“Do I look silly?” She crinkled her nose in mild embarrassment.
“No, you just remind me of me.”
Larissa reached up and put her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her body and lifted her for a kiss. She breathed in his scent— earthy, manly, yet a hint of sweetness. This time she recognized the sweet aroma; honeysuckle, just like she used to smell wafting into the caravan on warm summer evenings. Whilst smiling to herself about how well that fit him, she was struck at how comfortable she was dangling in his arms.
Larissa lifted her legs effortlessly to wrap them around his waist. Zane lowered his hands one at a time to hold her at the top of her thighs. Leaning toward him, and pushing her breasts against his chest, Larissa was turning the sweet kiss fiery and fast.
“We really don’t have time for this,” he whispered, withdrawing his head slightly.
“We better make it a quickie, then,” she persisted, pulling him back with her new strength.
“Damn you, woman,” was the only reply he could utter before she hushed him with her mouth and ground her pelvis closer to his. His fight was gone and she felt his willingness harden between her legs. They continued to kiss each other hungrily, as he turned around and seated her on the picnic table, her legs still wrapped around his waist.
She leaned back and he slid his hands down her body, grazing her firm nipples through her T-shirt, making her moan and bite her lower lip. He moved his hands over her stomach as she arched her back to meet his tender touch, down to her jeans, undoing them quickly, eagerly. His hand found the heat, the wetness that ached for him, and his fingers played her as if she was an instrument in the hands of a maestro. Raising her T-shirt enough to expose her bra, he leaned down, his mouth teasing her breast through the lace.
“Zane, I want you. Don’t tease.” Larissa gasped, her breathing heavy.
Using his tongue, he tasted his way down her body, and then tenderly tugged at her panties with his teeth, as his hands pulled at her jeans. She grabbed the sides of the table and cried out her delight as his tongue found the succulence it craved, darting, with each caressing strike bringing her closer to orgasm. Then his tongue was gone for the briefest moment and replaced by the only thing she wanted more.
The pleasure she felt as he entered her was even more intense than the first time. She yearned to be devoured by this man. It was more than need, more than want— she loved Zane with all she possessed and that feeling made her want to be aware of nothing but him. He was all that mattered. With every thrust, the fever that bound them intensified. There was no need for him to leave her this time. They came together, both crying out the passion that had ignited within them. He lifted her to his chest, cradling her with a sweet possessiveness that made her feel that nothing in the world could harm her.
“I could do that forever,” she whispered, basking in the serenity that washed over her.
“Well, we don’t have quite that long, but pretty close.”
Larissa lifted her face to Zane’s, an inquiring look asking the question for her. “We’re not immortal; we do age, but only about one year for every five.”
Larissa frowned as she tried to do the math. Her mind remained blissfully trapped in the previous moments, and she gave up. “So how old are you?”
His smile lines creased as he rolled his eyes and a chuckle broke through. “In human years, twenty-seven. I first shifted when I was nineteen, so I guess that makes me almost twenty-one.”
Larissa smiled back. “Hmmm. I always wanted a boy toy!”
He shook his head, putting her at arm’s length and still smirking. “You’re only twenty-six, and technically, I am still older than you!”
“So I get the best of both worlds then; experience in a hot young body. I think I can live with that.”
He leaned down, kissing her tenderly, and in doing so rekindled the fire that craved only his touch.
CHAPTER TEN
Their enjoyment was disturbed as both of their heads snapped up in the same instant, aware of a presence perhaps a hundred yards away in the woods behind them. Their bodies mirrored one another as they scrambled away from each other, positioning themselves in defensive crouches, ready to strike at the as-yet-unseen danger.
Larissa’s own reaction shocked her. Her body was functioning on pure instinct and adrenaline. Their quarry moved slowly toward them through the low-lying bushes. Larissa’s head whipped left and right, simultaneously with Zane. There were more of them. They moved too uniformly to be just animals. Zane sniffed the night air, and Larissa followed his lead. Although it was a relatively still, early spring evening, a slight northerly breeze washed through Larissa’s hair. There was a warmth to the air, and a honeysuckle scent lingered in her nose. Then the scent of something much earthier intruded, almost a dog smell, but not quite, masked slightly by a strong jasmine perfume.
Zane growled. The look on his face told Larissa that he had recognized the scent. He straightened out of his crouch and did up his jeans. Larissa watched him and did likewise, though she was still unsure as to why.
“Has the danger gone?” Her hoarse whisper almost stuck in her throat. She was a waitress, for crying out loud, not a shape-shifting warrior.
“Not exactly, but it appears she just wants to talk.”
Confusion covered Larissa’s face. “How do you know?”
Zane’s face distorted with a grimace. “If she wanted a fight, she would have come at us a lot faster, when we were... occupied.” He arched an eyebrow as he shot a sideways glance at Larissa, one side of his mouth lifting in a halfhearted smile. It occurred to Larissa that the footsteps at their flanks had stopped, though she could hear tiny movements just within the tree line.
“How did they find us?” Larissa’s whisper had an urgent tone.
“We are all hunters, love; the raven wouldn’t be her only friend with a bird’s eye view. I was stupid—we shouldn’t have stopped.”
Larissa grabbed at the locket around her neck. She had always used the locket as a talisman in times of anxiety. There were few times when she felt as anxious as this moment, yet it seemed her hand had been constantly at the base of her throat this evening.
She remembered what Mala had said the night she gave her the locket. As if the woman herself stood beside Larissa speaking those very words again, her voice a strong, clear whisper in her ear.
“Larissa, I know you don’t believe the same things as me, and that your life is leading a different path. However, I want you to keep this with you always. It was your mother’s. When you wear it, remember all the women of our family that came before you are with you, guiding and protecting you. I know you think I’m probably a batty old woman, but it will protect you. If the time comes, all you need do is open it. Promise me you’ll never take it off.”
The fervor in her voice had alarmed Larissa, but she had promised with tears in her eyes and every day since had kept that promise.
A tall redhead in a tight-fitting red dress and matching stilettos emerged from the tree line directly ahead of them with the grace of a prima ballerina. Her outfit was totally at odds with the surroundings, making her look all the more ethereal, beautiful, and dangerous. As she walked, Larissa noticed the heels of her shoes barely touched the ground, yet she appeared as sure-footed as if she had a pair of hiking boots on. She placed herself lightly on the picnic table they had just abandoned, crossing her arms and eyeing them both sardonically.
“Really, Zane, you chose this over all I could give you?” Katrina’s gaze had rested on Zane.
“If by this you mean Larissa, I would choose her a million times over what you think you could give me, Katrina.”
She pouted like a willful child. “I could make you a king. You would be master of all shifters; no one would defy you. I could make that happen.”
“What makes you think I want to be anyone’s master, Katrina? All you ever brought me was misery. All you’ll ever bring our world is cruelty and ruthlessness, because i
t’s all you know!”
A pained look shot quickly across Katrina’s face, but was masked in an instant. When she spoke again, her voice was fierce. “Fine, if you think you can do any better with this little gypsy, try. But I doubt she’ll survive the night!”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
At her last words, there was an outbreak of movement on either side of them. Four distinctly human shapes rushed them. It took Larissa less than a second to realize what was happening, but even that was too long. She began to scream as she saw figures encircle Zane, but a hand clutched her throat, stifling the noise. She could hear whimpers and cries of pain beside her, but she couldn’t see who was making the sound. The hand clutched tighter, lifting her off the ground, and her mind started to fade into blissful oblivion.
A tortured voice cried out, “Larissa!”
A derisive feminine laugh followed. The pain in the voice recalled her to consciousness. What was she thinking? She could not abandon him like this. Not now when they had just found each other again, and she certainly could not allow that bitch to cause him any more pain.
She did not have to think anymore; she allowed her body to react instinctively. Her eyes opened to look her attacker straight in his cruel, smiling face, and, with all the force she could muster, she kicked him right between the legs. With satisfaction, she could see the agony in his face for a split second before he dropped her, doubling up in pain. She landed in a crouch. As she stood, she brought her knee straight up under his chin with a force that sent him flying at least five feet. When he landed, he lay sprawled on grass.
She turned to see one body on the ground and Zane standing tall, fighting the remaining two. Zane’s battle had transfixed Katrina, who obviously thought Larissa’s death would be too quick to be enjoyed fully. She’d chosen to concentrate her attention on the slow, painful death of the lover who had spurned her, and indulge in the agony it caused him to watch the woman he loved die, his helplessness her reward. Larissa saw a smile flicker on Zane’s face as she took a step toward him.
“No!” Katrina screamed.
Larissa turned to see Katrina’s beautiful face in a twisted contortion of rage, but Larissa saw something else mixed in with the anger—pain. An agonizing yell ripped through the night air, and both women turned simultaneously to find the source of the noise. One of Katrina’s remaining followers dropped to the ground, at least ten feet from where he had been barely seconds ago.
Katrina’s remaining henchman stepped back warily, looking at her for some kind of indication of what to do next. He nodded at some unseen command, and his form changed to that of a very large dog; a wolfhound perhaps.
Zane sneered at the great beast, who snarled back in aggravation, as they began circling one another. “Still making stupid decisions I see. Just so you know, I’m no pussy!”
With great ferocity, the dog lunged at Zane, and knocked him to the ground. As Zane rolled over, his own feral form took shape, and the two animals snapped at each other viciously. The dog stood between Zane and Larissa, forcing Zane back toward the woods. Zane’s large black eyes found Larissa’s face, and she turned up the corners of her mouth in the smallest of smiles, giving one tiny nod of her head. The dog attacked, and pushed Zane back into the tree line. Larissa could hear the snapping and snarling growing more distant.
Katrina smiled at Larissa. “This is much better, just us girls... alone.” She placed a nasty menace on the final word.
“I don’t think that’s as good a deal as you seem to believe, Katrina.” Larissa smiled back.
“Zane is too far away to help you now, gypsy. I could snap your little neck in a second; you wouldn’t even have time to scream.”
“It’s not Zane you need to worry about. I’m the witch, remember?” Larissa placed her hand at the clasp on her locket, without undoing it.
“Why should I be afraid of a child like you? You couldn’t bind me; you’d have no idea where to begin.” Katrina’s words came thick with fury and acid.
“Oh, I have an idea, Katrina. I actually have something better than an idea. I have the power to bind you right here, right now.”
Katrina’s face blanched at the words, though she maintained defiance. “I don’t believe you.”
“My grandmother was a great story teller, most of which I didn’t believe until tonight. You see, when she gave me this locket, she told me if I was ever in danger, to open it, and it would protect me. Mala was no fool. She knew the worst threat to me and our world was people like you, and that binding was our greatest weapon. Now, what do you think will happen if I open this little locket?”
A shadow of fear crossed Katrina’s face. Larissa could see the defiance ebbing and fear instilling in her foe.
“It’s your choice, Katrina. You walk away and stop your little coup, or I open this locket and you see how nice it is to be human again. I get the impression you’ve lived for a very long time. Do you think you’ll look quite so pretty in that little red dress anymore?” Although Larissa had barely raised her voice above a whisper and her demeanor was almost pleasant, she knew Katrina would hear the conviction in her tone.
Katrina swallowed hard. “You’ll let me walk away?”
“I’ll let you run away, and if I hear you’re trying this little stunt anywhere ever again. I will not fail to hunt you down and end you.”
She glanced briefly over Larissa’s shoulder, and Larissa saw the anguish in Katrina’s eyes, far more obvious now that it lacked anger to shield it. Without uttering another word, Katrina’s form changed into that of a fox, and she darted into the trees, leaving the little red dress in her wake.
Arms enveloped Larissa from behind and she inhaled the scent of her lover.
“I told you, you could do anything you put your mind to. Even the minions have run for it.”
Though aware of their departure, thanks to her enhanced senses, Larissa still looked around to be sure she and Zane were alone once more. “Do you really think it will be that easy?”
“She’s afraid. You’re a new player in this supernatural life and you have your grandmother’s tenacity, which is going to keep her guessing. She may make another play one day, but that’s not going to be for a very long time.” Zane gave her a little squeeze and a peck on the cheek.
“I hope she finds whatever she is searching for without it involving world domination.” That last look of sadness was set firmly in Larissa’s mind. “Zane, what happens now? I mean, what is a girl to do when she’s saved the shifter world from impending cruelty and slavery?” She gave a little sigh, not relishing the idea of going back to the daily grind of waiting tables after this adventure.
Zane turned Larissa around to face him, holding her at arms length a mock seriousness came over him. “Larissa, how’s your typing?”
“Huh?”
“Look, the show’s getting really popular, and I could use some help getting organized. I meant it when I said I don’t plan on letting you out of my sight. Why not become my personal assistant?”
Larissa couldn’t believe he was asking her to do the one thing she had dared to fantasize about. She tried desperately to keep her emotions in check and voice even, yet she failed miserably and sounded like a timid school child. “Are you serious? Spend every waking moment at your beck and call?”
Zane hadn’t been expecting such a hesitant response, and it was obviously worrying him. “I wouldn’t put it quite like that,” he mumbled.
“That’s a shame. Because that sounds like my idea of heaven, and I can’t think of anything in this world that would make me happier.” A huge smile broke across her face and then she became suddenly coy as she moved closer to Zane. “So when do I start work, sir?”
He gave her a steely, appraising look, but could not keep the corners of his mouth from moving up slightly. “You are a cheeky little minx! We start filming the new season in six weeks. I also have some friends I think you should meet; well, they’re more like family really. They’re actually the family I was
taking you to now. They live near where we do a lot of the location filming, and they can help you harness and improve your new abilities. Mala sent me to them and they’ve helped me a lot.”
Larissa nodded in agreement. “I’d like that, thank you, but first I want to see Sarah. She spent my whole life looking after me. I think that deserves a thank you at the very least. I can’t imagine what she’s sacrificed to look after me. I want her to know it wasn’t in vain, and now maybe she can take a break, though I’m sure Scotland is making up for some of it.” She smiled at the idea of what Sarah would be up to.
“Agreed, but...” A sheepish grimace assailed Zane’s rugged features. “She’s not in Edinburgh.” He looked like he was waiting for a slap, which only made her smile widen. “She’s actually visiting the friends I was talking about. Since we were heading that way anyway, we might as well keep going.” His upward tone almost made it a question. This obvious dominance she had over him could come in handy, she thought deviously.
“Sounds like a great idea to me.” A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes as she once again advanced on Zane and began to snake her index finger down his torso. “So didn’t you say your friends weren’t expecting us just yet?” she asked slyly.
“Yes.” His voice was cautious, but his mouth curved up, already understanding the direction of the conversation. “Tomorrow morning at the earliest.”
“So tomorrow night would be okay?” She arched an eyebrow, daring him to take the bait.
Wolf's Heart (Feral) Page 4