Her True Wolf

by Kamryn Hart

  Actually, he could.

  There was one thing that wasn’t so perfect even though he had everything he wanted. Even though Karol had broken through her previous fears and was confident. Confident in herself, sex, and being with Casey. She seemed to adore him. She felt warm and loving, but she had never said those three simple words to him once. “I love you” apparently didn’t exist in her vocabulary. And it hurt. It hurt more than he let on.

  Casey grabbed Karol’s waist and hoisted her into the air. She wrapped her legs around him, cradled his face in her hands, and kissed him again. It was things like this, the way she so readily accepted and wanted him that made the fact that she didn’t say “I love you” all the more painful. It seemed like she did. Her actions spoke those words, so why couldn’t she say the actual words?

  Casey couldn’t stop the quiet groan that escaped his lips as Karol squeezed her legs tighter around him. He wanted to be inside of her. It took all of his willpower to stop himself from rocking his hips back and forth in an attempt to feel her better. His canines were ripping at his gums too, begging to claim this woman he had been with for months now. The woman meant for him. But he never allowed himself to claim her. He never would unless she wanted him too. Even if he had to fight through the agony of it forever. It was as painful as wishing she would tell him she loved him.

  When he started thinking like that, he had to get lost in the pleasure of having Karol at all. He got lost in their undeniable kinship, the heated looks she gave him, in her appreciation for him, and in having sex with her. Right now, she was wearing booty shorts and a tank top, but he wanted her naked so he could give his brain a rest. He wanted them back at his apartment where he could make love to her. His need for her never subsided, and he knew it never would.

  “Why don’t you two just get married already?” Dale shouted from the river when he got away from being splashed by the others for a moment.

  Casey wondered what Karol would say to that, but she didn’t say anything at all. She simply kissed Casey again, long and sweet.

  “We should probably head home soon,” she said. “Everyone’s going to fight for the shower.”

  “That’s always a good time,” Casey replied.

  He and Karol went to play with the kids for a while longer in the river, laughing and splashing each other the entire time. Casey tried to be entirely in the moment, but his doubts and hurt didn’t want to take a rest. Lately, he had been missing his old pack. He wished his mother could meet Karol. He wished he could reconnect with his father and show him all he had learned. He wished he could apologize to Willow for being a prick. He wished he could see Nick again, the only other male wolf around his age he had ever known and a brother.

  He wished Karol would accept him completely. He had come so far with her, but she was still holding back. He said he would go at her pace, be as patient as she needed him to be, and he meant it. But he couldn’t help but wonder why things had stopped here when they were so close to being perfect.

  “Piggyback ride, Mr. Wolf,” Cora demanded when it was time to get home. She came up with that nickname after she found out about him being a shifter. She also gave him her finished wolf she carved out of wood. It reminded Casey of home, and it meant more to him than she probably understood. She hadn’t been scared in the slightest, while the other kids at least had some reservations when he came out as a wolf shifter.

  Casey crouched down and Cora jumped onto his back as they all started on their way home.

  “What about the rest of us?” Sarah quipped.

  “I only have one back,” Casey pointed out.

  Sarah and Karol had come to an understanding. Sarah was allowed to date now, but Karol kept up her mom persona. She regularly talked to Sarah about being safe and updates on Sarah’s dating life. Communication was the condition Karol set. It made the two of them closer than they had ever been.

  “Speak for yourself,” Dale remarked.

  Dale turned seventeen and finally convinced Karol he could handle a part-time job on top of school. He wanted to help with family expenses, but Karol and Casey convinced him that they earned enough together to take care of everything as well as this new house thing. That meant he got to keep his own money and manage it like an adult.

  “I’ll take a turn,” Greg said.

  Greg had been thrilled when he learned Casey was a wolf shifter. All it changed for him was what kind of superhero name he should give Casey. Wolf X was what he was calling him currently.

  “One at a time,” Casey said with a laugh. “But you got it, little man.”

  “You could totally carry more than one of them at a time,” Karol noted.

  “Nope, can’t do it,” Casey insisted with a smirk.

  Alice ran on ahead, kicking a rock. She and Casey got past the moment of her slamming the door in his face. She greeted him with a grin whenever she saw him now.

  Taylor skipped alongside her family with a sunny smile. She was sunny all the time even when the rest of the family was an angry storm.

  After making sure Greg got a piggyback ride too, the group soon arrived at their small house where Mary was awaiting them. She was sitting outside on a lawn chair under an old oak tree reading a book.

  “Welcome back,” she greeted.

  “Mary, would you mind watching the kids tonight?” Karol asked. “Dale will help.”

  “Going somewhere?”

  Karol grabbed Casey’s arm. “Yeah, just the two of us. Won’t be back until tomorrow.”

  Mary smiled. “I can do that.”

  “We won’t be back until tomorrow?” Casey asked with an arched eyebrow. This was the first he had heard about this plan. He and Karol had planned to go to his place, but he figured he’d be taking her home after a couple hours had passed.

  “Yep,” Karol replied. She held on tighter to him, her slender fingers caressing his bicep.

  After everyone said their goodbyes, Casey and Karol were in his Toyota Camry on their way to Casey’s apartment. He considered asking her what was up, but she was looking out the window in her I’m-thinking-things-through way. That meant the drive to his apartment was mostly silent. Even the way up and into his apartment was quiet.

  When he shut himself and Karol inside, he finally asked, “Is something wrong?”

  Karol shook her head, causing her red curls to bounce back and forth. She stepped forward and hugged him in the apartment’s entryway.

  “I don’t know how to thank you enough, Casey,” she said. “You’ve done so much for me and the kids. I just… Thank you.”

  Well, he couldn’t say Karol never thanked him. She did that a lot.

  “You know, I consider them my family too,” he said. “It’s kind of my duty to help out.”

  He let down one family before because he was too afraid to talk things through and fight for what he wanted. Instead, he ran away because it was easier and he got away. He hurt more wolves than Willow in the process. He wasn’t ever going to do that again.

  “You do more than help out,” she said as she buried her face into his chest.

  The cherry sweet scent of her arousal wafted up to Casey’s nose. His cock was already half erect, but now it was pressing against his shorts. Karol squished herself against him, so he was sure she could feel his cock hard at her stomach.

  “I want you,” she said as she looked up at him with hungry eyes. “Right now.” And she meant it. She leaned back and rubbed her hands against his erection mercilessly.

  Casey growled, scooped her up into his arms, and walked right into his bedroom where he dropped Karol onto his mattress. He hopped on top of her at the same time, hovering close to her so he could feel her against him as he kissed her. It wasn’t enough. He made quick work of their flip flops and clothes, and then resumed the position, feeling her soft breasts against his chest as he held himself against her, careful not to crush her.

  She was feisty, kissing and biting fervently like she couldn’t get enough of him. She was n
ot shy when it came to their physical intimacy. Not anymore. She gripped his back tightly as if trying to bring him closer to her, but if he was any closer, he would be squishing her like a pancake. He stole away their kiss and caught her left earlobe in his mouth and sucked. He always went to the place her Lunas Sigil was at least once whenever he made love to her. The magic it held was a constant confirmation that their union was meant to be. And Karol let out the most evocative sounds when he did. Electrical tingles spread throughout his body, and he could feel his own Lunas Sigil react as well.

  Casey’s canines cut against his gums, demanding to come out. He swore his wolf, his instincts, got more persistent every time he made love to his Fated Mate. It was the part of him that didn’t understand why this was taking so long. He tried to reason with himself. Karol wasn’t a wolf. Maybe she would never want him to claim her, but God, did he want to.

  And he was getting carried away.

  He stopped his onslaught and reached over to the nightstand, pulling open the top drawer to grab a condom. Karol caught his hand before he could.

  “Not tonight,” she said.

  “I thought we didn’t want to chance the baby thing since we’ve got plenty of kids to take care of right now,” he replied.

  “That’s why I’m on birth control too. I’ve never felt just you inside of me, Casey. I want you.”

  He wasn’t going to complain. He would argue he hated the stupid latex more than she did.

  “You know, I’m fine with it,” he said as he brushed his fingers across the freckles on her cheek. “If you’re sure.”

  “If I did get pregnant, you wouldn’t go anywhere. Would you?” she asked.

  “Hell no.” He kissed her lips tenderly. “I’d love that kid to death. Besides, we’re going to have a new house in a few more months.”

  Karol smiled, the pink of her lips soft and inviting. “Exactly.”

  Casey searched her light brown eyes. “You sure everything’s okay? You’re acting different tonight.”

  “Everything is right.” She brought her hands up to his face, making sure he was looking her in the eye. “I want you to claim me, Casey.”

  He never thought he would hear those words. It was like someone had punched him in the chest. He could hardly breathe. “You do?”

  “I want you to be mine forever.” Her hands slipped from his face as she sent them to his chest and farther down to his abs, his V-shaped hips. “I want you to claim me.”

  Casey shifted forward, and Karol wrapped her fingers around his swollen cock, feeling out the veins down his shaft. He shuddered at her touch. He wanted to buck into her. Hard. But he restrained himself for the moment.

  “Feel how wet I am,” Karol said. “How much I want you.”

  With more self-control than he knew he had, Casey slowly lowered his hips down to his Fated Mate’s as she guided his swollen cock to her wet folds. He wanted to howl. Feeling her like this was everything. This was how he had wanted to take her from the very beginning. She slid the head of his cock up and down her slit, sending shivers through his entire body. He waited still. Allowing her to guide him right to her entrance. The moment her hands were no longer on his cock, he thrust into her. Hard. Just like he wanted to.

  Her hands flew to his back as she dug her nails into his skin with the release of a loud groan. He bucked into her again and she brought up her knees, pressing onto her toes to allow him to penetrate her deeper. She was tight around him, but her body was quickly adjusting, soaking him with her need. She was screaming his name, totally lost in him. He moved faster and faster in and out as she moved with him. Just as her pussy clenched around him, he curled in on himself as his canines ripped free, and he bit her right arm just below her shoulder. At the same moment, her orgasm came crashing around his dick, and he spilled into her. He groaned with his release, whispering her name on his lips.

  He slowed his frantic movements, following the flow of her body. He continued to rock against her softly as she breathed heavily from underneath him, completely worn out. Without pulling out, he caught Karol’s legs in his and flipped her over sideways so they were both lying face to face on his bed, legs entangled, bodies joined.

  Karol snuggled up into his chest. He took a quick look at her arm before holding her close in response. There was blood, but he had either bitten her shallowly or some of his ability to heal was transferred into that bite, making it heal faster.

  “That didn’t even hurt,” she said. “The bite I mean.”

  “Good. I didn’t want it to hurt,” he replied.

  She traced her finger around his left pec. “Casey.”

  “Yeah?” he replied as he eased out of her and untangled their legs so he could keep her pressed against him while having her eyes level with his.

  “There have been so many times I’ve wanted to tell you something important, but I always stopped myself. Fear always stopped me. I thought I was doing good with fighting my fears, but there’s still one I haven’t overcome.” She pressed her forehead to his. “I’ve never once told you I love you. You’d think that’d be so easy to say. But it’s not. Those are sacred words, and I didn’t want to say them until I knew I meant them. Now I know I do. Honestly, I’ve known for a while.” She angled her face to kiss him. “I love you. I want to stay with you forever. You claimed me, so maybe you’d consider marrying me?” She said that last part shyly. “It’s important to me.”

  Casey kissed her. “You know I will. The more ways I have to call you mine, the better.”

  Karol laughed. “But the wedding will have to wait for a little while. We need to focus on our new house and money.”

  It was Casey’s turn to laugh. “You got it.”

  “You think I could meet your old wolf pack someday?” she asked.

  That comment took him aback. “You know I’m not really welcome there.”

  “I think you miss them.”

  Casey frowned.

  “I can tell. You’ve been kind of down lately.”

  He avoided her gaze. “I’m fine.”

  “C’mon, Casey. I know you too well by now. You’ve told me all about your pack. I know how you love your parents. I know you love Willow and her brother. I know you would have done things differently if you could go back in time. Because that’s the kind of person you are. You’re kind.”

  “They would never accept you,” he said forlornly.

  “There’s always room for change. Hell, look at what you did to me.” She ran her hand through his short brown hair. “I know your parents will be happy to see you again. At the very least. Everything you’ve told me about them means they love you. A lot. I think you’d be surprised at what you’d find if you went back one day.”

  “I’ll agree with the last part. A lot can change in a few years.”

  “At least, think about it. Okay?”

  Casey nodded his head. “I’ll think about it. After we have our own place. Our family needs more space, and they come first.”

  Karol kissed him. “I love it when you call them our family.”

  “I love it when you say you love me.”

  She looked him in the eye, unwavering, true, and sure. “I love you, Casey Hunt.”

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  Grab Her Brave Wolf, the next book in the series, right now for only 99c!

  Marked by the Moon

  Book 0: Her True Wolf

  Book 1: Her Brave Wolf

  Book 2: Her Fierce Wolf

  Book 3: Her Wild Wolf

  Book 4: Her Noble Owl

  Book 5: Her Bad Cat

  Message from the Author

  Thanks for reading Her True Wolf! I hope you enjoyed it. Karol and Casey had a rough go of it in the beginning, but they pulled through. I am damn proud of them. Need more sexy shifters with hearts of gold? You can get the next book in Marked by the Moon, Her Brave Wolf, r
ight now by clicking this link.

  About the Author

  Kamryn Hart is a paranormal shifter romance fanatic. There’s nothing like the love a hot shifter guy has for his mate. Between the intense heat and sweet as candy romance, these stories are enough to make anyone melt away into blissful cottony clouds. Don’t forget the magical aspect. Fantasy is in Kamryn’s blood, so of course she’d choose a fantasy outlet for her romantic heart. (And let’s face it, wolf shifters are flipping awesome and the ones who started this obsession.) Kamryn will bring even the most reluctant shifters to their knees for their mate. After all, Fated Mates equal forever love.

  Kamryn's website: kamrynhartauthor.com