by M. L. Briers
“Scary. Intense… Alive.” Sky admitted and watched him smile knowingly at her.
“Put your arms around my neck and your legs around my hips.” Nathan breathed down at her.
“I’m not that kind of girl.” She shot back sarcastically and he dropped his head against her neck and ran his tongue up her vein, quick and smooth, making her gasp.
“Sure you are. Now do it.” Nathan breathed into her ear and she curled herself around him, locking her legs around his hips and feeling the hard arousal press against her sex, and she couldn’t help the moan that rolled over her tongue. “Now we jump.” Nathan informed her and she took a long moment to understand his words.
A moment of fear, the rush to panic shot through her, but he took a step off the roof and she was falling with him. The fear and panic increased in the moment that it took them to land safely on the ground, as if he had done no more than stepped off a kerb into the road.
“Oh my god.” The words tumbled out of her as she tipped her head back and looked up at the roof, her mind needed to check to make sure she hadn’t imagined it. “That was amazing.” She gushed and he chuckled.
“Think of me as your personal elevator. Going up.” He offered and she didn’t even manage to get a thought into her mind or a word out before they were back on the roof.
“Can we do that again?” Her eyes were alight with the wonders that he took for granted and he couldn’t help but chuckle, seeing his powers through her eyes.
“Do I look like a yoyo?” He teased and she gave him the cutest little lost puppy look and he was lost. “Fine, but I want something in return at the end of it.” He teased and she rolled her eyes.
“You want to mate me?” Sky mumbled and he frowned down at her.
“What do I look like a wolf? When we mate I will be making love to you, every inch of you…” He brushed his fingers down her cheek and lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. “I want you to want me, Sky…”
“I do…” She stopped wide eyed and busted, and she tried to disentangle herself from him, knowing she’d said too much. “That’s not what I meant…”
Nathan held her firmly against him, all she managed to do was rub herself over his arousal and bring a groan to both of their lips, until she stilled.
“So tell me what you meant, don’t try to run away.” Nathan fisted her hair and eased her head backwards, bringing her face up until she had no choice but to look at him.
“I want you, Nathan, and it’s getting harder not to…” She stopped and swallowed and Nathan grinned.
“Is it my feeding that bothers you?” He looked at the pulse in her neck that beat a little faster than a normal human’s, a little harder, and he felt the need to taste her rip through him.
“Jasmine said that was…” She bit down on her lower lip, as if she’d done it again, said too much, let a confidence slip out.
“I can imagine what Jazz said. So not my feeding and not me… Hmm, what could it be sweetheart?”
“I don’t know if I’m ready to leave my pack.” She dropped her eyes and sighed, she’d said it, finally.
“The little wolf that wants to fly…” Nathan teased her again, and she eased her head forward against the hold he still had in her hair as she dropped her head onto his shoulder and curled tighter around him. Lost. “We don’t need to do anything until you’re ready. I can stay here…” Nathan suddenly balked. “Well not here, I can buy a house near pack land and we…”
Sky lifted her head and pressed her lips to his, waves of happiness flowed from her and he sighed inwardly, finally connecting with her completely, understanding her mood and thankful he had put her mind at rest.
Nathan ran his tongue over her lips and pressed inside the warmth of her mouth, running his tongue over hers and tasting her for the first time. If he had a pulse it would have beaten faster, as his need for her engulfed him.
“I’m not taking you on the damn roof.” He breathed against her neck and heard her sigh.
“Wait until you’re asked.” Sky tried to look righteous when he brought his black eyes up to hers, but she couldn’t quite pull it off. She was as turned on as he was. The mating was firing her blood with need for him, just as he felt it.
“I thought I had been.” He teased her, letting her have her pride. As the sound of footsteps below them drew his attention, and he hushed her.
Moving towards the edge of the roof, with Sky still wrapped around his body, he looked down to see Sienna disappearing into the woods alone.
“Where’s she going?” Nathan frowned at the thought of his new pack mother out there alone with a rogue on the loose.
“My mother has a mind of her own…” Sky snorted, with a dismissive shake of her head and heard her mate sigh, as he unpeeled her from around him and set her down on her feet.
“Can you go back to your room so I don’t have to worry where you are?” Nathan narrowed his eyes on her looking for any sign of deceit. He wasn’t about to leave his mate alone and unprotected if she had any intention to wander off.
“I think I can manage it.” She offered sarcastically and he grinned devilishly back at her.
“I’m going after your mother.” He informed her and before she could speak he had stepped off the roof. When she looked over the side he was already gone.
“Speedy little sucker.” She pursued her lips and tossed her hair over her shoulder as she backed away from the edge.
Nathan spun down through the tree line and dropped in front of Sienna. He made no sound on landing, and his sudden appearance caught her by surprise. She took a step back as her claws came out and her fangs dropped.
“Now mum, you know you shouldn’t be out here.” Nathan teased and watched the older woman instantly relax her posture as she shook her head in dismay.
“And you shouldn’t try giving an old woman a heart attack. I’m not you, Nathan. I can drop down dead of natural causes you know!” She berated him and watched as a mischievous smile spread on his lips.
“Just wanted to rattle your cage a little for being out here alone with no protection…” Nathan tipped his head to one side and skewered her with his gaze. He wasn’t impressed with her independence, not when there was a rogue on the loose.
“Oh hush up. I’m going to pay a visit to the woman who saved earlier, Rosie. I just want to make sure…” Sienna started and Nathan wagged a long finger at her.
“She’s fine, you however are in danger and that’s…”
“Don’t you think I’ve lived long enough to take care of myself?” Sienna admonished him, wasn’t it enough that she was the mother of an over protective Alpha, now she had an over protective Vampire as a son to deal with? She told herself, rolling her eyes in what he thought, mirrored the way that Sky did it.
“I think…” He started, but then his smile dropped from his lips, as he angled his head to take in the sounds of the night around him. “We have company.”
CHAPTER SIX
The snarl that greeted Nathan’s ears, a moment before Sienna heard it, had his all of his senses on alert. He reached out and snagged her wrist, tugging her behind the safety of his back as he turned them towards the sound of the crackling of fallen leaves under paws.
The sight of the pure black wolf as it stalked through the remainder of the summer’s vegetation chilled Sienna’s heart. “I don’t know that wolf.” She whispered, just in case her overzealous heartbeat didn’t give Nathan a clue that she was scared.
Nathan’s fangs had already elongated and he flicked out his claws as the wolf took it’s time, scenting the air as it went, and walking a slow full circle around them.
“Nathan, my wolf…” Sienna felt the shiver of the change come over her, but knew she needed to warn her new son.
“Got it.” Nathan didn’t need to look at her to know she was shifting. The sound of her clothes being torn from her body was as good an indication as he needed, and then he heard the drop of her two front paws onto the leaves, and took in her
scent. Assigning it to its rightful place in his mind. Family and he didn’t eat family.
He felt the brush of soft fur against his hand and knew his mother was saying hello, and that she had his back. But the rogue still made no move on them, whether he didn’t like the thought of going up against a vampire, or if he sensed something else, Nathan couldn’t tell, but when the rogue turned tail and took off, Nathan was torn in two by wanting to give chase and end it, and protecting his mother.
Sienna seemed to sense his ability to decide, so she took the matter out of his hands. Starting off after the wolf on her own paws, she heard Nathan curse behind her, a moment before he appeared a little in front of her, causing her to pull up from her chase and growl at him with frustration.
“Now don’t go getting all stroppy with me woman…” He wagged a clawed finger at her and saw her blink in what looked like amusement. “I’m not leaving you alone, and I’m not going to go into battle with my mother.” He scolded her, and when she tipped her head to one side, he couldn’t help but grin down at her.
Sienna could have turned tail and walked back to the cabin in wolf form but she had a few choice words for her new son. With the shiver of her muscles she shifted back into human form and stood naked in front of him. Nathan closed his eyes for a long moment before opening them and rolling them in his head.
“What is it with Lycans and nudity, normally it wouldn’t bother me, but you’re my mother.” He reached down and whipped his top over his head, trying not to look at her naked form as he held it out to her.
“You never saw your own mother naked?” She shot back sarcastically and he snorted.
“I don’t think she ever was naked. I think she conceived me fully clothed with just a gap in her panties…” He moaned, “But that was a very different time, and no, I’m not telling you how old I am.” He was looking everywhere else but at her as she pulled his top on.
“Son, you’re going to have to get used to seeing me naked.” Sienna informed him, before winding up to bat over his refusal to go after the rogue. “And as for that stunt you pulled just now…”
“I know. You’re a big scary She-wolf and I had no right to do what I did. I should have gone after the wolf…Blah, blah, blah.” He waved his hands in front of him and then he gave her a curt nod of his head. “But call me old fashioned, it doesn’t sit right with me.”
“Hmm.” She tipped her nose up in annoyance and then threw her arms up and let her hands hit her thighs on the way back down. “What’s done is done, just remember for next time.”
“Yes, mum.” Not a chance in hell, he told himself. Pointing back towards the cabin. “That way on your own two feet, or I’m carrying you slung over my shoulder. Your choice.” Nathan wasn’t about to have her argue that point.
“God, but I think you might be as bad as Wade.” She grumbled and he grinned at her.
“That’s a compliment.” He informed her, motioning for her to walk, and she did, with a few choice words and some general huffing.
“Geez mum, I think you know more swear words than I do.”
Wade slammed his fists down on the counter top in the kitchen and glared at his mother.
“You did what?” He growled. The black of his eyes matched the darkness of his mood as Sienna explained what had happened, she hadn’t wanted too, but Nathan had given her the option of coming clean or he would have to tell Wade himself, due to the fact that it had been a rogue sighting, and the reason Nathan hadn’t given chase.
“Well, what’s done is done. All’s well that ends well, and nobody got hurt.” Nathan put in from the relative safety of the other side of the room, where he slouched against the counter, a mug of coffee in his hand and a keen eye on the Alpha’s attitude.
“You could have gotten yourself killed…” Wade’s glare never faltered, it was stuck on his mother like glue.
“Many times over the year’s son, before and after you became Alpha…”
“That doesn’t mean you have to go out looking for trouble, woman…”
“Oh don’t you woman me. I wiped your backside for you…”
Nathan couldn’t help the snigger that left his lips, although he did have the good grace to try to stash it behind his hand and he turned his eyes away. But to see the big bad alpha speechless was worth more than gold.
“For which he will be eternally grateful…” Nathan put in when the Alpha faltered. “But for now it seems that we found out that this rogue is smart enough not to challenge a vampire… he may even move on.” Wade took a long moment to drag his gaze away from his mother towards Nathan.
“Perhaps having you out there isn’t such a bad idea if it saves anymore of the pack from being attacked. If you’re willing, I’ll pull my people in on the next change and put a limited force out that you can scent first.” Wade offered and Nathan nodded.
“I do so love to sniff Lycan.” Nathan offered towards Sienna and saw her shoulders move in a silent chuckle.
“How are you getting on with my sister?” The question came out of nowhere and caught Nathan entirely by surprise.
“Obviously not as well as you’ve been getting on with Jasmine.” He offered back. The scent in the air was unmistakeable. “But then I’m in no hurry. I’ve learned patience over the years.” He offered that tit bit to Sienna and heard the alpha snort.
“She’s Lycan, surely you should have been mated by now?” Wade wasn’t taking any prisoners as far as Nathan could tell.
“I’m also a vampire, in case that slipped your attention, Alpha. She needs a little time…” Nathan felt the irritation well inside him. “Why are we even talking about this?”
“Because, it’s easier for my pack to accept you when your mate already has.” Wade admitted and Nathan sighed.
“Well I’ll just go up and bed your sister for your packs convenience then.” Nathan’s sarcasm reached a new low as far as Wade was concerned and he couldn’t help the growl that rolled through him, and didn’t really want to.
“Don’t be an arse.”
“Then don’t put me in the position to have to be one.” Nathan shot back. The Alpha raised his eyebrows and lowered his voice.
“Well, you’ve had some many more years to practice than I have. I suppose it comes quite naturally to you …”
“Oh for goodness sake, the big bad vampire and the big bad Alpha being so childish. I should knock both of your heads together.”Sienna walked away in mock disgust.
“Mother’s right, you’re being childish, Alpha.”Nathan offered, turning on his heels to leave.
“I am?” Wade growled back and Nathan nodded his head as he continued walking.
“Glad you agree…”
“I wasn’t agreeing it was a question…” Wade watched the vampire’s back as he walked away from him. Damn, but he wanted to punch that…
“Oh sure, back peddle now.” Nathan shot over his shoulder as he took the stairs three at a time, and left Wade shaking his head and wishing for a simpler life than the one he had at the moment.
Sky heard him approaching her bedroom door and tried to still her pulse from the rampant, incessant pounding within her chest. That seemed to be happening a lot when he was around, and she knew that with every second that ticked by she was becoming more attached to the thought of him as her mate, more attached to him.
It was scary, but in a good way. Like on the roof, it scared her to the point of thrilling, and she had spent long enough wondering what his feeding would actually be like. She instinctively knew that she would find out sooner rather than later, it was the mating way.
She knew that her brother had already mated with Jasmine, even if they hadn’t bonded yet. Secrets weren’t exactly possible within Lycan circles. Sights, sounds, and scents weren’t something that you could easily mask, so everyone would know when she mated with Nathan. It wasn’t as if she had never been with a man before, but that was a Lycan and her mate was a vampire, a very old vampire, how many women had he…? Nope she wasn’t
even going to go there.
Nathan listened outside Sky’s bedroom door. He had wanted to make sure she had done as she said she would on the roof and gone back to her room. Curiosity sated, he now stood there like an idiot, torn between wanting to see her and walking away for his own sanity.
Just the sound of her heart beating, stronger and faster since she heard him outside her room, made his body tense with wanting her. The sound of her breathing, a slight exaggeration on the intake and a small pause before she released her breath, as if trying to steady her pulse, made him wonder if that would be the sound she made as he eased inside her… Damn, this was torture. To find his mate and have to wait even a moment more before he could be with her, touch her, taste her, and make love to her.
“Am I welcome to come in, or do you want me to leave?” He breathed out, knowing she could hear him, just as he heard her catch her breath.
“You can come in…” She started and his hand had twisted the handle before she had the chance to finish her sentence, “but that doesn’t mean…”
“I know, Sky. I’m not going to jump on you, sweetheart.” He offered her.
Sitting on the bed with her legs crossed and a cushion on lap, she looked slightly nervous by his presence, but he could see the underlying desire that was drawing her to him.
“Guess you really aren’t like a Lycan then.” She teased. Her eyes followed him across the room until he settled by her window, resting his backside on the wooden sill, he figured the further away from her he was the easier it would be to keep his last statement honest.
“Is that a bad thing?” He teased back and watched as she shrugged.
“You make me… confused.” She dropped her eyes to the frayed edge of the cushion she was fingering.
“How so?”
“Because I’ve never known anyone like you I guess…” She shrugged again. Nathan couldn’t help the smile that curled the corners of his lips, the default shrug that she used when she wasn’t sure of what to say amused him.