The man must weigh a ton, because when his knees buckled from the injury, he flattened her under him on the ground. Chrissie couldn’t move her hand, let alone shove him off. The knife handle drove into her stomach, and she cried out at the pain.
“Get off me,” she shouted.
He pressed his lips to her cheek and stuck his tongue out. Chrissie’s stomach lurched in revulsion. She was sure she’d toss the contents of her stomach when she felt his erection. A memory rose in her mind of someone saying werewolves were interested in few things during a full moon, and two of them were hunting for food and sex. Not me, damn it!
With all her might, she twisted her knife in the man’s gut, and this time he did howl. He leaned back, raised a hand, and brought it down on the side of her head. Spots danced before her eyes, but she fought not to lose consciousness. Holding her down with one hand, despite how she struggled, he yanked the knife out of his stomach and tossed it away. Too late, Chrissie remembered how fast they healed. So he was both stronger than the average man and able to heal as if she had done no damage to him at all.
He wrapped his fingers around her blouse’s collar and tore downward. Chrissie scratched and beat at him, but he ignored her struggle. Back here behind her café in the darkness, no one would see. No one would help. In fact, in this area, even if she screamed, everyone would ignore it. That had been the case all too often in the past.
She closed her eyes, fighting for calm but finding none. “Michael, please help me. If you care about me at all. Help.”
No sooner had Chrissie called out the words in her mind than he was there. Michael came from nowhere, it seemed, and snatched the other man off her. He slammed him against the railing leading up to her apartment and then pummeled him with his fists.
“You dare touch my mate? I’ll rip you apart for that!”
Chrissie scrambled to her feet and searched around for her knife, although she doubted she’d be much help. She had to trust that Michael could handle his opponent. When Chrissie’s fingers closed around her weapon, she turned to find the other man tossing Michael into the alleyway behind her building. She bit off a scream and took two steps to follow them because she couldn’t see what was going on back there.
“Go in the house, Chrissie. Lock yourself—”
He grunted, and the other man growled. Chrissie was sure he’d shifted, but then she heard an answering growl and knew Michael had shifted as well. However, she wasn’t going anywhere, not until she knew he was safe.
The fight went on for what felt like hours, with Chrissie able to hear the growl, the cries of pain, even cracked bones as one or the other was slammed on the ground, but she saw nothing. At last, the sounds stopped, and she strained to pick up movement. Faltering feet came into view. She squeezed her knife between both hands, crouched and ready to spring if it was the other man. Instead, Michael stumbled forward, covered in blood and in his human form.
Chrissie ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Are you okay, Michael? Is he dead?”
He winced at her touch but didn’t let her go when she would have pulled back. “Yes, he’s dead. He won’t hurt you ever again.” Michael leaned back and with half-closed eyes began to search her body. “He didn’t . . .”
She shook her head. “No.”
He sighed. “Come, I’ll make sure you’re inside before I go.”
“Go where?” She hated how her voice had turned whiny.
“I promise I’ll be back.”
“Michael!” He was leaving her again without an explanation? She wouldn’t accept it. He was weak. She wouldn’t let him leave until he healed and grew stronger. He couldn’t fight her off at this point.
Her lover seemed to read her mind. Demonstrating just how strong he still was, he lifted her in his arms and carried her up the steps to her apartment. Although Chrissie fought hard to get free, she couldn’t. At last, she gave in and unlocked the door. Michael deposited her on her bed and stood over her.
“You don’t leave this apartment until I tell you it’s safe. Got it?”
She didn’t bother to tell him to go to hell but sat there in silence, angry, hurt, and exhausted. Michael ran a hand over her cheek, and then bent to kiss her. Chrissie turned her head. He hovered a moment, but she didn’t give into him. He left, the door clicking closed behind him.
Chapter Twelve
A week had passed, and Chrissie had heard nothing from Michael. Of course she went back to work the very next day after sleeping for hours and soaking her aching muscles in a hot bath. Kal had asked questions about what happened to her, but she offered no explanation, not because it was none of his business, although it wasn’t, but because she thought she might cry, and she had put those emotions behind her with determination.
She cooked, she cleaned, and she served her customers with as much vigor as she could muster, all with Kal throwing her knowing looks. She wasn’t fooling anyone but herself, but who cared. She’d be fine without that bastard, one way or another.
The bell over her door rang, and Chrissie glanced up from wiping down one of the tables. She froze in place. Two tall, dark, and deliciously handsome men strode in with a beautiful woman curved along the side of one of them. They took a table in the corner, where there was a clear view of the front door and the back of the café. Chrissie considered sending Kal to take their order but decided she was not a coward.
She strode over to them with her pad and pencil in hand, all business. “Michael and family.” She paused.
The woman grinned. “How are you, sweetie?”
She glared at her brother-in-law, and Chrissie guessed the woman didn’t find it amusing that he hadn’t contacted her all this time.
“I’m fine, thank you. What can I get you?” She couldn’t stop her gaze from shifting to watch Michael, so she stared down at her pad instead.
“Chai tea all around?” Kelly responded.
Michael grunted. “Got anything harder?”
Chrissie leaped at the chance to insult him. “It’s a café, asshole.”
Michael scraped back his chair and stood. Before Chrissie knew what he was going to do, he grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her against him. She struggled to get out of his arms. “We need to talk.”
“Jerk, put me down,” she demanded.
“Hey, Chrissie, you need help over there?” a customer called.
She hadn’t gotten her mouth open by the time Michael narrowed his dark eyes on the man and snarled a warning. The customer jerked back and whispered to his friends. Chrissie heard from her position behind Michael’s wall of a chest the terrified comments floating around the room. “Werewolf.” She imagined that Michael wouldn’t hear the end of it from his brother who had seemed to want their presence on Somana Two to be a secret from the general population. And if his barbarian antics affected her business, she’d have his ass as well.
When they were in the back room out of sight of everyone, Michael set her on her feet. Chrissie crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at him. “What do you want?”
He touched her cheek, but she pulled away.
“You’re angry at me.”
“You think? You said you’d be back.”
“I am back.”
Chrissie tried shoving at his chest when he crowded her, but there was no effect whatsoever. Her stupid body ignited with his nearness. “A week ago. I expected you back that night or at the latest the next day.”
“I had business to take care of.”
“Yeah, business you didn’t care to share with me.”
Michael blew out a breath, scrubbed at the back of his neck, and put on an expression of apology that annoyed her all the more. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re not.”
He rested his hands on her hips and lifted her to sit her on the table behind her. When he positioned himself between her legs, she shivered.
“This is unsanitary, Michael. I make food on this table.”
He nuzzled he
r neck and kissed down to her shoulder. His hands moved from her hips to her sides, and his thumbs grazed her nipples. Chrissie resisted arching into his touch despite how she wanted more.
“I want you for my mate,” he whispered.
She turned her head. “I don’t know if I want that.”
He drew back, his eyes widened in surprise. She wondered if he had expected her to fall into his lap upon command or for her to beg to be his. His expression darkened while he watched her. “You’re telling me you don’t love me, Chrissie?”
“Are you ordering me to?”
“Of course not. That’s ridiculous.”
“Well, you’re acting surprised. It’s not like you ever made any declarations to me. All you’ve ever done is tell me what I am, that I’m your mate. No, correction, you’ve told others. You told your brother and sister-in-law. You told that other werewolf you fought, but you never explained to me just what it means to be your mate and what it involves. Worse, you’ve never told me how you feel about me, other than looking at me like I’m your property, a fuck toy.”
Chrissie blinked back tears and swallowed. She focused on the top button on his shirt to give herself time to collect her emotions. So far, it wasn’t working. Michael caught her beneath the chin and forced her head up without hurting her. He planted a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose.
“I’ve been cruel. I didn’t mean to be. I’ve held my emotions in check, deep inside. I guess it was something I picked up right after Gabriel set my mind right.” At her questioning look, he attempted to explain. “You’ve heard how werewolves are not allowed on the moon because it’s like a full moon all day and night? Well, if we come here without an alpha’s help to center our minds, then we can go crazy, which is what happened to those other three who attacked us. Gabriel is an alpha wolf. He helped me after some craziness I’ll tell you about later. Suffice it to say, after what he did for me, I wasn’t too keen on letting myself go. You, my beautiful woman, make me feel like I’m losing myself.”
“Thanks a lot.”
He grinned. “That’s not a bad thing. What it means is the moment we met you, the beast knew you were the one. He called to you, to make you mine. I took some time to believe it, but I came to realize I love you, Chrissie. Very much.”
Her heart pounded, and tears wet her eyes. She sniffed but didn’t let the droplets fall. Instead, she buried her face into his chest, breathed in his familiar scent. She didn’t want to be apart from him again. That she knew without a doubt.
“You left me,” she murmured. “Without telling me a thing. I thought you weren’t . . .”
“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry I hurt you. I will do everything in my power never to do that again.” He lifted her head and kissed her lips.
Melting against him, Chrissie savored his flavor, the rightness of his tongue sweeping her mouth. After a long time, he drew back, his breathing ragged.
“While I was fighting that bastard here, my brother was fighting the other two on his own. I had to go and help him. Willie had set them on our mates, maybe in a desperate attempt to regain control since she’d now lost both you and me. I have no doubt she found out that I had gone to see you when I promised I wouldn’t. Probably had me followed. Anyway, I had to take care of that, to be sure Gabriel and Kelly were safe when I knew you were.
“Next, Gabriel and I went together to face down Willie, but we found her gone. We did some checking and found out she has fled Somana Two. You never fuck over a werewolf if you want to keep your life.”
Chrissie couldn’t believe what he was telling her. “Willie’s gone? Is she still heading the agency?”
“Not sure, although her cousin, Ace, is going to take over operations here for the time being. I have been assigned to fly to Earth to track her.”
She saw resentment in his eyes.
“Gabriel hasn’t gotten it into his head yet that he’s not my alpha, but Ace and Kelly agreed to the plan, and I have wanted to go back. I miss it.”
Chrissie took him by surprise so she was able to shove him away. He staggered back. “So you’re leaving me again. Is that it? That why the whole troupe came here tonight? I don’t need this crap, Michael. I was happy before you came into my life, and I can damn sure take care of things without you.”
She jumped off the table and started toward the door. Michael slipped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, keeping her from moving.
“That’s not acceptable.”
She beat at his hands.
He kissed her earlobe and then the sensitive skin behind it. A thrill zipped through her body. Michael tightened his hold. “I cannot live without you Chrissie. I won’t. It’s important that I find Willie because I can’t be sure if she’ll do something to try to hurt you again, but I also won’t accept going to Earth without you. Tell me you will go with me.”
“Are you kidding? Me? Earth?” He loosened his embrace enough for her to turn and face him. “I never imagined . . . I have never been able to afford it, and someone from my side of the station wouldn’t have been given the paperwork to go.” She chewed her lip. “But my business.”
“That guy seems like he’s got a good head on his shoulders.” He nodded toward the front of the café. “Your partner.”
She smiled. “Partner. Hmm, yeah, he might go for running the place long-term if I make him partner. Still, this café has been my dream for a long time.”
“Are you saying I should leave without you?”
“Never!” She calmed herself. “I love you, Michael. I don’t want to be apart from you either, but I’m scared of what it means to be your mate. I don’t understand anything about it.”
He held her close to his chest. “I will explain all. I promise I won’t bite . . . uh, claim you until I’ve explained it in detail, what to expect. Do we have a deal?”
“Yes, we do. I’ll be wherever you are from now on.”
“The same goes for me, sweetheart. I’ll never leave you again.”
* * * *
Michael watched with half-closed eyes as Chrissie slid from the bed to cross over to the porthole. She’d been like an excited child when they arrived at the ship. To learn that she had never been off the moon, had been born and raised here, shocked him, although he knew there were plenty of people like her. He enjoyed being the one to show her where he was from, and when he had made her like him, he would show her the thrill of the hunt as well.
Ace was investigating the suspected magic-user who had hired Chrissie and had kept her scent covered when Michael tracked her, and they suspected it was this same person who dispelled Kelly’s spell that kept her back door locked.
Michael and Chrissie would conduct their own search for Willie once they were on Earth. However, for now, all Michael wanted to do was take his sexy little lover until she pleaded with him to stop. In a way, he wished he had already made her a werewolf, then he knew he could take their lovemaking to levels a human could only dream about, but he had promised to wait on that, and wait he would.
He tossed back the covers and stepped out of the bed. With stealth, he moved up behind her and rubbed his cock’s head along her ass. Chrissie moaned and pushed back into the touch. Michael tightened all the more. He ached to get inside her, to feel her hot slick walls surrounding him, but rather than treating her like he owned her, he had been practicing being gentle. The experience was excruciating. “Are you rested enough to take me again?”
She laughed up at him. “You’re asking? You usually just flip me over and drive in.”
He frowned. “I’ve not been that insensitive.”
“Uh-huh.”
He grunted, dropping his forehead to her shoulder. Chrissie chuckled then took his hand and led him over to the bed. She shoved him so he landed on his back. Michael watched her prepare a small tub with a cloth. With soft hands that knew just how to work him into hardness within seconds, she began to wash him. When she finished, she leaned down to kiss his head. Michael almost erupted when he
r small, pink tongue darted out to circle his tip.
“Chrissie!”
She drew back. “Shh, honey, just enjoy it. This time, I’m taking control. You tell that beast to accept it or else.”
Michael didn’t dare ask or else what. He didn’t care to deny her anyway. She swallowed much of his cock, and his hips came up off the bed. He had to grit his teeth to keep from pumping too hard into her mouth, but the suction from her sweet lips was his undoing. He flattened a palm on the back of her head, tangled fingers into her hair, and guided her up and down his length. A hiss escaped him when she picked up speed.
As if his cock were a Popsicle, she flicked it with her tongue. She teased his balls while taking him deep, and Michael let a curse fall from his lips. He was going to come if she didn’t stop soon. “Chrissie, wait.”
She cast an amused glance up at him and then sat up. Michael was about to switch their positions, but she pushed him down a second time and climbed higher over him. When her rounded hips lowered, he didn’t have to guide his shaft home. It nestled between her thighs and glided up her hot tunnel. Chrissie appeared to make sure he watched her when she traced her dark pink areolas with the ends of her fingers and then settled on her nipples. She twirled the buds before raising first one breast toward her outstretched tongue. When the tips met, Michael could hold back no longer.
He convulsed once and gyrated deep inside her. His arm around her waist and drew her snug to him as he pounded her pussy. Chrissie screamed his name, sending the sensations, already violent in him, into a frenzy of pleasure. Michael sat up, tugged her closer, and rambled words of love in his mate’s ear. She whimpered her responses, weak after having come with him.
“Chrissie, sweetheart, you are perfect. I’d do anything for you. Know that,” he said with intensity in his tone.
Werewolf on Somana Two: Michael Page 10