by Mac Flynn
Scott smiled. "We do."
"Does that mean I can take her to our cabin?" Susie spoke up.
"'Our cabin'? They're letting us go?" I asked her.
Scott stood and shook his head. "No, you have a new cabin on this side of the lake. We can protect you from Blackwood better if you stay closer to us."
"You mean if we're hostages," I retorted.
Susie sighed and helped me to my feet. "What did I say about that paranoia of yours?"
"My instincts were right," I argued.
She led me towards the front door. "Come on. Let's have a talk about those instincts at the cabin."
My friend hefted me out side and towards a nearby small cabin much like the one we'd left on the other side of the lake. A few feet from Scott's deck I tugged on her and nodded at the woods.
We can make a break for it now," I whispered.
"You're healing, not healed," she scolded me, and pulled me onward.
I frowned at her. "When did you become the mother hen and I the chick?"
"There was a coup while you were gone. I've made myself matriarchal dictator," she informed me.
We reached the cabin and Susie helped me inside. It was nearly exactly like our old cabins except the second bed looked like a new addition to the furniture because the covers didn't match. Susie set me on the end of the nearest bed and plopped herself beside me.
"Cozy, isn't it?" she mused.
I grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Susie, are you seriously thinking about staying here?"
She shrank beneath my gaze,k but nodded. "Yes?" she squeaked.
"In god's name, why?"
"It's kind of a nice place to live, and they've got some job openings for attendants," she told me.
I slapped my forehead. "This isn't like changing cities or jobs, Susie. This is changing from a human to a cursed werewolf," I pointed out.
"It might come with more flees, but we both get a nice fur coat," she argued.
I stood and threw up my arms. "They've brainwashed what little brain you had, that's the only explanation for you just accepting what they did to us, what they're going to do to us if we stay."
Susie stood and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, Abby, it's not that bad."
I yanked my shoulder from her grasp and spun around to face her. "No, it's worse. There's a battle brewing between a bunch of werewolves. I know, I saw it firsthand in the woods, and frankly, there's nothing that will tempt me to stay here."
My friend's face fell. "Not even me?"
I straightened and shook my head. "Not even you."
A sly smile slipped onto her lips and she wagged her eyebrows. "What about Scott?" I opened my mouth, but hesitated. "Ah-ha! That'll get you to stay!" she insisted.
I scowled at her challenge. "Not even him, and I'll prove it to you by going over there right now and demanding my freedom."
Chapter 9
I marched out of the office, across the short distance to Scott's cabin, and raised my hand to knock on his door. The door opened before I could knock. Scott stood on the other side, and he wasn't wearing a shirt. My eyes latched onto his strong, soft muscles and I felt a warmth arise inside me.
"Is something the matter?" he asked me.
I shook my head and peeled my eyes away from him. "Y-yes, I'm still here," I quipped.
His face fell and he stepped to one side. "Let's talk about this in a private setting," he suggested.
I reluctantly stepped inside. Scott closed the door behind me and gestured to the couch. Linda and Nelson were apparently already gone. "Please make yourself at home."
"I'd rather not," was my biting reply.
"Discussions are best made sitting down. Standing is for arguments," he commented.
"What we're going to have depends on what you're going to tell me," I told him.
"Then do you mind if I sit down?" he pleaded. He walked over and took a seat on the couch. His half-nakedness tempted me stronger than I wanted to admit, particularly when he draped his arms over the back of the couch and showed off his full, delicious physique.
I swallowed hard and marched over to him. I folded my arms across my chest as I glared down at the handsome man. My stupid feminine mind couldn't get past how enticing a treat he was, how easily I could slide onto his lap and kiss his red lips.
"Is something wrong?" he spoke up.
I started back and cursed my red cheeks for showing my desire. "N-no, I was just-um, just preparing my list of demands. Or-um, demand. I want to go home."
He shook his head. "That wouldn't be a good idea. Blackwood and his followers may be lying in wait for you."
"Then you can give me an escort," I insisted.
His smile faltered just a little. "I'm afraid my people have their hands full protecting each other and the guests. We can't spare anyone."
I dropped my arms and clenched my fists at my sides. This wasn't what I wanted to hear because it actually made sense. "You can't keep me here like a prisoner!"
"You're not a prisoner, you're protected," he argued.
"I can't leave."
"It wouldn't be advisable, but you can walk out of here," he told me.
"Then I'm leaving that way," I quipped.
I spun around and made to march out of the cabin, but his hand whipped out. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his lap so my back lay against his chest. His arms wrapped around me and pinned me to his warm body.
"Jerk! Ass!" I growled. I meant to tell him more about himself, but I stiffened when he nuzzled his face into my neck.
His voice was low and tense. "Your scent drives me to distraction," he whispered.
"D-don't do that," I breathed.
"I can't help myself, and I know you feel the same." I gasped when his hands cupped my breasts. His lips brushed against my cheek. "So deliciously soft."
I closed my eyes and groaned as I was swept away in his sensual embrace. He lit a fire inside me that only he could quench, and every muscle of my body ached for his touch. My lover pulled me onto the couch cushions and leaned over me. His breath came out in sharp gasps, and his eyes swept over me. I felt as though he disrobed me with that heavy, hot gaze.
I hardly noticed when he raised his hand. His fingers were now claws that ended in sharp points. His hands sliced away my clothing and he pressed his body against mine. I squirmed atop the couch and rubbed one leg over his. He grunted and pushed himself into me, but growled at the intrusion of our pants. One of his clawed fingers ran down the seam of my pants leg and I felt the material tear away under the sharp point. My jeans opened up to reveal my thick, sweat-soaked thighs. I moaned as my breasts swelled and my pert nubs rubbed against his hard chest muscles.
"More. . ." I murmured.
His heated eyes looked down at me with a yellow glow in them. "Yes," he growled.
His hand swept up my bare skin and between my legs. He rubbed his finger against me again, heightening my heated desire. I craved his touch, his body against mine. I was mad with need. My hands grasped his arms and I whimpered. He was the alpha and I his mate. I couldn't deny that my body and soul demanded union, and I longed for him to take me.
"Please take me," I whispered. I arched my back as a rush of heat swept over me. My muscle stretched and I felt my remaining pant leg tear open. The changes inside me released a aphrodisiac of need that couldn't be quenched except with him. "Please!"
He curled his lips up in a grin of triumph. My mate tore away my remaining clothes and swooped down to capture my lips in a passionate, demanding kiss. His hands slid over my tense, tightening muscles. They left a change in their wake as hair sprouted from my sweat-soaked skin. My feet stretched into claws and my hips bulged out in a sensual curve. I clung to him and panted for breath. Every change penetrated my body with pleasure. Each little growth and swelling left me trembling and eager for more.
My lover, too, changed. His muscles thickened and hardened. Fur sprouted from his body and brushed against me like
a luxurious, seductive rug. He leaned down and nipped his lengthened teeth against the flesh of my neck. His claws swept up and cupped my heavy breasts in his long fingers. I felt his thick, pulsing member rub against the inside of my thigh. Closer. I needed him closer to me. I needed him inside me.
I wrapped my legs around me and rubbed myself against him. He froze and grunted. His hips thrust forward and he penetrated me. I shuddered at the feel of him as he filled me with himself. My hot, wet walls stretched and welcomed him into their folds. He panted and pushed himself deeper.
He raised his head and his yellow eyes looked down at me with such passion that my body tingled with orgasm. His eyes promised pleasure beyond what I could imagine, and I ached for it. "So. . .tight," he growled.
I coyly smiled and cupped his cheek in my palm. "So right," I whispered.
He clenched his teeth and pulled out only to thrust back inside. His stroke rubbed against my sensitive nerves and left my body desiring more. More of him, more of these changes, and more pleasure. He lay his body atop mine and began our sensual dance. Our hips rubbed and slid against each other, heightening our aching demands for sexual satisfaction.
"Yes. Oh god, yes," I whispered. My body ached for more, for a faster, more wild embrace of my lover, my mate. I felt my teeth lengthen into fangs and my claws dug into his back. "Faster. More," I growled.
He grabbed my hips and did as I commanded. His thrusts rubbed faster and deeper. Every stroke was a masterpiece of sensual delight that left me wanting for more. I wrapped my legs around his waist and reveled in the feel of him as he abandoned all semblance of a shy lover. He took me like a wild beast. His grunts filled the air as I squirmed beneath the onslaught of his demanding penetrations. My body stretched and strained under the pleasure that swept over me again and again.
My eyes widened as I felt the torrential wave of orgasm rush over my body. "Yes! Yes!" I screamed. I writhed in his tight grasp, but he held me tight against him. His name left my lips in a mantra of admiration and unbridled passion. "Scott! Scott! Oh god, yes!"
He lifted his head and let out a howl that echoed off the walls. My furry lover fell atop me and I let out a wheeze of air. He wasn't light, especially in his partial werewolf form. For a few moments there was silence, and then Scott's chuckle reverberated through my body. I tilted my head back to look into his face.
His eyes twinkled with mischief as he stared into mine. "Are you sure you don't want to be my mate?" he teased.
I shrank away from him and glared at him. "You're cheating! You're. . .you're seducing me with your-"
"Good looks? Charm? Love for you?" he suggested.
"With your pig-headed stubbornness!" I growled.
He leaned down and brushed his nose against mine. "Then our little pups will make for a handful."
My eyebrows crashed down and I pressed my palms against his smooth, muscled chest. I fought off the urge to snuggle against his warmth and instead pushed away from him. "There's not going to be any pups, now let me go!" I demanded.
He wrapped his arms tighter around me and grinned. His close contact inflamed my body with renewed passion. His sultry voice didn't help my self-control. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have another go at making pups?" He leaned down and brushed his lips against my ear. I shuddered and bit my lip. "I can go all night."
That broke my restraint, and for the rest of the night we were a little-well, busy making pups.
Garden of the Wolf #4
Chapter 1
I had a strange, alluring dream. I dreamed I was on a vacation with my best friend and we discovered the resort owners and employees were all werewolves. I had several rendezvous with the owner, and we made delicious love beneath the starlit sky. We had a shaky plan to find the truth, but the worst-laid plans go awry worse than the best-laid ones, and everything crashed down around us, even a golf cart. It was a seduction-filled nightmare with some laugh-tracks thrown in for the kiddies.
Then I opened my eyes and remembered it was all true.
All the memories rushed back to me, and I gasped and sat up. I whipped my head to the left and right, and found I lay in an unfamiliar bed. A draft blew across me, and I looked down at myself and noticed one important detail. I was naked. I let out a small 'eep' and covered myself with one of the flimsy silk bed sheets.
Voices caught my attention. They came from the other side of the closed bedroom door. I slunk off the bed and tiptoed to the door. I recognized the voices as those of Nelson and Scott, and I risked opening the door a crack to peek out. Before me was a rear view of Scott's home, and the owner himself, with his friend, stood near the living room furniture. Scott paced the floor while Nelson stood to one side and watched him.
"I've looked into every legal means of extracting him from the land, but found nothing," Nelson informed Scott. "There would also be the risk in retaliatory measures from Blackwood."
Scott clasped his hands behind his back and frowned. He never broke his stride as he spoke. "And yet I'm still not convinced a full-out attack is necessary."
"What other choice do we have?" Nelson countered.
Scott stopped and looked over his shoulder to his friend. "There is always the hope the others will change their minds and leave Blackwood."
Nelson shook his head. "Those who remain have unwavering support for him. They won't leave, even when forced."
Scott chuckled. There wasn't any mirth in the noise. "You forget that we, too, were once fervent followers of Blackwood. If we can change so can they."
Nelson frowned. "We were younger and stupider back then," he commented.
Scott walked up to him and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. Nelson turned to him and Scott smiled. "I guess I'm still young and stupid because I still want to believe those who are with Blackwood will change their minds and come over here. I think all we need to do is show them what we're doing here and how much better it is then that old mining town."
Nelson shook his head. "I'm an accountant, Scott, not a sorcerer. I can't move whole towns to show them the truth, even one as dead as that one."
Scott sighed and let his hand slide off Nelson's shoulder and drop to his side. "Wishful thinking on my part. Anyway, I shouldn't keep you any longer. I'm sure your mate's bound to wake up any time now and she's quite the handful."
Nelson chuckled. "As is yours, but I'll see you later."
"Later, old friend," Scott returned.
Nelson left, and the moment the door shut behind him Scott turned towards the bedroom. "You can come out now," he called to me.
I frowned and stepped out in my elegant sheet dress. "I suppose it's a little stupid of me to ask, but how'd you know I was there?"
"Your smell moved from the bed, and the sheet around you is a little noisy," he told me.
I clutched the sheet tighter around myself. "Not much gets past werewolf senses, does it?"
He sighed and seated himself in one of the chairs. "If only that were true, or last night wouldn't have happened."
"What exactly did happen last night?" I asked him.
His lips pursed together and he turned his head away from me. "Blackwood would not have been able to penetrate so far into our territory."
"So that whole 'war' thing again?" I guessed.
He nodded. "Yes. Blackwood intends to fight our clans in a primitive method of asserting dominance."
"You're right, why doesn't he show off his cars like a normal guy," I quipped.
Scott turned to me with a smile. "You're showing very little fear for what you went through last night."
I shrugged and took a seat on the couch. "I'm alive. At least, I don't feel bad." I poked my ribs. "Like you said, not even a bruise."
He sighed and slid down his chair. "Yes, last night we were fortunate, but Blackwood will only become more bold with each attempt to provoke us. I dare not imagine what he'll try next."
"Sounds like there's no way for you to win, is there?" I mused.
He shook his head. "
Not unless you can convince the werewolves under his command to come here and see for themselves the life they can make away from Blackwood."
"What is this about a town?" I jerked my head towards the front door. "Nelson made it sound like it was some sort of a hell on earth."
"It is a rather gloomy old mining town several miles from here. Once it was prosperous and the clan made a great deal of money off the gold and silver, but the gold ran out and the price of silver is hardly worth the effort to mine it. Now it's a shell of itself with dilapidated buildings and hardly enough food to eat," he explained.
"Sounds like a fun spot. So they won't leave there why?" I wondered.
"Home is home, even one as wretched as that," he told me. He dropped his hand and shook his head. "Even if they wished to leave Blackwood wouldn't allow it. Those who join us are like refugees escaping an island prison. Some come to us gravely wounded because they fought through their own friends to get here."
I cringed and pulled my legs onto the couch and against myself. "I can see your problems. I don't know how you're going to get through them, but I can see them."
He managed a small smile. "I'm glad you at least see things my way, though I wonder if I'm not as terrible as Blackwood in keeping you here as my prisoner." He straightened and leaned towards me. His beautiful blue eyes swept over me, and I found my body blushed with heat at his attentions. "Do you still feel the same way as you did yesterday? Do you still wish to leave?"
I rummaged through my emotions to try to find an answer to his complicated question. I couldn't deny the allure of the life he promised, but there was that whole 'coming war' problem that I bring myself to want to live through. That made up my mind. I opened my mouth to proclaim my intent when the door swung open and a tornado rushed inside.
The tornado was known to me as Susie, and she swept over to me and nearly knocked me off the couch when she wrapped me in a tight hug. "Good afternoon, sleepy head!" she yelled in my ear.
I cringed and squirmed from her hold. "I didn't need that kind of wake-up-wait, afternoon?" I glanced at the windows. They showed a bright, sunny afternoon outside.