by Dawn Kirby
“How did y’all manage to keep Judith from finding out?” I asked him. They did live in the same house after all.
“It’s not hard when she’s confined to her room most of the time. Donovan let her out when he needed help in his office periodically, but he never discussed our private affairs with her. Raif wasn’t living there at the time so he never knew either.”
“Did Raif ever find out you could shift?”
“Not as far as I know,” he answered quickly. “He and Donovan were out of town the first time I shifted. Kale and I had separated from Granny and were wrestling around out back somewhere during a full moon. He got a little too rough and I got mad. At the time, he was bigger and stronger than I was. All I could think about was beating him. For some reason, when he had me pinned down, I started thinking about animals that could at the very least slow him down. A cougar was the only thing I could come up with. I wished like crazy I could turn into one, not realizing I already had until I saw Kale, as a man, bleeding underneath me. By the time I figured it out, I’d already ripped his shoulder open and clawed his chest up. He wasn’t mad though. Actually, he thought it was pretty cool.”
“Naturally,” I said rolling my eyes. “What happened next?”
“Well, Kale wanted to me to try to shift again. By that time, Granny had come back from her run and had starting treating all the bites and claw marks I’d left on Kale. She trusted David enough to ask for his help. While she stitched up Kale’s shoulder, David was with me. He asked me to try to change back into a werewolf and I did. After I came out of that, he asked me to change into a wolf. When I did, it felt different. As a werewolf, I’m extremely strong and abnormally large. My coat is the same color as my hair. When I change into a wolf, I look like every other timber wolf out there. I’m not near as strong or as big.”
“Was that when you figured out you could control it?” I asked quietly.
“Not that night,” he sighed. “That didn’t happen until the next full moon. Granny hadn’t been feeling well for a couple of weeks and she didn’t have the energy to make the change, so I told Kale I’d stay with her in her room while he went to run with the pack. All that night I waited for the moon to force my change, but it never did.”
“What did May say?”
“Believe it or not it made her happy,” he told me. “Having control of my shifts meant nobody would ever find out I had secrets. Kale felt the same way.”
“Do they still run with you?”
“Kale will if I ask him too. Granny prefers to run alone. To tell the truth, I don’t do it much anymore.” He began to run the tips of his fingers gently around my face. “I don’t know how or why I can control it, but it’s nice to have the choice.” He laced his fingers through mine and stared up at the ceiling.
An easy silence embraced us. For the first time in two days I felt rested. Having Raine here next to me made me feel safe. Not because he’s strong, but because I knew he was as devoted to me as I was to him. That much had become crystal clear. Mom always talked about soul mates, but until now I’d never put much stock in the idea.
“Raine?” I turned my head to look at him. “Do you believe in soul mates?”
“Not until now.” He rolled onto his side and pulled my body to his.
His lips touched mine reigniting the fire he’d lit earlier. I felt warm all over, but the intense sensation was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. My whole body was blazing and it was because of him. The only way to tame the flames that threatened to devour me was through him.
His lips pressed into mine with a sense of urgency. His passion flowed into me as if he alone was the only thing keeping me alive. I followed every intense move his tongue made with mine. The longer the kiss lasted, the more I wanted. I buried my hands in his hair and held him tightly to me.
His hand slipped under my back as his lips broke away from mine. When I looked in his eyes I knew he wasn’t done. Hunger burned inside both of us. One second I was laid out on the bed and the next I was on my knees, straddling his hard body. His lips were on mine again before my knees ever hit the bed.
My hands moved all over his back, tracing muscles, memorizing tiny imperfections. The tips of my fingers moved up his sides slowly, feeling his body tremble under my touch. He wrapped my hair around his hand, pulling my head back slightly. His other hand supported my back easily while his lips kissed every inch of skin on my neck, filling my body with warm chills. I shook when his teeth nipped at the skin.
I let my hands explore the rock hard muscles in his chest and stomach. The muscles in his arms were strong. I ran my nails down his stomach; pleased to feel him quake under me. It gave me a sense of power. A low, sensual laugh came from somewhere deep down inside me. He shook again. My lips eagerly searched for his. I had to feel them on mine again.
His hands slid under my shirt, caressing my back tenderly. I couldn’t believe how good his touch felt. They moved to my sides, finding the curve of my breasts. His rough thumbs moved across my nipples making them rock hard. The awesome sensation excited and maddened me. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.
His hands left my body to fumble with the buttons on my shirt. I pushed away from him and smiled seductively. When I pulled the shirt over my head, he moaned, smiling roguishly. My fingers dove into his long, rich hair, pulling him back up to me. God his lips felt good!
While his teeth playfully bit at one nipple, his calloused hand massaged the other. Every time his warm fingers brushed across my nipples, I quivered. His mouth closed over my breast, the sensation sending shock waves throughout my body. His tongue made quick circles around my nipples, sucking one then the other. I bit into the curve of his neck, the fire burning inside me intensified. My passion heightened when his hand raked down my spine while his hips moved slowly underneath me. A soft moan escaped as I arched my back against his arm. I leaned my hips into his, feeling his firmness between my legs.
He rolled me onto my back and stood up beside the bed, keeping his stormy eyes locked on mine. The subtle flecks of gray were barely noticeable under the hue of dark blue. His hands ran slowly up my leg and then back down the other. It was like he wanted to memorize every inch of my body. He put both hands firmly on my ankles and ran them quickly back up my legs. His hands came back down the length of my legs, taking my panties with them.
“You are so beautiful,” he said softly. He pulled off his sleep pants and stood there, looking down at me. I knew I saw love in his eyes, but there was lust there too.
I hadn’t realized until that moment how big he actually was. His body was absolutely magnificent. Every muscle in my body tensed with anticipation. It actually excited me more to see exactly how much he wanted me.
I reached out to him, wanting him close again. He smiled and shook his head. “Not yet,” he said as he caressed my cheek with his finger. “I want to memorize every inch of you.”
As his hand moved slowly down my throat he sat on the bed beside me. I moaned when the tips of his fingers raked across my nipples. They were so hard they hurt. His hand slipped down my stomach. My legs instinctively closed. He chuckled and moved his hand further down, gently pulling one leg toward him.
Raine’s hand slid down my leg. I closed my eyes as his fingers kneaded back up. I felt his lips on my knee then his finger slipped in between my legs. I hadn’t realized how wet I was until that moment. My eyes shot open.
Before I could say a word his finger was inside me. At first I didn’t know how to respond. This was all so new to me. Another finger. I closed my eyes again and let my hips fall into rhythm with his fingers. He stretched out beside me and intertwined his leg with mine. His fingers went deeper. Each time he slid them out they brushed my clit sending shock waves all over my already excited body. My back arched anticipating some kind of release. It didn’t come.
When he stopped I opened my eyes. He looked down at me and smiled. I touched the side of his face, lacing my fingers through his hair and pulled his lips t
o mine. His arm encircled my waist, pulling my body underneath his.
Finally, he lay down on top of me, enveloping my body with his. As he lovingly kissed my neck, he spread my legs easily with his knee. My hands were above my head, held gently in place by his. I didn’t resist it, I wanted to feel him. I needed to feel him.
He closed his eyes and kissed me, pressing my head gently into the pillow. The passion between us grew as he eased inside me. My eyes filled with tears. I never expected that kind of pain. Fingers were one thing. His warm lips tenderly kissed away each and every tear.
The more he moved, the less it hurt. Soon I followed his slow, easy movements. My hips deliberately rose to meet his thrusts. Feeling him push deeper inside my body electrified me. The excitement intensified when his hips began to move harder and faster.
It felt like he had six hands. They were everywhere, touching my body in places I never knew were there. In ways I never could have imagined. My nails clawed into his back as he fell into a steady rhythm. The hard thrusts hurt, but it was a good hurt and I loved the way it made me feel.
Somehow, I ended up on top of him. As I slowly eased up, I kissed his neck and chest greedily. His nipples, hard as mine, begged to be bit. I started with gentle kisses and ended with my teeth. His body shivered under my lips the whole time. Big, strong fingers bit into my hips, guiding them through each movement we made together.
I sat up, placing my hand on his chest and made him stay still. Ever so slowly, I moved my hips up and down on top of his. The amazing sensation I experienced as he slid in and out of me was powerful. The control I had over him made me want to please him even more.
He moaned as my hips moved faster. His hands raked over my body, pulling me to him. Body racking shivers followed behind his hands. Breathless, I moved even faster. Sweat rolled off my body when I leaned back down to kiss him.
Before I knew it, I was on my back again. Raine’s kiss matched his thrust. They were both deep and demanding. My body twitched with wave after wave of ecstasy. With a few more hard thrusts, his did too. He collapsed on top of me, completely exhausted. He tried to move off of me, but I held him there. I wasn’t ready to let the feeling go.
“Leah, I’m gonna crush you,” he told me breathlessly.
“You’re not heavy,” I said softly.
“I will be,” he said, as he moved to lie down beside me.
I put my head on his chest and held him, the fire we’d lit extinguished. He pulled the sheet up over us. Then wrapped his arms around me. One of his legs was still entwined with mine. I closed my eyes feeling completely at peace. My fingers absently played with the small patch of hair on his chest while his hand ran through the cascade of my hair that still clung to his sweaty body.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you for choosing me.”
“I’m glad I did.”
He squeezed my body into his and I felt a warm, wet sensation on my back. My eyes flew open and I sat straight up. I’d completely forgotten about his arm. From the feel of it, we may have popped something.
“What? What’s wrong?” His eyes darted all over the room.
“Your arm. I forgot all about it,” I said apologetically. “It’s bleeding.”
He smiled; apparently relieved his arm was the problem. “It’s okay, we’ll fix it,” he said calmly. “Before we do though, we both need a shower. You go get cleaned up and I’ll come back to you when I’m done.”
“You could always use mine,” I said innocently. The smile on his face told me he’d like nothing better.
“If I did, we’d never get any food,” he laughed. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
Chapter Fifteen
After a few wistful minutes of reflection, I threw back the sheet and got up. Raine’s arm had bled worse than I thought. There spots of blood all over the sheets. Some spots were noticeably bigger than others, but they were there all the same.
I suddenly had a little twinge of guilt. I’d just had the most wonderful experience of my life and he was bleeding. It quickly went away when I remembered the smile on his face when I offered him the use of my shower.
This time I didn’t need the hot water to relax me. Raine had already taken care of that. I don’t ever remember being as calm or as happy before now. I simply went through the motions.
The magnitude of what we’d done hit me when I saw a thin trickle of blood running down my leg. Not that it surprised me. After all, it was my first time and Raine was by no means a small man. I wiped the blood away and didn’t give it another thought.
I got out and wrapped my towel around me just in time for the bathroom door to be thrown open. It was becoming clear to me that I might want to start locking my doors. This was the third time in less than four hours I’d had a surprise visitor.
“Leah, what’s wrong?” Declan asked urgently.
The bathroom quickly filled with the calming scent of lavender, relaxing me further. Apparently, it wasn’t having the same effect on him.
“Nothing, I’m fine,” I assured him. I quickly wrapped my hair up in a smaller towel and smiled at him.
“I can smell blood, somethin’s wrong’,” he said adamantly. His eyes shifted from my face to my neck. He stepped up to me, inspecting every piece of skin he could see.
“Raine’s arm is bleeding again, you probably just smell him.”
“That boy’s bled enough over the years, I know his scent,” he told me. “Yers is different and it’s yers I smell.”
The door across the hall opened. Raine walked into the bathroom a few seconds later. His scent exploded at the sight of Declan towering over me. His eyes turned dull gray when he realized I was standing there wrapped up in a towel and Declan was standing mere inches away. Raine’s body was between ours in a matter of seconds.
“Declan, what the hell!” His hands balled into fists. I had to diffuse this and I needed to do it fast.
“She’s bleeding. She’s been hurt,” Declan defended.
“No, I haven’t. I’m fine.”
I smiled at him even though all I really wanted to do was strangle him. He’d just seen for himself that there was nothing wrong with me. Then his eyebrow came up and his eyes rested on my leg.
“Then why do ye have blood runnin’ down yer leg?”
I glanced at my leg and then at Raine. He looked horrified. As much as I wanted our first intimate encounter with one another to be between us alone, it wasn’t.
“I am so sorry,” Raine whispered to me.
“It’s okay, it happens,” I said, trying hard to play off the embarrassment. “Or at least I’ve heard it does.”
Declan quickly lowered his gaze. “Ahh…I see.”
Raine looked at Declan and then at me. “If I had thought-”
“What?” I asked. “We wouldn’t have done it?”
“I never thought.”
“Not many virgins in yer past, eh?” Declan asked patting Raine’s shoulder.
“No,” Raine answered absently, staring at my leg where the blood had been.
“Ye should consider yerself lucky,” Declan told him, turning his smile on me.
“I do,” Raine said softly. “But I-”
“Don’t worry yerself none. She’ll be fine.”
Declan bowed his head to me and left the room, closing the bedroom door behind him. It took all I had not to throw something at his back when he walked out of the bathroom. Raine quietly went to the bedroom to wait.
I dried off, brushed my hair, and got dressed. Since we weren’t going anywhere I decided a pair of jeans and a t-shirt would be perfect to lie around in. Maybe after dinner we could stretch out on the couch downstairs and find something good on TV. As soon as I put on my socks, I went to the bedroom.
I found Raine sitting on the edge of my bed, a haze of pale blue radiating around him. His normally exhilarating stormy scent smelled more like that of a light sprinkle on a warm spring day- fresh and light. I took the stained sheet out of his ha
nd and smiled at him. He pulled my body to his, resting his head against my chest. My fingers wound through his wet hair. I was content to stay there as long as he needed me too.
As I stood there, his warm arms embracing my waist, I thought about the scene in the bathroom. The embarrassment I’d felt then turned into elation. At that moment I didn’t care that Declan knew we’d been together. All I could think about was how lucky I was to have found Raine amid the chaos and death dominating my life. He was right when he said we didn’t have time to play the normal dating games. That said, giving myself to Raine, body, mind and spirit, was the next logical step.
“I love you, Raine,” I whispered to him. “And I don’t care who knows.”
The scent of a storm quickly washed over me again. He stood up and kissed my cheek, squeezing my body tightly against his. “I love you, too,” he said yanking his arm back. “Guess I need to stop using this arm for awhile.”
“Might be a good idea.”
I gathered up the bandages and medicine and we set about wrapping up his arm. The bleeding had stopped and the swelling had finally gone down. Thankfully the stitches were still intact.
“Good as new,” he said smiling down at me. It was nice to see him surrounded by the dark blue glow again. “Let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.”
As our feet stepped onto the living room floor, I could hear Kale talking in the kitchen. He was telling May all about Drew. She already had him hooked. Raine heard him too and rolled his eyes. After a deep breath he pushed the door open.
“Maybe I can hit him with the door,” he whispered as I brushed past him.
May was at the table, smiling patiently at her overly excited grandson as we entered. From the weary expression on her face, she’d already had an earful.