Wolf's Heart (Feral)

by Melissa Jolley

  “Trip?” What is it with all these one-word sentences? I sound so stupid! I’m usually more articulate than this.

  “I’m taking you somewhere safe to a family of shifters I know up north. They can help protect you while I figure out what our next move is. It’s a bit sooner than I intended, but they won’t mind.”

  Zane was back in protector mode. He looked like a rock star’s bodyguard, ready to punch out any crazed fan that got too close. Larissa couldn’t help but smile. He was the star; he was the one that should need protection from crazy, fan-girl stalkers. That would certainly be a job she’d willingly do. What was she thinking? She had enough fantasies in her life, she didn’t need to make up anymore for herself.

  They reached Larissa’s apartment unmolested. As they entered, Zane quickly swept through the rooms, ensuring there were no unwanted visitors. “Get some stuff together. Do you have anything to eat? I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

  “Sure. There’s some leftover chicken in the fridge, help yourself.” Larissa raced into her bedroom, grabbed her overnight bag from the wardrobe, and haphazardly threw items in. The attack had crystallized her belief that what Zane was telling her was true. Really, it had not been that difficult to accept. Somehow, she had always known that her grandmother’s stories were much more than just cautionary tales.

  “You want something?” Zane called from the kitchen.

  “No. I’m fine, but if you want to pack something for the trip, go ahead. Hey I’ve got some guy’s T-shirts if you want to try one on.”

  “Great, thanks. I’ll chuck this one out.”

  Larissa was too wound up to eat; her stomach was churning. Her mind was racing through their discussions like a wheel of fortune, eventually landing on the most important question to her right now

  “Zane, when... um... who?” Jeez, spit it out girl. She suddenly heard a quiet voice right behind her.

  “When will your shifter be released and who will do it?”

  She swallowed hard as she nodded, afraid to turn around. Larissa was hoping he’d give her the answer she wanted most. His lips brushed her ear gently as he whispered, “As to when, I can’t answer that; it’s your choice. As to who, well, I was hoping I could have that position.”

  Her body was no longer solid; she had melted with each exhalation he breathed onto her neck. She leaned back into his vast, naked chest, willing him to put his arms around her. His warm, rough hands held her waist, pulling her closer to him. He kissed her neck, continually moving up and she turned her head to eagerly meet his mouth as he teased her with each languid caress of his tongue.

  A soft moan escaped her lips as he pulled away to remove her top. He lightly brushed the side of her stomach, sending earth-shattering shivers through her body. She felt his chuckle more than she heard it, but he did not stop his roaming hands. Zane skillfully undid her bra with one hand, his other pulling it off from the front. To Larissa’s surprise he didn’t go straight for the prize, but gently grazed her stomach with his palms and fingertips. Her skin seemed to reach out for him as goose bumps erupted wherever his hands wandered. Eventually, he raised them to her breasts, using the same agonizingly slow speed. When she could stand it no more, she grasped his hands and brought them to her aching nipples.

  “Slow down,” he chastised softly, his hot whisper at her ear.

  “I thought you said we were in a hurry.” She was practically panting, her breathing quick and shallow, yet her voice had deepened, desire for Zane imbued in every word.

  “Right now I don’t care if it’s the apocalypse. I’ve waited too long to rush this.”

  She wanted to ask him what he meant, but his next movement negated further conversation. He slid his hands down to her jeans, undoing them effortlessly. Whilst removing both her jeans and underwear, he kissed slowly down her spine. His touch was thorough and purposeful, as if he were using touch to memorize every inch of her body.

  Larissa stood naked, yet had never felt more in control in her life. Turning to face Zane, she looked him in the eye, and moved her fingertips down his torso, stopping at the top of his jeans. The buttons bent to her will as much as Zane had. He leaned down and kissed her passionately again, his arms at his sides letting her take the lead. As she knelt before him, pulling his jeans and boxers down, she marveled at the true splendor of his form, which included a sizeable erection.

  She licked the length of his shaft from the base to the tip, before taking hold of it with a firm grasp, and sliding her fist up and down, her tongue playfully licking and teasing his tip. He groaned and she smiled to herself. Using her other hand to massage his balls, she elicited another deep groan of pleasure.

  Unexpectedly, she was off her feet. Zane lifted her onto the bed with such speed, she had not realized it at first. With a smile, he spread her legs, ready to reciprocate. He kissed gently between her thighs, making swirling patterns with his tongue. A millennium later, he found her most vulnerable spot, and now it was her turn to vocalize her incredible pleasure. His tongue flicked teasingly over her clit, but he wasn’t ready for her to come just yet. Enticingly, he kissed and licked a path to her firm nipples. He bathed them lovingly with his mouth, nibbling them with just the right amount of pressure, and sucking lightly. The sensations sent a direct wave of heat through her core. Again, he worked his way to her mouth, and only then did his hard, delicious cock enter her. Her breath exhaled in a deep sigh of pleasure.

  He whispered in her ear, “I have loved you always...Riss.” As Zane spoke the words, Larissa’s mind tore away from her current pleasure, to the face of the boy she had played with as a child, to that of a wolf baying at the moon outside her window as a teenager.

  “Aide?” She stared into his eyes, confusion warring with pleasure at this revelation.

  “Riss.” He repeated his childhood nickname for her, as his gentle hand caressed the side of her face.

  Tears welled up and threatened to spill, yet she stared at him, afraid of closing her eyes in case it was all a dream. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him toward her, needing to feel him and know that this was real.

  Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, “There’s only so far a man can go, love.”

  “I think you can go... further.” Her breath caught slightly on the last word, as his thrust brought a fresh surge of desire to her.

  “You asked for it.” He smiled, placing his right arm around Larissa’s waist. Zane pushed them both off the bed with his left arm before he turned, seating himself on the bed. Larissa straddled over him. “Better?” he asked as he moved his hands to her hips, his fingers reaching around and grasping her buttocks.

  “God, yes!” She groaned, thrusting her hips, then placed the tips of her fingers on his chest. He lay back under her command. Her back arched as his hands clenched her hips, pulling her further down onto his throbbing cock.

  Another moan of pleasure escaped Larissa’s lips as the rhythm of their lovemaking began to intensify. She pushed herself forward, needing to feel her lover’s skin against her own, his breath on her face. They rolled across the bed and Zane was above her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding his scorching body to hers, the closeness increasing their sensitivity to one another. Each thrust was becoming more intense, pushing them to new heights of bliss. Larissa felt the shudder of Zane’s climax, just as she was reaching her own. As Larissa screamed out the greatest ecstasy she had ever known, the cry became a howl.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  When Zane reached his climax, Larissa felt his withdrawal. She didn’t understand until she realized her own climax wasn’t stopping. The ripples of ecstasy turned into a shudder, quickening as her human form vibrated. Her skin started getting warmer until she thought she might burst into flame from the heat coursing through her. She opened her eyes to look at Zane, but a blinding glow lit the room. Zane lifted an arm to shield his eyes from it. Larissa’s body exploded into a million tiny, bright pieces. When her mind settled, she knew she was a
wolf.

  Her animal eyes directed their gaze to her lover. Zane walked to her, stroking the length of her body. A quiver rolled over her form at his touch, and he smiled, sitting back on the bed next to her.

  “Relax, Riss.” His voice was soothing to her confused mind. “To return to your human form, you just need to concentrate.” She did as she was told. The trembling began, a smaller wave of pleasure enveloped her, and within seconds the beast was gone, and her human form was back.

  “That was so strange, yet so easy.” She grinned, slightly embarrassed. “It felt so... pleasurable.” Heat inflamed her cheeks as she remembered why she had felt so good. “Is it always like that, or just the first time? Did you know I was going to be a wolf?” The heat intensified.

  “Whoa, take a breath.” Zane took her hand, entwining their fingers. “There is always a small element of sexual pleasure, but the first time is something extra special. When the new shifter orgasms and the life forces of two shape-shifters combine, it releases the feral aspect of their nature, and as a result the beast is awakened. I knew you were about to succumb to the creature within you, but no, I was not sure what that was going to be—not until I heard the howl. “

  Larissa nodded in comprehension, and then frowned.

  “Zane? Aide? I don’t know what to call you. Why didn’t you tell me it was you?”

  He looked her in the eye, their fingers still entwined. “Call me Zane. It’s been a long time since I was Aide, and—I wasn’t sure you’d remember me?” He gave her an awkward grin.

  She smiled, holding his gaze. “How could I forget you? You were my best friend, and I was devastated when you left. I cried for days, and only Princess could calm me down. And now you tell me Princess and Sarah are one and the same, so my grand total of friends has just been cut by a third!”

  Zane laughed, a joyous, glorious sound, and disentangled their fingers to lift Larissa up onto his lap where he kissed her sweetly on the forehead. “Well, I promise, Riss, if you let me, I’ll never leave you alone again.”

  Larissa frowned at him. “How can you be sure?”

  His smile did not falter. “We were made for each other. To be honest, I’m not sure Mala didn’t put some kind of hocus-pocus on both of us. Like shifters, she could sense a beast within, even before the first shift. So when we were children she knew what we would— or at least could— both become one day. I think she counted on our friendship to help you through this, if the day ever came. Come on, we’ve already lingered too long. Get dressed and we’ll start driving.”

  Larissa realized she’d once again clasped the locket tightly in her hands. She pouted ruefully before releasing the locket and gliding an index finger down the center of his chest. “I don’t know? I could linger a little longer.”

  Zane smiled at her, shaking his head lightly and stopping her wandering hand. “As could I, but I’d prefer to make sure you’re safe first. It’s a four-hour drive, so we should be there by midnight.” He kissed her shoulder at the base of her neck and she felt weak again.

  “Then don’t tease!” she chided playfully. As she stood, a wrenching sensation filled her when she moved away from him, like leaving a piece of herself behind.

  Getting dressed was the last thing on Larissa’s mind. She had just become a wolf, and she was trying to get her head around that. Not to mention she had just reunited with her childhood friend, and had the most sensuous, fulfilling lovemaking of her life.

  Though she knew that logically the wolf thing should take precedence, she could not stop herself from looking at Zane and wanting desperately to make love with him— repeatedly. She had never been so in tune with her physical being before. When they had made love, she’d felt every touch so much more intensely than anything else she had ever experienced. Even now, though they were ten feet apart, she could sense his pulse as if it were inside her; see the warmth he emanated, like watching heat rise off the tarmac on a desert road. Her gaze meandered down his body and stopped at his hand, where his thumb hooked through a belt loop.

  A thought suddenly occurred to her. “Zane, how did you change your hand to a claw when you hit that raven?”

  He smiled at her, leaning against her bedroom doorway, still shirtless. “It’s just a matter of practice and concentration. You’ve seen a transformation; it’s smooth, quick. One second you’re human; the next, you’re an animal. Simple. But within all of us, there is the creature in-between, the half form. You concentrate on one aspect you wish to change and you find the middle ground. I needed more than my wolf’s paw and more than my hand, so my body created the happy medium, so to speak.”

  Larissa looked at her own hand, turning it back and forth. “So I couldn’t do that yet then?”

  Zane was by her side and wrapping his arms around her in three strides. “Baby, I’ve got a feeling you could do anything you put your mind to!” He kissed her briefly, but passionately. “Where are these guy’s shirts you said you had? And what are you doing with men’s shirts, by the way?” A concerned curiosity colored his tone.

  Larissa smiled wickedly. “Oh, it’s my version of a notch on the bedpost.”

  He looked at her, questioningly, as she opened the bottom drawer of her dresser, filled with a multitude of oversized T-shirts.

  “Relax, I’m kidding. When I work out I like to be comfortable and not show every bulge, so I wear baggy tops.”

  “Shame. I like those curves on display.” The playful note in his voice brought the fact she had not dressed yet back to her attention.

  “Not the most appropriate attire for a road trip, huh?” Larissa quickly started to dress. Thinking comfort and practicality were the best ideas for a long trip, she donned jeans, a T-shirt, and her gym shoes. As she put on the top, she heard Zane grumble.

  “Are you trying to rub it in?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked in confusion. He pointed at her T-shirt; Jimi Hendrix was staring at him.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Zane was starting to feel uneasy; Larissa could sense it as she packed them some food for the trip. His movements were stilted, his eyes watchful, but even more than that it was as if she could feel his tension, as if a piece of string attached them like a child’s paper cup telephone. When he was tense, like now, so was the string, pulled to the extreme, tugging at her. When he was relaxed, like before, so was the string, not impeding either of them but there to lead them to one another when needed.

  “It’s time we got moving, Riss.” His continual use of his childhood nickname for her made her smile, despite his restlessness.

  “I know, I just want to make sure you don’t starve. You’ll need your strength later.” She looked up from the cooler of food she was packing and gave him an impish wink. He grinned, his tension quelling slightly. She quickly finished packing and they headed back out into the evening air.

  As they approached the car, Zane stiffened. This time Larissa could see the reason; a piece of paper was on the windshield of her car. She moved to grab it, but Zane was too fast for her. He opened the folded piece of paper and growled. There were no words, only a bright red lipstick kiss.

  “She’s toying with us.” He scanned up and down the street. Larissa copied him, but didn’t see anything unusual. “Come on, let’s get a move on.” His tone was slightly abrasive. They put the bags in the backseat and Zane climbed into the driver’s seat, his ill ease obviously not subsiding.

  As they made their way out of the city and onto unlit country roads—Zane wanted to stay off the main highways, relying on tree cover to aid their getaway—Larissa started to realize how much more she could see out of her window. Her vision was clear and precise, and she could see the movements of every animal next to the roadside, their eyes glinting as brightly as the large reflective road signs they passed.

  “This is amazing!” she said, more to herself than Zane.

  He placed his hand on her leg and rubbed gently. “I know. There’s a lot to get used to, but the eyesight is a major one, es
pecially at night. It makes it much harder for anyone to sneak up on you.”

  “Does that kind of thing happen often?”

  “Not really. There are some who have a superiority complex, but they’re often newbies who learn quickly.” He chuckled, but didn’t elaborate.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Oh, just remembering some shifter, a wolfhound, I think. He tried to take on Sarah. Idiot boy had scratches up and down his sorry body. I think she even broke one of his front paws.” The sound of his laugh reverberated throughout the car. “That hand would have been out of commission for a while. She’s fast and feisty... and a good friend.” He moved his eyes briefly to Larissa’s, and then returned his gaze to the road.

  “Yes, a very good friend. She sent me to you, even if I did have to go to some lame-ass convention to get you!”

  “Hey, don’t be disrespecting my fans! Anyway, have you even seen the show?”

  “No,” she admitted rather sheepishly.

  “Most of the people that go to those conventions—my fans— are nice ordinary people that need a bit of an outlet. If dressing up in funny clothes and getting an autograph and photo works for them, who are you to judge?” Zane’s plea had been heartfelt and it made her feel slightly ashamed. His tone became teasing. “Anyway, you have to get used to those lovely folks, seeing as I’m not planning on letting you out of my sight too often. Not to mention, they are making me a truckload of money, so I better be nice, and keep this show on the air a while longer.” He laughed again as Larissa playfully slapped his arm. She thought she could easily get used to a few fans, if it meant being with him.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Hey, can you pull over soon? I need to stretch my legs.” Larissa stretched her arms out in front of her, and rotated her neck to ease some of the stiffness setting in.

  “Whatever you want, beautiful.”

  They found a secluded rest area, bordered by trees, along the roadside. Someone had smashed the single streetlight meant to illuminate the area, but Larissa’s improved eyesight had no problems with the gloom. Zane leaned, half seated, on the top of a wooden picnic table, watching her try out her enhanced skills. He smiled when her head whipped from side to side as animals scurried from the corners of her eyes. He chuckled at the delight she showed with her immense speed as she sprinted up and down the side road. Larissa jogged toward Zane when her improved hearing caught his quiet amusement.