by Kim Faulks
“Gretel?”
Ghost’s voice echoed as I opened my eyes and stumbled. The sharp branches of fallen trees seemed to reach out and snag the bottom of my skirt as I ran. The forest crowded me, forcing me to turn left, then right as I ran.
“Gretel don’t go too far! It’s not safe out here on your own.”
His words bought tears to my eyes. There was nowhere safe for me, not my home—not the forest. How could I think I’d be safe?
Rocks fell away under my feet. My name echoed behind me like a distant memory, low and haunting. I was hurting Wolfrick, leaving him when he was vulnerable. I scrambled over the steep rise, leaving the guilt and the anger behind. I had to get out. I had to find a way out of this skin, out of the pain and the betrayal of what I’d become.
A moan cut to the right. Something headed through the trees toward me. I stopped, listening to the heavy footfalls. “Ghost, is that you?”
The frantic howl tore through the forest. I turned at the sound, following the panicked cry. I knew that sound—the bear cub.
I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. The forest gave me nothing to follow. Don’t do this, it’s not safe. I swallowed the timid voice inside and pushed further, until in the distance the dried green pine needles fell away as the ground yawned. I followed the crack, stretching reaching through the trees until the tiny mewl dragged my focus toward the hole.
Something was in there.
I dropped to my hands and knees, scurrying toward the edge of the crevice. A dark shape moved. I strained, dirt and leaves fell inside as I caught the dark blur move to reveal a splash of white.
This was the same cub Wolfrick saved hours before. I cast my gaze to the right, searching the trees. Momma must be close. The cry from the hole came again, tearing through the air. I looked over my shoulder, I could run for help.
The deep growl to my right wrenched my gaze back. A wolf edged closer, head down, ears flattened and a murderous glint in its eye.
“Stay away. Get back.”
The wolf turned its attention to the hole, its tongue sneaked out, licking its lips. It’ll kill the cub. If I run it’ll kill me too.
Then don’t run.
The thought hit me like a splash of cold water, clearing my thoughts and survival was all that remained. I scanned the ground, searching for a stick, a rock, anything I could defend myself with. Are you predator, or prey? The wolf growled, faint padding sped my heart as the beast came closer.
I wrenched my gaze back, skimming my fingers along the leaves until I touched on the pointed end of a branch. I kept the wolf in my gaze as I eased the club free. The bear cried out and I flinched from the sound. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to be fine. We’re strong you and I, stronger than we know.”
The sound of my voice quietened the cub. “No one’s going to hurt us ever again.”
A shiver raced along my skin as the wolf’s growl deepened, all this time the animal was edging closer, closer. One jump and he’d be on me all fangs and claws. The end of the branch grazed the ground as I rose. “You think you frighten me? Then think again.”
The wolf leapt, moving fast. Fear swung the branch, but anger drove it home smashing into the beast face. I stumbled with the blow as the wolf whimpered and hit the ground. I swung swinging back to wield the weapon again. Slow steps crunched the leaves. The wolf kept me in his sights and backed away. One glance toward the crevice in the ground and the beast turned tail and ran. “That’s right, keep running.”
Thunderous steps echoed in the distance, heading toward me at a frantic pace. I craned my head, listening over the thunder of my heart. Two feet and not four. I smiled. My ghost raced to find me.
“Gretel!”
A blur cut through the trees in the distance. “I’m over here. I’m okay.”
The young cub cried and scratched the sides of the hole behind me. I bent down, and walked forward on hands and knees until I hit the edge. Big dark eyes stared up at me, black lips parted as a whimper slipped free.
My chest ached at the sight. I gripped the edge of the crack and eased my foot over. One swipe from the cub’s claws and I’d be wounded. But if I could chase off a hungry wolf, then I might have a chance. I braced my feet against the other side, riding the rubble of earth all the way to the bottom as the bear leapt and clawed. “It’s okay. I’m going to get you out of here.”
“What the hell are you doing?”
I glance up into panicked blue eyes. “He’s trapped, Ghost. He can’t get out.”
“Stop. You’ll get hurt. Jesus, I smelled wolf and thought....”
“I chased it away. He was coming after the cub.” I muttered grazing my legs along the rocks and the dirt. I was wedged in tight, there way Ghost could get low enough to grab him. “You won’t fit anyway, it’s too tight. I can do this.”
“Just be careful. He’s frightened, and all he smells is human. He can still hurt you.”
I nodded and eased forward. The cub’s big eyes widened as I neared. He jumped and howled, clawing at the side with wicked claws. I slapped my hands against the dirt wall and slid toward him. “I’m not going to hurt you, so you won’t hurt me, okay?”
He glanced toward my hand as I worked closer, one small reach and I’d brush his thick dark fur. The white splash on his forehead resurrected the memory of his mother. “You momma scared me when I was a girl. I’m trying not to scare you. I’m a friend.”
I slid forward, siding up to the hefty cub. “I could use a friend like you, and I’m hoping you can use one like me.”
I kept the bear’s gaze and trailed my hand along his hand. “See, I’m not going to hurt you.”
My fingers sank into his coat. I ran my hand over his shoulder as I moved closer, siding up to him. “Just one little boost okay and you’re out. Your Momma will be looking for you. You ready?”
I crouched, sliding my hands down his back until I rested my head against his shoulder. He jumped and wormed, trying his best to get away from me. I timed his lunges, lifting his back legs as he leapt.
My back strained under the weight. For a little might he was heavy under all that fur. Ghost grabbed the cub as the top half of his body as he lunged from the hole as I heaved.
The scoundrel smacked into Ghost, barreling him over in his attempt to run free. The ground vibrated with the sound of heavy paws. A snarl was greeted with the mewling cry of the cub as I collapsed against the side. I gulped down my breaths listening to the pathetic whimpers as his Momma found him.
“Was a thank you too much to ask?” I spluttered.
Ghost chuckled and reached over the edge for my hands. “You’ve just earned yourself a lifetime of worry. That cub gets into more mischief than even you found yourself in.”
I grasped his palms and walked my feet up the side as Ghost lifted me free. My feet found nothing but air until his arms tightened around me. He buried his head into my hair and whispered. “You scared me half to death. I thought I’d lost you. I thought....” You’d left me.
I had. I closed my eyes sinking into the feel of his chest. That weak, defenseless girl had left and replaced with another.
“You fought off a wolf for Christ sake. Don’t you know how dangerous that is?”
The need to survive still raced through my veins. “Yes, and I survived. I’m not prey, Ghost. I’ll fight when I need to. I think somehow I needed to understand that for myself.”
His grip tightened, smashing my face harder against his body. I listened to the thudding of his heart as he muttered. “God, I’m so proud of you, furious as hell—but proud. I can see you and that bear’s going to have a lot in common, mostly my grey hair. I can see I’m going to have to teach you a lot more than just to hunt and chop wood.”
The corners of my mouth tugged. My smile stretched wide.
“Come on, let’s get you back home.”
We walked back to the cabin hand in hand. I’d been so wrapped up in my hatred for that weak person inside I’d forgotten how t
o be strong, how to be wild. Ghost was right, the cub would be back. Bears were smart creatures. He’d remember my scent. He’d remember we were friends, even the weak found strength in numbers.
Ghost watched me carefully, giving me space throughout the day. I reveled in the pants and shirt I wore, carting wood, cleaning the pots and pans. Working made me have a purpose again. I ventured into the cabin, covering the small bed with a thick hide.
We’d need something bigger, if we’re to live as man and wife.
The thought stilled me. Man and wife. My fingers trembled as I prodded the pillow. The thought of another man’s touch filled with me with fear. I shook my head, sinking my fingers deep into the plume. This was my Ghost. He loved me and he’d never hurt me.
I watched him from the corner of my eye as we settled down for the afternoon. He worked tirelessly, never too far away. He opened his mouth once or twice to speak, hovering over me like the mother I should’ve had. But he let me be as I ventured through the trees collecting rocks. I carted the boulders one by one, piling them up until the dull ache in my head returned.
Ghost watched me with amusement as he sawed and nailed. His bare chest glistened. He wiped the sweat off his brow as I brushed the dirt from my hands against my trousers. “You’ve acquired yourself quite the pile.”
I grinned and nodded. “For the garden. I want to get started as soon as possible, if we’re to harvest come spring.”
His smile widened, excitement sparkled in his eyes. “I see. That sounds perfect, I suppose we can’t live on deer forever.”
“And there’s something else.” I muttered, dropping my gaze to the timber at his feet. I could feel the burn in my cheeks. The fear had a strangle-hold on my heart. “The bed. We’ll need a larger one if we’re to lay together.”
Chapter Seventeen
Gretel
Silence filled the air. I stared at the ground, waiting for him to say something.
“I see.”
I yanked my head up, meeting his gaze. “I see? Is that all you want to say.”
The hammer it the ground with a thud. Lean muscles flexed as he stalked across the divide. My mouth turned arid. I tried to wet my lips, but all I could do was stare.
His muscles moved, strong and supple. “I could say no. I could say yes. But what I want doesn’t matter, because I have everything I need. I see love in your eyes when you look at me. And for the first time since I carried you here, I see desire. For me that’s enough. If you want me to share your bed, I will. But first I’ll earn that right. It starts right here with me building you a garden, then building you a home.”
My cheeks burned. I stared at my feet before his calloused finger brushed my jaw and lifted. “So, you point and I’ll carry. Where does my beautiful Gretel want her garden?”
My chest fluttered as he smiled at me. I couldn’t stop, moving in close to rise up on my toes. His lips tasted salty and I wanted more. I slid my hand along his arm, cresting hard muscles as the kiss deepened. His mouth moved, hungry at first before he slowed, leaving me to set the pace before I broke away, breathless.
“All that for a garden, huh?” Those perfect lips glistened as he grinned. “I see can see this whole place littered with them before long.”
My laughter broke free. I turned, surveying the cleared area and pointed to a patch against the tree line. “Over there is perfect.”
“Right. You lead, I’ll follow.”
We spent the remainder of the day piling stones to make a garden wall. Wolfrick carted the last of the mound, before grabbing the barrow and setting off through the trees. “I won’t be far away.”
By the time he returned with a barrow of dirt, the sky was already darkening. I set the last stone as Wolfrick heaved the earth into the bed.
“I’ll be heading into town tomorrow, maybe you can come with me? We’ll stop at the supply store and grab some seed, you can get whatever you want—flowers, vegetables. Maybe even some clothes for you, if you don’t mind something plain.”
“Trousers, and shirts, like these?”
His bark of laughter made me jump. “You never cease to amaze. Trousers and shirts it is. Now let’s get you washed up and fed before it gets too dark.”
I nodded, following him as he pushed the barrow back against the side of the house. Still all I could think about was the kiss and his desperate desire to care for me, and to love me. The flutters in my chest, moved into my belly as Wolfrick poured water from the fire into the wash basin, then added a bucket of cold testing the temperature before he was happy.
He draped a cloth to the side and place the small cake of soap on top. “Here you go, all ready.”
My fingers were already reaching for the buttons on my shirt. I kept him in my sight, stepping closer and slid the fabric over my shoulders, leaving my breasts bare. His lips parted, the hiss of his breath so soft as I came closer. I let my clothes fall as I unbuckled the belt and stepped free of the trousers.
Cared for me. Loved me. This man had given me more in the time I’d spent here than I had my entire life. The thought of leaving this place, or leaving him filled me with dread. Husband and wife. I reached for the tie of his pants and slipped my hand inside. That’s what I wanted—husband and wife.
I traced the motion of his breaths down his hardened chest to the grooves of his stomach. His lean body looked fast and strong. His arms thick with muscle, mirroring his thighs.
I couldn’t stop my gaze from falling to the juncture of his thighs as his pants fell to the ground. His shaft protruded from a thatch of dark hair, the length soft. I grabbed the cloth and dipped into the warm water, then lathered with soap.
“Gretel.” His protest was noting more than a hiss as I slid the warm cloth against his skin, wiping his chest with broad strokes before running over his shoulders.
“About that bed.” I muttered, never once taking my eyes off his.
“Tomorrow. I promise.”
He opened his hands. I washed and rinsed, and ran the washer along the inside of his arm. His stomach trembled as I trailed lower. I gripped the shaft of his cock, running the washer the length to cup his scrotum. Long powerful strokes had the man parting his lips. His hips rocked with slow thrusts as the washer fell away. His length thickened, parting my grip until my fingers no longer met.
“Jesus, woman.” The powerful man was meek as I rinsed the washer and dropped to my knees. I bathed him as he bathed me earlier, reveling in the thick corded muscles of his thighs and the growing girth of his cock. Slow and steady, we had all night.
I buffed his body until his skin glowed red against the orange flames of the fire. The fight was in his eyes. Touch me, take me. I watched the battle blaze, still he kept his focus above my neck until I heldout the cloth. “Do you mind washing my back?”
His lips were upon me, hard and fast. He bowed as I moved against him, lowering his head to mine. Our lips touched as I grazed the hard ridge of his shoulder, then drifted my hand higher, entwining my fingers in his hair. He bent and swept me up in one fluid motion, settling my legs around his hips. I felt his body harden against the juncture of my thighs. I was lost in the way his body rubbed mine, worked harder to rub the valley of my opening as he carried me inside.
Each step turned longer, harder. His cock thrusting to meet my thighs. I gripped the back of his neck, riding each jolt of pleasure until he bent, lowing me to the bed.
His body rode mine, pressing my spine harder against the thin mattress, melting me away to the slow burn inside. He slipped lower. I reached for him as dropped between my thighs, dragging my nails along his arm as he dipped in the bed, kissing my stomach, my abdomen, then lower. He lifted his face flushed, words no more than a breathless whisper. “Next time. I promise, next time I’ll be slower.”
He bent his head to kiss the top of my mound. “God, you’re so beautiful.”
His tongue slid low and licked along my crease, delving inside me as he reached the sensitive button at the top. I shuddered. Electric
ity raced through my body, stoking the fire inside. A growl slid from his lips as he made the same trail again, this time moving deeper, lingering longer around the top of my slit.
I arched my spine, pressing my thighs wider as a cry slipped from my lips. His mouth vibrated with the growl, sending shivers through my body. I felt every trace of his tongue and saw every spark float into the air from the fire. He delved deeper, working his thick tongue inside my body only to pull out and lap at that sensitive spot.
I wanted to take my time, but the heat inside flared and twisted with each lick of his tongue. I clawed his arms, bearing down as he pressed harder, forcing himself deeper.
It wasn’t deep enough. He could never be deep enough. Ghost forced his hand under my back, gripping me tight against him. He lifted, turning us on the small bed until I was on top. His lips glistened under the hue of the fire. I leaned down to press my lips to his lips as my thighs settled over his. To taste the remnants of my pleasure on his mouth.
He was still, leaving me to touch where I wanted. But that wasn’t all I wanted. I slid my other hand between our bodies to cup the thick length of his shaft. He pulsed under my grip and I was ready. God, I was more than ready for this moment.
I eased him against my channel, closing my eyes to the pressure of his tip at my entrance. Ghost whimpered underneath me. My wolf had total constraint as I dragged the spongy head along my crease to reach my entrance. So thick. So hard. I moved him backwards, bearing down enough for him to slip inside until he stopped me, raising a brow. I pressed down harder.
My wolf held my eyes as I rose, thighs trembling with the strain, until I released and bore down and he slid all the way in. Ghost gripped my hips, rocking me against him. My breath caught and that fluttering bird inside my chest flew away, leaving me panting.