by Kym Grosso
His eyes narrowed into a serious expression. “That being said, expect their influence to be significant. This means you might feel unusually aggressive if one of them nears, especially given your need to claim me. You also will be extraordinarily hungry, so we’ll hunt. Given that you’ve only hunted alone, I’ll teach you how to hunt as a pair. Then eventually, we’ll hunt with the pack, as a team. It’s much better that way…power in numbers and all. Plus, we work collectively to teach the pups how to catch prey.”
“Anything else I should know?” She smiled, listening to him reiterate what he’d already told her on their walk. She loved the way he cared so much about taking care of his pack, her, and making sure that she was prepared for what would happen. Given her terrifying past experiences, she had high expectations based solely on the facts that Tristan had told her. She laughed to herself, realizing how much she’d grown to trust him. A week ago, she’d considered her life that of a human, revolted by the life of a wolf. It was amazing how her Alpha had changed her thinking, her life.
Tristan wrapped a finger around one of her long curls and gave it a little tug, in an attempt to get her to focus. He could see the wheels spinning, and needed her to remain on task, so she’d be safe and calm within the forest. With a closed smile, he reminded her about the other topic she really wanted to avoid discussing. “The last thing I want to remind you of is one of my favorite topics, sex. I know we talked about this, but your libido will be on fire. Any full moon revs us all up, but this being your first around pack is going to make you one little randy girl,” he teased, winking at her.
She rolled her eyes. “Please, let’s just not talk about it.”
“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s just our way…to want to be close to those that we love. And in your case, you’ll learn to control it, but don’t worry about it tonight. We’ll just see how it goes after we shift back. I’ve got a nice set up for us afterwards to help you relax. No matter what happens tonight, I’ll be there to protect you…always. Never forget that, Kalli.” His voice took on a serious tone. “Ready now?”
Kalli gave a self-assured smile. Thanks to Tristan, she honestly was ready. “Hell yes. Let’s do this thing. See if you can catch me, wolf!”
Untwining her hand from Tristan’s, she broke free into a full sprint, seamlessly shifting into her wolf.
Tristan gasped in awe at the beautiful sight of her. Splendid white fur touched with grey down her back and legs, she darted across the green grass. She circled round him, running quickly, purely engrossed in her release. As Tristan stood erect, still in human form, she ringed once more, slowing as she came to face him. Falling at his bare feet, she playfully bowed her head toward the ground, looking upward at him with her tail wagging, hindquarters raised high in the air.
Reaching forward, Tristan ran his palm over her small head, in approval, rubbing her ears. “Chérie, you’re stunning. Just beautiful, baby,” he crooned.
She barked in response, and began chasing the wind in large circles as if to encourage him to shift. Taking off like a missile toward him, she swiftly missed him and ran toward the woods. Coming to a halt, she looked eagerly over her shoulder, waiting for him to change.
He laughed at her exuberance. After all the angst regarding her change, she was the one running circles around him. Or so she thought. Fluently, Tristan metamorphosed into his handsome, magisterial wolf. Stalking toward her, he sought her submission. Expecting pursuit, Kalli took flight toward the woods. Spotting his prey, Tristan flew past her, corralling her to the ground. Gleefully, she rolled to her back, baring her neck in defeat. He licked her muzzle, assuring her of his affections. With a nip, she reminded him that it was time to hunt; her wolf hungered for a kill. Free to run the land, she sought exploration and sport. Tristan nudged her belly, encouraging her to roll to her feet. Following her Alpha, they bounded into the night.
Rounding a clearing, Kalli spotted a rabbit in the field. Tristan sensed her distraction, waiting to see how she’d handle hunting with him near. Wagging her tail, ears up, she instinctively focused on her prey. Tristan watched intently, prepared to rush the rabbit from the other side should she miss. Quietly approaching the rabbit, she struck out in a sprint, snapping its neck, resulting in an instant kill. Sharing her spoils, they ate the small snack then ran to the spring for a drink.
While lapping up the water, Kalli froze; she sensed the pack was approaching. Ears down, the hair on her back bristled as the first wolf came into sight. A smaller white she-wolf followed a silky grey male. Kalli, unused to being in pack, immediate recognized them as Mira and Logan. Subordinates trailed, staying cautiously behind the pair. Tristan stepped forward to block their access. What the hell were they doing? He’d told Logan that he didn’t want them near Kalli. Growling, he warned them to come no closer. Yet Mira ignored him, and continued to pad toward him. While she lowered herself in submission, she advanced nonetheless. In a sign of dominance, Tristan sent her a hard stare.
Upon seeing Mira close in upon Tristan, Kalli’s posture straightened. Threatened, she lifted her tail and edged around Tristan. Emitting a low growl, she locked her eyes on Mira in an angry menacing act of intimidation. When she refused to submit, Kalli maintained her confident stance, and bared her canines. Ready to attack, in the moment she resisted the aggression that begged to escape. Not only did she want a subtle signal of submission, she wanted Mira on her back.
Within seconds, Mira looked away and whined, yielding to Kalli’s threats.
Logan, watching the interaction play out, knew that Tristan would be pissed as hell that he’d let the pack come near Kalli. But they’d been running for over an hour and happened to be near the spring. He’d hoped that Tristan would have moved Kalli in time. He could sense the confusion and surprise of the subordinates as Kalli, who hadn’t been formally introduced as pack, not only stood marked as Tristan’s but had just forced Mira to publicly submit.
Tristan nearly had a heart attack when his little wolf challenged Mira. After witnessing Kalli dressing down Mira in his home the previous day, it was just a matter of time before she confronted her without reserve in front of the pack. Even though he knew it had to be done, he was hoping to delay any confrontation until Kalli had had a chance to be comfortable within her wolf. He also wanted time to announce his intention to mate Kalli so that when Mira submitted it would be a less bitter pill for her to swallow. While Mira was currently the Alpha female, she was not his mate. The pack subordinates would expect his mate to be the strongest, most intelligent female, and after her little display of dominance, she was.
As the pack ran off, Kalli howled in jubilation. There was no way that, after everything she’d been through, she’d allow another female near her male. Mira, without a doubt, was formidable. She reckoned that it would not be her last challenge. Yet confidence raced through her veins. Forcing Mira to physically submit would be a pleasure that her wolf would someday see to fruition, of that she was certain.
Tristan howled along with Kalli, proud of her courage and assertiveness. His woman matched his own authoritative constitution. And while he trusted in fate and nature, he couldn’t help but be amazed at how she fit him precisely in every way. Nuzzling his muzzle along her side, she returned his action in kind. The sheer adrenaline of the night brought forth a surge of emotions they both longed to explore. Nudging her forward, he willed her to follow; it was time to celebrate their first successful run together, one of many in their eternal lifetime.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“That was phenomenal!” Kalli exclaimed, letting the hot spray clean her skin. An oversized nozzle delivered the warm water into the open-aired shower which sat next to the outdoor Jacuzzi. Overwrought with both desire and exhilaration, she squealed in delight as Tristan delivered a spank to her bottom. “Hey, what’s that for?”
“I couldn’t resist with you wagging your tail at me like that all night. A man can only take so much. Seeing your wolf has given me some very naughty ideas…ones t
hat I’m sure you’ll like,” he promised in a sexy low voice. Slipping out of the shower, he grabbed a clean beach towel off a hook and slung it around his waist, beads of water dripping off his lithe body. “I’m goin’ inside to get a few things. Go ’head and get in the hot tub, and I’ll be right out.”
Kalli sighed in anticipation, washing the last of the dirt off her skin. As usual, he’d been right about everything. She’d been ravenous when she’d attacked her prey, and then, with her aggression toward Mira, protecting her Alpha had been foremost in her wolf’s mind. And now desire for him raged like a wildfire. She had no idea what he was getting or planning but he’d damn well better hurry up.
Easing into the hot tub, she hissed as bubbling water caressed her in all the right spots. “Oh. My. God. This feels so good,” she declared, sinking in all the way up to her neck. Closing her eyes, she laid her head against the soft padding along the rim. A door opening caused her to lift her lids. Gloriously naked and erect, Tristan exited the house with a tray full of goodies. Food? Champagne? Something else that she couldn’t quite identify?
At this point the only sustenance she required was Tristan, as he was, and in her. She lazily smiled, watching him pour three glasses, presumably a third for Logan, who hadn’t yet arrived. She wondered if he was okay, given her fight with Mira. She knew the three of them had all been childhood friends, and she wished things could be different, but now that she had Tristan, she wasn’t letting some she-wolf try to push her away. There was a new sheriff in town, and she wasn’t going to tolerate Mira’s nasty interference.
Tristan lowered himself into the tub slowly, reaching for Kalli. The sexual tension between them crackled the air. She needed him, and so much more. And as promised, he was there for her.
“Come here, mon amour,” he purred into her shoulder, licking over his mark, sending a bolt of desire to her already pulsing core.
“Tristan, I am so….I can’t wait to have you in me, please,” she begged. Every nerve screamed for his touch.
“Yes, baby, I know. I know what you need.” He pulled her on top of him, so she sat straddling his legs. Reaching down between her legs, he brushed his thumb over her clit. He planned to take her hard and fast the first time.
She screamed at the brief caress of her nub. “Oh God, yes!”
“That better? How ’bout this?” Guiding his engorged head to her entrance, he pulled her downward, impaling her on his rock hard cock. So deep inside her, he filled her completely. “Ah yes, Kalli.”
“Yes, that’s it. Fuck me!” she screamed loudly into the night.
Knowing how to take the edge off, Tristan passionately captured her lips, sweeping his tongue into her mouth. Wrapping her long hair around his fist, he kissed her, engrossed in her ambrosial essence.
Kalli returned his bruising kiss, sucking and biting. As the animalistic excitation overtook her being, she took all he gave and demanded even more. “Oh yes! Harder! Yes! Tristan! So close!”
“That’s it. Yeah, take me all in. Feel how hard you make me.” Seeking to give her the release she needed, he slid his hand in between her legs. Circling and pressing against her ripe nub, he felt her convulse around him. “Let it go.”
As he applied pressure to her sensitive pearl, she flew apart, screaming his name, grinding herself hard against his pelvis. In the heat of her climax, she extended her canines and bit deep into Tristan’s shoulder, effectively claiming him forever. A part of her wished it could have been a gentle process, but her wild territorial wolf insisted she claim him on her terms, deliberately carnal. There could be no mistaking her intentions.
Tristan nearly split in half as she marked him. The pleasure of her bite racked through him and he struggled not to come. “Yes, Kalli. I’m yours,” he grunted through the sweet pain.
Kalli laved over her bite, resting her head upon his shoulder, while he remained stiff inside her. Feeling unchained, she could feel the ache start to build once again.
Tristan sucked her neck, kissing behind her ear. “Goddess, I love you, woman. You feel so good around me.”
“I love you too,” she moaned as she relaxed against him.
“Rest a minute, chérie; we’re just getting started.” He looked up to find Logan smiling at him from across the hot tub; he’d been watching them make love. Like Kalli and Tristan had done, he was taking a shower.
Kalli caught a glimpse of Logan as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes to rinse the bubbles off his taut skin. Like a sculpted statue in a fountain, water sluiced off his corded muscles. The sight of him rubbing his hands over his hard masculine form caused her sheath to clench even tighter around Tristan.
Intellectually, she knew that whatever sexual feelings she had toward Logan were only driven by the extraordinary experience of learning to shift with the pack. Tristan had warned her that this would happen. She wasn’t in love with Logan, in any sense of the imagination, but the overwhelming sexual attraction of the night pulled at her. A pang of guilt stabbed her, aware that her libido was out of control. Mortified at her hidden desires, she buried her face into Tristan’s shoulder, looking away. God help her, she wanted to make love to them both tonight.
Tristan felt Kalli vise around him, her eyes darting to Logan. Sensing her interest, he was torn between finishing what they’d started and wanting to wait for Logan to join them. Loving his beta and his mate, he sought to exhaust her heightened sex drive in unison, certain that it would prove to be both a wondrous and provocative adventure. His most visceral animal instincts encouraged the sexual interaction; he loved them both unconditionally and as Alpha, whatever happened, both Kalli and Logan would be under his command.
He smiled down at her, appreciating that she was truly a babe in the woods when it came to living as wolf. It was no longer about secretly shifting once a month to get it over with…no, she was learning how to saturate her mind with the experience, learn the power of the pack and accept the happiness that came with being wolf. Their mating would be both a life affirming and life changing experience, one that would eventually affect every member of Lyceum Wolves. Nothing would ever be the same, and he didn’t want it any other way. And while for most of his life, he’d never imagined or wanted a mate, he knew for certain that now he had Kalli in his life, he’d never be able to live without her.
Tristan slid out of her, but still kept her pulled against him in an embrace. “It’s okay, Kalli, I want this too,” he whispered into her ear. “Remember that nothing will happen that you don’t want to happen.”
“I am out of control,” she confessed, refusing to look at him.
“No you’re not. You’re just in touch with the pack and your shift. It’s all good. Nature, baby, remember? Next time you run with the pack, you’ll still feel a little bit like this, but you’ll have better control. I promise I’ll take care of you. Tonight, just enjoy how you feel, how we make you feel.”
“As opposed to feeling like I could crawl out of my own skin just to get off,” she joked, finally looking him in the eyes. “God, I really am a wolf in heat.”
“Hmm, not yet, but someday. And I won’t lie, I am looking forward to that, chérie,” he purred. The thought of her pregnant with his children tugged at his heart. She’d make a wonderful mother.
“Don’t even tell me what will happen when I go into heat. All I know is that I can’t keep my hands to myself as it is. I can’t believe the dirty thoughts running through my head,” she laughed. “Are you sure this is normal?”
“Perfectly. Now does someone need another lesson in trust?” he asked with a chuckle, aware of all the naughty things he planned to do to her lovely little body in just a few short minutes.
“I suppose I do,” she teased back, kissing his cheek softly. “You were planning on teaching me, Alpha?”
“Hey people,” Logan interrupted with a smile. “Looks like I’m missing all the fun.”
“Hey yourself,” Kalli replied as she drank in the view of his glistening body.
“Come on in, bro,” Tristan called over to him; a look of mutual understanding passed between them. They’d discussed in detail how the shift would affect Kalli and others in the pack. As leaders, they were ultra-aware of the implications of adding another pack member and the side effects of Kalli’s shift. While it was unusual to be a lone wolf as Kalli had been, it wasn’t unheard of, so they knew what to expect.
Logan languidly slid into the hot water, groaning in pleasure. “Oh man, that feels good.”
“Yes it does. You know what feels even better?” Tristan raised an eyebrow at him. “Hold her for me, will you? I want to rub her feet. My girl ran hard tonight.”
Kalli’s heart pounded, hearing Tristan offer her up to Logan like a piece of roast beef. What the hell was he doing? Trust, trust, trust. Oh God, she knew she should trust Tristan after everything they’d been through, but he wasn’t making it easy.
Tristan pulled her toward him once again and gently kissed her. “You’re okay, chérie. Now give me your feet.” Easily maneuvering Kalli’s small frame, he set her so that her back was against Logan’s chest. “That’s it. Just relax and let us take care of you.”
Logan didn’t attempt to touch Kalli; he simply let her rest against him as if she was sitting in a chair. They both kind of just relaxed into the hot steam.
But once Tristan went to work on the insoles of her feet, Kalli gave a satisfying moan. “Oh my, that feels amazing. Please, do not ever stop.” Letting her head loll back onto Logan’s chest, she closed her eyes.
Tristan smiled at Logan, who was waiting for instructions. “Logan, why don’t you massage our little wolf? She did so well tonight, don’t you think?”
Logan returned the smile, given permission to touch her. “Yes she did. And I must say that I enjoyed watching her go all alpha, standing her ground.”