cursed several human clans.”
The flames changed to show entire villages turning into werewolves.
“And the werewolves were born.” The shaman said. “We do not see it as a curse anymore. We see it as a sure way of finding the one person who the gods made for us.”
Andrea looked up when the flames returned to normal long flickering flames of fire. The shaman’s wise eyes peered directly at her as if he knew something about her that she didn’t know.
She cocked her head to the side. “What happened to the witch and her werewolf?”
The shaman smiled at her. “Neither of the women were his true mate, and his dire wolf refused to stay with either. In the end, he roamed the land alone, searching for his mate and never finding her. That was his curse from the gods for being faithless.”
So not a happy ending. Not that she thought the man really deserved a happy ending for putting the women and children through that, but she’d been hoping for more… more justice… more love? Something more.
“And the women?”
The shaman shrugged under the layers of fur he wore. “No one knows what happened to them.”
“Did I not say he was the best storyteller in the pack? He knows how to draw in his listeners.” Rokki said with a smile.
“Yes, he is.” Andrea faced the shaman. “Thank you for sharing your origin story with me.”
“Anyone in the pack is welcome to join me in my hut. Now leave me, I am old and require some sleep.” The old shaman raised his wrinkled and freckled hands as he waved them away.
Rokki rose, and Andrea followed his lead, and when he walked out of the hut, she quickly left as well. She took her cues from him on how to behave in this foreign world.
“Your people believe a witch cursed you?” She asked the moment they broke free into the fresh air outside. She hadn’t realized how much smoke had been in the hut. Her lungs jumped in happiness that they were out.
“She cursed our ancestors, yes, but like the shaman said, we don’t think of it as a curse anymore.” Rokki spun around and took her hands in his. Then he yanked her into his chest. “Now, we love and listen to our beast sides. It never fails to guide us right, especially where our mates are concerned.”
His golden eyes bored into her, and she swallowed harshly. There was so much emotion in his gentle caresses and swirling golden eyes. It was so intense. He thought she was the last woman for him… and she kind of hoped he was right.
Ugh.
But then there was her life back in the twenty-first century. Could she really let go of all those things? Goodbye tv. Goodbye ice cream. Goodbye fast food.
His head descended, and his lips captured hers in a demanding kiss that spoke volumes and pushed all negative thoughts from her mind. He was claiming her with his kiss.
“No,” Andrea laid her hands on his chest and pushed. She wasn’t saying no to the kiss, the kiss was great, she was saying no to the meaning behind the kiss.
“Don’t deny what is between us, Andrea,” Rokki whispered the words against her cheek. His breath feather-light against her skin. “You are my mate. The gods created us for each other.”
“I can’t stay here, Rokki.” Andrea saw hurt and confusion flash behind his eyes as he shook his head, as though he wished he could shake her words from his ears.
“I don’t understand, Andrea.” His eyes closed as he rested his forehead against hers. “Where would you go? Back to your clan?”
Andrea heaved a sigh as she ran a hand through his silky black hair. “I’m not exactly sure how to get back to my clan, but I can’t stay here. I’m human, and you’re a werewolf. A werewolf!”
“Stranger matches have been deemed by the gods.” Rokki pulled back and met her eyes. “A human and a werewolf are not so strange.”
She placed a hand on his bare chest. “Because of me, you will lose your clan.”
Rokki smirked down at her as she tried in vain to pull away from his chest, but he kept his arms firmly around her. “Andrea. I am an alpha, and my brother is an alpha. One of us will have to leave, even if the prophecy didn’t exist. We can’t both live in the same clan. Neither of our dire wolves could tolerate the other leading the pack.”
“I…” But she had no counter arguments for this or did she?
Rokki shook his head, and his black hair swooshed over his shoulders. “You can’t blame yourself, Andrea. Darc and I grew up knowing about the prophecy. One of us would leave the clan, and we have come to accept it.”
“Your brother doesn’t seem to like the idea of leaving the clan.”
“Darc just wants to be alpha, like I do. It’s easier to take over a pack that already exists, rather than venturing out and taking another pack or creating a pack.”
“Still”
“Enough!” Rokki barked, and she clamped her mouth shut in surprise. “Come.” Rokki tugged on her hand and guided her through the village. She was too stunned by his outburst to complain. He’d never raised his voice at her since they met.
He pulled her into a hut and released her hand the moment they entered.
“Is this your hut?” Andrea asked as she glanced about. There wasn’t too much inside. There were some furs on one side of the hut and several weapons on the other with a fire pit in the middle.
“It is.” Rokki plopped down and stretched out on his bed of furs. “Do you like it?”
“Bigger than I would have thought.” By twenty-first century standards, it was smaller than most studio apartments, but by ice age standards, it was a mansion.
“Come join me,” Rokki waved her over, a sly smile on his lips.
Andrea didn’t think this was wise. Her mother had always told her that sex led to heightened emotions like love. They couldn’t afford to fall in love only to have her return to her time.
Then they both would end up with broken hearts.
“I don’t think we should.”
“We already have.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her before his expression went more serious. “Why are you nervous?”
“Nervous?” Andrea shook her head as she laughed a bit. “I’m not nervous. Rokki, you have to face the fact that I will go back to my home someday. I don’t belong here.”
The smile slipped from his face, and she knew he wasn’t pleased with her words.
“Come join me.” He repeated with less cheeriness in his tone.
Andrea sighed as she approached the furs. “The seer is fixing my bracelet. When it’s done, I will return home.” She didn’t have a choice. This wasn’t her time, and she had no idea what she was doing here. Book knowledge wasn’t the same as growing up in the ice age. Mammoths and sabertooths were out of her experience, and werewolves? Definitely out of her realm of knowledge.
“Come lay beside me.” Rokki instructed as he scooted over on the furs, leaving her room on the fur.
Andrea’s eyes skimmed over his naked form. He hadn’t gotten dressed since he’d arrived in the village. Nakedness wasn’t a problem back in the ice age. It was kind of freeing. She wasn’t sure she was willing to strip down and run around outside the hut, but it was nice to know she didn’t actually have to get dressed in the morning if she ever wanted a lazy day.
Rokki’s cock was rock hard and jutting out from between his thighs. She raised an eyebrow. She felt like he was always hard when he was around her. Ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Then there were those red tattoos strewn across his upper body. Someone had painstakingly put them there, and someday soon, she would ask him what they meant.
“Lay down.” There was a growl to the end of each word. He was losing patience with her.
Maybe he had already fallen in love with her. If this mate thing was true, then he thought they were destined, and who was she to tell him he was wrong. It wasn’t like she knew what the universe had decided for their lives. Just because she had been born in the twenty-first century didn’t mean the ice age couldn’t be where she should be.
Her mom was right. Sex led to feelings. Intense feelings. But the pull. Rokki had such a pull over her.
Gradually, Andrea knelt and then laid her head down on the arm he had outstretched.
“How can you deny us?” He asked as he turned his golden eyes on her. Rising up slightly, he stared down at her. “Can you not feel the fire when we touch?” As though to demonstrate, he bent his head and brushed his lips over hers.
Involuntarily, Andrea leaned up and brushed her lips over his when he leaned away from her. It was hard to deny the fire. An attraction burned between them. White hot and searing. It was like her every nerve ending was on fire when he was around her.
“We’ll develop feelings.” She protested, but the protest was weak and nothing more than words she felt obligated to utter.
“We are mates. Of course, we would have feelings for each other.” Rokki rolled over her until his hips were straddling hers. “It’s time we take these clothes off of you.” His hands reached up to her collar, and he tugged the material off of her, exposing her breasts to his view. “So perfect and plump.” He used his hands to push her breasts together and smothered himself between the warm mounds of flesh.
Chuckling Andrea playfully swatted at his shoulders. “Don’t suffocate yourself between my breasts.”
“It would be a lovely way to die.” Rokki teased as he smiled up from between the mountains of her breasts. His hands massaged her flesh, his fingers pinching her hard nipples. He teased them with a brief pinch of pain and then a soothing rub from a pad of his finger. “I should taste them.” He bent his head and sucked a peak into his mouth. The tip of his tongue danced around the rock-hard nipple before nipping it with his sharp teeth.
Andrea gasped as a spark of desire shot through her, and her hands clamped down around his biceps. “Mmm.”
“Does my mate want me?”
“Who could resist you?” Andrea muttered. The man was built for every woman’s dream, and here he was seeing to her every need.
Rokki chuckled in answer, the noise vibrated through her already sensitive nipple, and she sucked in another harsh breath. He released her nipple with a small pop, and then he shuffled back on his knees until he could draw her fur pants down her legs and threw them away from where they laid.
Reaching a hand between her creamy thighs, Rokki knocked them apart with the flick of his wrist. “So perfect for me.” He growled, his canines growing slightly and claws forming on the tips of his fingers.
Andrea was sure she was insane because the thought of him being more than just a man… a werewolf… it turned her on! His golden eyes were on fire with lust as he raked his eyes over her body, his eyes landing on the curls of her sex the longest.
Smiling, she wiggled her butt and spread her thighs even wider. “Like what you see?”
A growl of appreciation was all that he was able to utter in response, and her smile grew.
Rokki felt like the luckiest werewolf alive. His mate was well built. She had flesh and curves in all the right places, and she was lusty. Her leaf green eyes were glazed over, and her pupils were dilated with her desire.
In the flickering light of his hut’s fire, he could see a shimmer between her thighs. She was wet… for him. Another growl ripped up his throat as he smiled down at her.
“It looks like you need my cock,” Rokki whispered harshly as he swiped a finger through her shimmering juices. “Oh, gods.” He shuddered at the feel of her desire all over his fingertips.
“Yes.” Andrea purred, and then she grabbed his wrist, raised his fingers to her lips, and once their eyes connected, her tongue flicked out from between her pink lips, and she licked her own wetness of his fingers.
“Mate.” He growled as his cock jumped in eagerness, and his body trembled with his desire. “You will suck my cock.” He stood to his full height, drawing his hand back.
Flipping onto her knees, Andrea wiggled towards him, her breasts jiggling wildly. “Whatever you want.” She whispered wantonly. Then she wrapped a hand around his long length and placed a cool kiss against the head of his cock. It jerked eagerly at her attentions.
When Rokki glanced down at her, her green eyes stared up at him, reading his every reaction. Her tongue licked around the tip of his cock, and he groaned as his eyelids slid closed.
“Don’t close your eyes,” Andrea commanded him. “I want to see your desire.”
Rokki’s eyes flew open as she used his words right back at him. A smile curved the side of his mouth. “And I want to watch you moving on my shaft.”
Her hot mouth felt so good as she slowly drew his length into her, and then she sucked in her cheeks, drawing on his cock like one would suck marrow out of a bone. An instinctual growl rumbled out of his mouth as he dug his hands into her head of thick hair, pushing her closer to his cock. And to his amazement, she didn’t protest, she just took more of him until his cock was brushing the back of her throat.
One of her hands fondled his balls, finding a sensitive spot right behind them. The gods had given him a skilled mate. Perfection.
After a few more pumps with her mouth, Andrea drew back with a smile on her lips. “I think it’s my turn.”
“I think you’re right, mate.”
With a saucy smile, Andrea flipped around onto her hands and knees and presented him with her smooth and shapely ass. She wiggled the pale orbs at him, firelight flickering off of them.
His wolf took over. Instinct took over. No werewolf could resist a mate when she shook her pert ass at him and asked him to take her. In a second, his massive frame covered her back, the tip of his cock prodding her soaking wet entrance. He could feel her juices dampen the tip of his cock, prepping him to enter her. With his hands on the ground beside hers, he thrust his hips and his cock deep into her center.
Andrea’s moan rocked through him
, and he was sure anyone in the nearby huts would hear her cries of ecstasy as his cock filled and stretched her wide. He didn’t give her body any time though, as he drew his cock out and then thrust it back in. His hips moved in fast deep strokes as he sought to bring them both pleasure.
Her gasps of desire blended with his guttural groans as he thrust deeper into her. Rokki ground his teeth as he held himself back. He wanted this to last forever. His mate was threatening to leave him the moment she could, and he needed to take every moment with her.
Reaching a hand up, he leaned back, and grabbed a fistful of her auburn locks. Yanking her head back, he forced her back to arch, allowing him to hit different spots within her.
Andrea cried out, but her words were too jumbled for him to make out. Otherwise, he was so delirious with passion that he couldn’t understand her, but he could hear the pleasure in every note.
Rokki’s eyes drifted to the section of her neck that was exposed to his view, the soft spot between her neck and shoulder, and the perfect place for his bite. His canines grew as his dire wolf begged him, whimpered for him, to bite her. To claim her.
Not yet!
No!
He wouldn’t claim her. Now wasn’t the time for him to place his mark on her.
Andrea threw her weight back as she thrust against him, making the pace fast and hard. He’d caught her body on fire, and now she wanted to be pushed over the edge.
Yanking her head back some more, Rokki forced her onto her knees, her back against his chest, never breaking contact. His shaft pumped into her as he took back control of the speed and rhythm. His hands worked their way to her hips, and he lifted her slightly.
“Oh my god, Rokki.” Andrea panted. “Maybe you’re a god.” She groaned as her head fell forward.
His biceps corded as he lifted her and then plummeted her down on his shaft. She took him. All of him.
“If I am a god,” he whispered in her ear with a gentle nip, “then you are my goddess.” Hopefully, his goddess of fertility. He wanted a hut full of pups running around. There would never be enough.