by C. D. Gorri
He wished his brothers had stayed with him. As eldest his need to keep them safe and to secure them a home was intense. But he understood their desire to spread their wings and explore the world. A world that they had only glimpsed at the past five-hundred years.
Not Callius. He saw enough of the world while waging war for Dragomir, Chief of the Blackthorne Clan. He’d not waste another moment of his time. After his long imprisonment, he understood the value of time more than most. His first order of business was to find his true mate. Done.
Next, he needed to find a castle. A home. He liked the look of this land as he circled from the heavens above. Of course, it was never as easy as all that, but he never looked for the easy way. Not Callius. The Falk Clan will claim this place, he thought to himself.
This land, this New Jersey had everything. Lakes, mountains, cities, suburbs, farmland, forests, and of course, the ocean. A perfect place for a Dragon Clan to settle. And unclaimed by any Clan he knew of.
In the few times over the last five-hundred years that Callius had been in contact with Dragons from other Clans, he had never heard of one settling in America. Most of those Dragons had decided the country was vile and filthy. Full of ingrates, criminals, and vermin.
He shook his head. For all their long lifetimes, his fellow Dragons tended to be old-fashioned and unwilling to change. No, there would be no other Clans to fight for dominion here. This New World would belong to him and his family. Theirs for the taking. The Falk brothers waited long enough for a place to call their own. Home.
Callius was finished waiting. He stood up. He’d make his claim here and now. First his mate, then his castle.
CHAPTER 5
“Hi, this is Winifred Castillo at The Thirsty Dog. I think you need to come here and check someone out...He’s different…Not a normal…No, I don’t know what he is, that’s the problem. Okay, bye,” Fred put the cell phone back in the old black leather hobo bag she carried around with her. She snapped it shut and tossed the bag back into her employee locker.
Fuck. What did she just do? Was it the right thing? Fred didn’t usually doubt herself like this, but something was very strange about the guy. And not just the way looking at him made her stomach do somersaults. Crap, Fred, maybe you’re just antsy cause you’ve got the hots for him!
Shut up! She thought to herself. Gosh, she could be such a jerk sometimes. She rolled her eyes and peeked out from the backroom towards the bar stool where she left her mystery man sitting just a few minutes ago. Only now, he was gone.
Dammit. Maybe I should have waited before calling the Pack.
“Milady, I really must speak with you.”
Fred jumped at the sound of his deep voice near her ear. Her heart pounded in her chest and she had to stop herself from swinging out with her fist.
How the heck did he manage that? She couldn’t recall a time after her Change that anyone was able to sneak up on her. Maybe she needed her ears checked or something?
“Ooh! You scared me!”
“Forgive me, sweet, I wasn’t trying to startle you,” the dark-haired giant tilted his head. Fred followed him with her eyes, hypnotized by the pulsating warmth that shone in his.
His irises were translucent. Like hot caramel sauce. The kind Fred ordered on top of her ice cream. But they weren’t all sweet, there was fire there too. They burned along the edges with a lightning-like glow.
She could see herself falling in those depths and never finding her way out. No, wait. She tried backing up a step. He was just so big. He took up most of the space in the room. But he didn’t crowd her. Not at all. In fact, she liked it.
She wanted to lean into him, to brush her body against his. Was he as solid as he looked? Did those muscles go everywhere? And what was the deal with those crazy gold eyes? A woman could fall in love with eyes like that. Especially the way he was looking at her, like he could eat her whole. Oh, damn! But she didn’t believe in love, anymore. Did she?
He reached out with his right hand and traced a path from her hairline to her jaw. Little jolts of electricity seemed to sizzle along her skin where he touched, distracting her from her wandering thoughts. She felt herself leaning into him. The way she imagined only seconds before.
Heat seeped through her clothing from his large body. His hands continued to trace her face, her neck, her shoulders. She should stop him, she really should, but it felt so damn good.
“Beautiful,” his voice was soothing, mesmerizing even.
His fingertips seemed to get warmer as he traced little patterns all over her body. She was sure his body temperature was well over hundred degrees. She ran a little hotter than normals which was typical for a Werewolf. Maybe three degrees’ higher tops, but this guy, well, heat seemed to radiate off him.
Fred swayed a little closer, unable to stop herself. Mmmm. His warmth was so enticing, so inviting, especially when she thought about the cold outside. It was a rough winter. Cold and bitter. But there was nothing cold about him. Slightly callused hands continued their exploration. She stood perfectly still. Unwilling to break the fragile spell between them.
He gently traced lines from her jaw to her brow then back down again. Her eyelids dipped low, though she fought to keep them open. She wanted to watch him as he touched her. His fascination evident in his own heavy-lidded stare.
Even breathing seemed intrusive. Fred slowed down her breathing as much as she could. Not an easy feat when her heart felt as if it was going to burst through her chest. She didn’t want him to stop.
The noise from the bar, the problems with her landlord, and Josh the rat, all faded away in the space of a few seconds. She existed in that moment for one reason. To feel his touch. His warm fingers tenderly caressing her skin. Harder, she thought, more.
“I don’t want to hurt you, love,” he whispered against her temple. He kissed her head and his lips seemed to sizzle on her skin.
Did she say that aloud? She needed to get a hold of herself, for fuck’s sake! She was acting like she was in high school. Letting some guy paw all over her! She didn’t even know him! Slow down there, Fred.
“Okay, look, I’m sorry, I don’t even know you-” she almost lost her balance as his hand fell away and he backed up half a step. She immediately felt cold. And empty.
“Did I frighten you, love? I apologize, I simply had to touch your skin. You’re pale as freshly whipped cream and just as soft-” his gold eyes seemed to glow as he reached for her again, but Fred evaded his hand. She needed to think clearly and that was not going to happen if he touched her again.
“No, you didn’t frighten me, I- I just don’t know you.”
“But you do know me,” his words were nothing more than a growl as he stared into her eyes.
Fred’s stomach tightened. Yes, I do know you. She bit her lip to keep from answering aloud. The lie tasted foul in her mouth, but what was she supposed to do? She had no idea who or what he was. What if this was some kind of trap?
“What’s your name?”
“Callius Falk. And yours, milady?”
“My name is Winifred, but people call me Fred.”
“My sweet Winifred, you are beautiful as your name,” he leaned close again. Fred’s eyes rolled back. Heat seeped into her.
Wait, did he say her name was beautiful? Seriously? Mmm, when did he start rubbing her shoulders? Mmm, feels wonderful!
“My name’s a joke, definitely not beautiful.”
“I am sorry to disagree with you, but, love, you could not be more wrong,” he placed a whisper of a kiss on her brow and she swayed closer to him. The soft material of his shirt felt good against the places where her skin was bare.
She’d never been so turned on in her life. Certainly not by Josh. She wanted to trust him, but, how could she? Even if everything about him said he was telling the truth. Okay, so maybe he liked old-fashioned names. She took a deep breath.
Werewolves could often smell a lie. Mmm. He smelled good. Pure and honest. Not one trace of dec
eit as far as she could discern. Yes, he was telling the truth.
His scent was like cinnamon spice with a hint of Applewood smoke. Wow. She hadn’t breathed in that particular fragrance in years. It was like being in a time machine. The past caught up to her and suddenly she was thinking about her life before she Maccon City.
Fred travelled across the country with her older brother in an old, beat-up RV. They often stayed in the woods and slept outside near the campfire. They told each other stories while breathing in the pleasant smoke. She recalled making cobbler in an old cast iron pot outside on the open flames.
She burnt her lip after stealing a bite of too-hot apple cobbler on their very last trip together. The flaming-hot cinnamon sugar left an angry red mark, but it tasted so good. She remembered what she told him afterwards. It was worth it.
Her mouth watered a little as she stared at the man in front of her. Cobbler? Maybe. Just maybe. She wondered if he would taste as hot and sweet. One thing she was willing to bet on was that he’d be worth the burn.
“I wonder, milady, if I may?” his voice was a rumble in the darkness. It pulsated right through her, making her tremble. This was getting dangerous.
“If you may what?”
“If I may this,” he pushed her gently against the exposed brick wall and placed his hands on either side of her head.
Fred was used to being stronger than most of the guys around her, even the Wolves. This man was easily twice her width and a good ten inches taller than she was. Would she be able to move him if she wanted to?
The question was valid, but the thing was, she didn’t want to. She tilted her head back to meet his golden eyes. Her Wolf generally did not like it when she was outsized, but for some reason she was not bothered by him at all. In fact, she seemed to encourage Fred as she pulled him closer.
He felt solid and deliciously warm against her scantily clad body. She readied herself for what she assumed was going to be a passionate assault on her mouth, but he leaned in the top of her head and sucked in deep breath of her hair.
She narrowed her eyes at him. That was a Werewolf thing to do, but she already knew that he wasn’t one. What was he? And why was he smiling like that?
“You are a Wolf?” his voice was laced with pure delight.
“How did you know that?” her voice was higher than normal in her panic. Now she wanted to step back, but she was trapped between him and the wall behind her.
Fred waited a moment for the panic to come, the fear that she’d been outed. But it didn’t. She was not scared. She felt excited, not anxious. And she liked it.
“This is very good! Excellent! Fortune is smiling at me at long last, my love! Ha! Gaudium et veritate!”
“What?”
“There is joy in the truth, sweet Fred!”
“Why do you say that?”
“For many reasons, love.”
“Name one.”
“It will be easier on you, for one thing,” he dropped a kiss on her temple and held her face gently while he breathed in her scent.
His smile was contagious, but she needed to keep her head on right. How did he know what she was? She was determined to find out, but what did he mean by that last remark?
“What will be easier on me?” she asked.
“This,” Callius pressed the hard length of his body into hers.
He pushed his hips into hers as his mouth inched closer. Her lips parted, stunned by the thick length of his arousal. It strained against his tight leather pants and pressed against her stomach. Fred could hardly think as he flexed his hips into hers, a growl escaping his lips. Mm, so good. She opened her legs a little wider. She wanted to feel him.
Their bodies fit like puzzle pieces. Locked in his embrace all she wanted was to feel his lips on hers. To taste that smoky-cinnamon flavor that was all his. As if he read her mind, his tongue snaked into her mouth and she opened for him, welcoming the fiery heat that came with his kiss.
Fred couldn’t think. She didn’t want to. All she could do was feel. His lips were masterful. He kissed, licked, sucked, and even bit as if he could read her every want.
His hands were the same. Just as proficient. They were everywhere all at once. Searching, fondling, caressing, gripping, squeezing. Fred held onto him for all she was worth. All the while, his lips locked onto hers and the world around them simply fell away.
“I must ask a question,” he said coming up for air when all Fred wanted was to drown in his kiss. He panted with the effort it took to speak. That pleased Fred. She’d hate it if this were all one-sided.
“Ask already,” she nodded following his lips with her eyes. Just hurry up and kiss me.
“Milady, sweet Winifred, I need to know. Can I have you?”
“I’m sorry, what?”
Yes! Of course! Her brain was screaming at her to take him somewhere they could be alone. Where they could finish this explosive interlude. But wait he was talking again. What was the question?
She could hardly focus. She couldn’t believe how much she wanted him. Heck, she was about to jump him right where anyone could walk by without a single care, what other confirmation did he need? His question echoed in her mind, Can I have you?
Yes, you can have me! Her mind screamed. As long as you never stop doing that with your hands! Her nipples hardened under his touch. His clever fingers pulled and squeezed. Finally, he closed his mouth over one then the other, right over her thin shirt. She hissed out a slow breath.
It had been months since she felt the touch of a man. Josh had lost interest long before he emptied her bank account. If she was being honest with herself, she’d admit she stopped trying too. He wasn’t the man for her. She’d known it all along.
Now this man, well, he teased her body into such a frenzied state of passion, she thought she’d burst right there. She felt alive. His hands travelled up her spine and down again. He cupped her ass and squeezed in a way that hurt so good.
“Oh, don’t stop, Callius!”
“Say my name again,” he grazed her throat with his teeth and ground his body into hers.
“Callius.” Fred felt his pleasure at the sound of his name on her lips and she smiled with her head thrown back. She held onto his face as he kissed her and moaned when he lowered his head.
He licked a hot trail from her collarbone to her mouth and touched his lips to hers. Oh, my God! Fred drove her tongue inside of his spicy hot mouth. Holding him there with her hands while she explored the sweet cavern of his mouth. She couldn’t get enough of the taste of him.
Electricity sizzled between them. Like little bolts of lightning dancing along her nerve endings. The world stopped and spun round again. She thought she even heard her Wolf howl.
His lips were spicy and sweet, like a bite of 70% chocolate and a sip of Bordeaux. A dark sort of delicious that went straight to her head.
His hands roamed over her body with free reign. She allowed him access to her secrets without any reservations. His tongue and teeth teased her mouth until she was almost mindless with need. She wanted him, craved him. Fred couldn’t hold back any longer, she wrapped one leg around his hips and pulled him close.
If he could, then so could she. She steered him deeper into the small backroom. He squeezed her thighs and lifted her fully onto him, carrying her the rest of the way.
She let him, her hands had better things to do. Like running up and down his heavily muscled back, down to his hips, and finally, to his firm ass. He felt soooo good in his tight black leather. She bit his lower lip. Grrr.
He seemed to growl in response. Fred’s hands moved to the front of the soft leather that encased his manhood. His cock was long and hard under her curious fingers. She groaned again as he throbbed in her hands. Up and down she traced and squeezed, again and again.
If the way his entire body vibrated under her touch was any indication of how he felt, he definitely liked it. She couldn’t get enough. Fred wished they were in a bed somewhere where she could peel off ev
ery barrier between them and explore.
“I need your answer, please, I beg you. You must tell me,” he lifted his head, eyes glowing, “Can I have you?”
The question. There it was again. She thought he would have gotten the answer by now. But maybe he needed the words.
“Yes,” Fred moaned the word and squeezed her thighs around him.
“It’s done then,” he took her hands and put them around his neck, pressing as close as he could get to her with their clothes still on.
He put his hands under her ass and lifted her up so that she was practically riding him. She moved and bucked, pressing into him as close as she could get. So close, but still so far. A sweeter torture, Fred had never felt.
He bent his head to her neck and first his lips were kissing her, then his tongue, and finally she felt teeth. She groaned and clung to him as he sucked. His teeth grazed her neck again.
Shivers travelled down her spine. Fred wanted something, she needed something more. She didn’t know what it was, but she held onto him and exposed her throat fully to him. Longing for something she didn’t quite understand. Then, her body tensed and before she could name what it was she wanted, he bit down. Hard.
Fred gasped aloud as pure pleasure shot throughout her body from the place where he bit her on her neck to every nerve receptor. The brief pain of his bite was immediately forgotten, lost in the most intense orgasm she had ever felt. Then he was licking and sucking again, and Fred felt a delicious heat seep into her.
“My sweet, sweet Fred,” he penetrated her mouth with his tongue and kissed her again more thoroughly than she had ever been kissed before.
His hands moved up and over her firm breasts. He flicked her nipples with his left hand while his right hand snaked down her tight jeans. Thank God for jeggings!
He parted her hot, wet lips with just the tips of his long fingers. Circling the swollen skin, teasing and tempting her, but not quite filling her. Fred bucked against him. She wanted him. Now.
“Oh, my God, don’t you dare stop, Callius,” Fred said into his mouth. She bit his lower lip and swore she felt him smile against her.