Born Wild

by Nikki Jefford

  “You have my vote,” Emerson said, glaring at Palmer and Jager.

  Sasha glanced at Raider. They shared a look of silent understanding that made Wolfrik’s fingers curl and nails dig into his skin.

  “It should be Raider or myself,” Sasha announced. “We’ve been on council for the same length of time as Jager and Palmer.”

  “It should be you,” Raider said gently, which made Palmer scowl as deeply as Wolfrik. He hated the tender tone he used with Sasha, even though he agreed with the ape.

  Sasha shook her head. “We must put it to a vote. Those in favor of Raider, raise your hands.”

  Emerson shrugged and raised her hand. “Sorry, Sasha. Raider’s family now.”

  Sasha nodded her understanding.

  Not surprisingly, Palmer raised his hand for Raider, as well.

  “Jager?” Sasha asked.

  The old man pressed his lips together in defiance. Sasha sighed. “Those in favor of me.”

  Wolfrik’s hand shot up. There’d never been a question in his mind. It was fitting that his first affirmative vote on council would be on Sasha’s behalf. Heidi raised her hand, as well. Jager remained stubbornly silent.

  Undeterred, Sasha cleared her throat. “Two votes for Raider; two for myself. That leaves the deciding vote to Jager.”

  “Or we could flip a coin,” Emerson said under her breath.

  This time Wolfrik understood the reference. He and Sasha weren’t as well-read as the other pack members. Hell, they couldn’t read at all, but there were certain expressions that had carried over after the fall of civilization—the coin toss among them, which was ironic since money now bought humans jack shit. About the only thing it was good for anymore was an actual coin toss.

  Jager snarled, causing everyone to stare at the old man.

  “The council has always been led by an elder, and I am the oldest.”

  Sasha nodded gently, her lips pursed.

  “Not so long ago it was led by pureblooded elders, but things change and we adapt.” Sasha lifted her head and locked Jager in her gaze.

  Jager straightened his back and pressed his palms into his legs. “Very well, Sasha, take the weight of my responsibility if you want it so much. I trust you will lead the council for the good of the entire pack.”

  Sasha lowered her head. “To the best of my abilities, as I always have.”

  Jager’s lips formed a thin line. “Then it is settled. I yield the role of head of council to Sasha. From this moment forward she will lead meetings and call votes.”

  “Thank you, Jager,” Sasha said. “For today, I call this meeting adjourned.” Sasha got up.

  One of Sasha’s many qualities was her brevity.

  Jager glowered as he stood and disappeared inside his hut. The others dispersed in the direction of the glade or den, leaving Wolfrik and Raider behind.

  The big ape looked Wolfrik up and down and folded his thick arms across his chest. “I hope you plan on taking your position on the council seriously,” Raider said.

  Wolfrik smiled smugly. “I’m surprised you voted for me.”

  “How did you—” Raider’s eyes darted to the hut, and he shook his head. “I should have known you’d find a way to spy on the proceedings.”

  Wolfrik tsked. “Your poor cousin. No family loyalty then?”

  “I do what’s best for the council and the pack.” Raider puffed up his chest and narrowed his eyes.

  “I’m honored you consider me the best.” Wolfrik’s eyebrows shot up—a taunt—but as usual, Raider kept his cool.

  “If you’re on council I can keep a closer eye on you,” Raider replied evenly.

  “Oh, yeah? Your female not satisfying you? Looking for someone more your size?” Wolfrik rocked his hips forward and smirked.

  Raider sighed. “Why don’t you head to the glade for supper before you give poor Jager a heart attack inside his hut?”

  Wolfrik rolled his eyes. “You’re such a stiff.”

  Raider grunted then turned and left.

  “Nice comeback,” Wolfrik snipped after Raider had gone.

  What a dolt. At least the big guy had voted Wolfrik onto the council, so he wasn’t all bad.

  Wolfrik swung his arms as he took the forest trail to the glade where Aden stood alone near the cauldron. He nodded at Wolfrik when he saw him and met him halfway. “Did you make it on?”

  “Barely. I’m not exactly Mr. Popular.”

  Aden snorted. “Oh, really? I hadn’t noticed.”

  Wolfrik smirked. “The werewolf does sarcasm.”

  Aden met Wolfrik’s smile with one of his own. “And the hellion is now a council member. Should I congratulate you or offer my condolences to the rest of the council?”

  “How about you congratulate the rest of the pack for having the benefit of another purebood looking out for their interests.”

  Aden pursed his lips. “We’ll see.”

  At the cauldron, Maureen sent them off with steaming bowls of stew, which they took over to a log near the bonfire. Wolfrik barely noticed the chunky bits of meat he swallowed down. His mind replayed the council proceedings, from the vote to bring him in, to Sasha seizing control. He smiled to himself, temporarily forgetting his surroundings and the packmates around him.

  He didn’t think to look for Kallie until after he finished his food. She wasn’t with her friends or anywhere in the glade. Maybe she was by the river again. Wolfrik hoped so. For once he was in a good mood and feeling playful.

  Wolfrik wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stood up. “See you in the morning,” he said to Aden.

  “See you then,” Aden replied.

  After ditching his dirty bowl in a basket, Wolfrik strode through the forest, heading to the Sakhir River, but before he had a chance to near the water, Kallie stepped out from the trees and blocked his path.

  chapter twelve

  “Hello, Kaaalllie.”

  The way Wolfrik drawled her name brought goose bumps to her arms and legs. He was smiling. That was good, wasn’t it?

  Her body shivered involuntarily.

  Tonight. It had to be tonight, or Palmer would expect her to sleep with him. She silently screamed the thought of Palmer away. She couldn’t have him in her head right now.

  When Kallie didn’t return Wolfrik’s greeting, his smile grew bigger.

  “Were you waiting for me?” he asked huskily.

  “Yes.” Her answer came out breathless.

  So much for her earlier plan at seduction. Clearly Kallie was doomed to fail with that strategy before she could bat one eyelash.

  Yet maybe her floundering intrigued the wild wolf; he stalked toward her. Kallie took a step back. When Wolfrik kept coming, she turned and half ran, half hopped, cutting onto a narrow trail leading to the communal cabin. Her heart pounded up her throat, and her breath came out in rasps.

  Behind her, Wolfrik chuckled. “You think you can outrun me?”

  Taking in shallow breaths, she pushed herself harder, though her muscles groaned and her foot throbbed. She was nearly at the cabin when Wolfrik caught up to her. He could have overtaken her sooner, but he’d held himself back, letting her run herself exhausted.

  She fell against a tree and gasped, slowly regaining her breath.

  So much for sexy. I look a ragged mess.

  “I thought you knew better than to run from a wild animal.” Wolfrik hooked his thumbs through the loops around the hips of his jeans.

  “You’re not an animal; you’re a shifter, and you like it when I run,” Kallie snapped.

  Wolfrik stopped several feet in front of her and lifted his eyebrows.

  There was no turning back. Kallie took a step toward him, narrowing her gaze on his. “You like the chase, but you’re afraid of what will happen when you catch up.”

&nbs
p; Wolfrik’s smile dropped, and he stared at Kallie through slits. “I’m not afraid of anything,” he snarled.

  “Prove it,” Kallie said, feeling emboldened. Her voice softened. “Catch me and prove it.” She sprang away as gracefully as she could and hurried the remaining steps to the cabin. With her heart pounding like ceremonial drums inside her ears, she couldn’t hear if Wolfrik followed.

  She was steps from the door when he grabbed her arm and twirled her around to face him. His chest rose and fell rapidly, as though he’d been the one running with an injured leg. As soon as she faced him, he dropped her arm as though it were a snake, ready to strike. His jaw locked, and he glared at her.

  Kallie’s heart turned to stone and plummeted to her stomach. There was nothing loving or sensual in his gaze. She’d pissed him off. They might have built a friendship that turned into more with time if she hadn’t rushed him . . . If she hadn’t been desperate.

  Oh, sweet moon above, I can’t give myself to Palmer. I can’t.

  Kallie’s body shook.

  “What do you want?” Wolfrik demanded. “Am I some kind of pet project to you? You want to try and help me heal so you can spend less time thinking about your own injuries? Why don’t you do what I do and face the truth, Kallie? You’ll never walk or run normally again. Nothing you do will change that. No distraction. That’s all I am, right? A distraction from the sad state of your life.” Wolfrik looked down at her, lips curling in distaste.

  Everything around them froze. There wasn’t so much as a rustle in the leaves or a scuttle in the brush.

  Kallie’s blood burned through her veins and scorched every last one of her nerves.

  When he’d wanted her to stay away from him, he should have said these words. They would have worked better than anything else.

  “Screw you!” she screamed into Wolfrik’s face.

  Tears pooled over her eyes and streaked down her cheeks as though her face wanted to extinguish the flames burning below. A sob burst through her lips.

  Through blurry vision, she saw the expression on Wolfrik’s face change. His mouth hung open, eyes widened, and shoulders stooped. He took a tentative step forward. “Kallie—” he began softly.

  “No,” she said, jerking back. She nearly fell, but managed to catch herself with a stumbling step and right her body once more. “You don’t get to comfort me. I don’t want your comfort.” She blinked back her tears and swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I know you’ve been through hell. I know Sasha was the love of your life. I’m not asking you to love me or fix me. I’m not asking you to claim me. I just want to be with you tonight. Is that too much to ask?”

  Wolfrik’s nostrils flared. He stared at her heaving chest, his gaze turning lambent. He tore his eyes from her breasts and strode over to the cabin door and kicked it open, not bothering to close it as he backed Kallie inside.

  Rather than lead her to the bed against the far wall, he maneuvered her to the table in the corner. There was a single candlestick inside a holder, along with a clay pot for water. With one swipe of his arm, it all crashed to the floor. He lifted Kallie onto the table, bunching fistfuls of her dress over her hips. She lifted her arms, helping Wolfrik as he pulled the dress over her head and tossed it onto the ground with the candle and clay pot. As he did so, she reached down and unbuttoned his jeans. Wolfrik yanked them down before she’d finished. The lower buttons popped open under his brute force. Once loosened, the jeans fell to his ankles. Wolfrik stepped out of the pants and kicked them aside.

  She’d expected him to hesitate again, but this time he went after her as though she were an opponent in a battle to the death—one he planned to vanquish. An instant later, he was inside of Kallie. Her head flew back as she cried out with pleasure. There was no warm-up, no taking his time. Wolfrik moved like a wild animal running for all he was worth. The friction between Kallie’s thighs rubbed every nerve ending to life.

  She panted and moaned out of control—delirious with desire and the need for more of him. She rocked against him, but it was difficult to keep up with Wolfrik’s frenzied pace.

  Abruptly, he pulled out. Kallie cried out in anguish, but Wolfrik’s hands were on her hips in a flash, pulling her off the table. He spun her around, legs splayed, and arms outstretched over the tabletop.

  As with before, Wolfrik didn’t waste time entering her.

  She cried out louder than the first time, loving the way he slid in so easily and filled her.

  Kallie thrust back, taking in every inch of him.

  His tortured groan made her smile to herself.

  “If you do that, I’m going to lose it,” he said, gripping her hips.

  Kallie rammed her ass back again, just to torment him more.

  Wolfrik growled right before losing control. He thrust in and out of her with such speed Kallie could no longer keep up. Her arms stretched across the surface, grasping for something to hold on to. The table banged against the cabin’s inner wall with each thunderous thrust of Wolfrik’s hips. A tempest was building between her legs, ready to explode into a million sparkling pieces.

  “Kallie?” a voice thundered over her moans and the beating of the table against the wall.

  She’d nearly forgotten her purpose for being at the cabin—for Palmer to walk in on her with Wolfrik. In her ecstasy, Palmer had ceased to exist.

  Wolfrik roared in outrage. “Fuck, Palmer! Can’t you see we’re busy? Get out of here!”

  Kallie had expected this moment would be an awkward but necessary act to force Palmer to leave her alone. She had thought it might shame her to go to these lengths, but with Wolfrik inside her, snarling at Palmer, she felt power surging inside her.

  Wolfrik growled in warning. Palmer must have been standing his ground. Now that they’d stopped, she would have heard his footsteps if he retreated.

  Wolfrik was still inside her, but the warmth of his chest left as he turned. Kallie continued facing the wall, smiling to herself. She couldn’t have picked a better shifter to chase Palmer away.

  Wolfrik pulled out of her and moved toward the door, his heavy steps creaking over the cabin’s floorboards. “I said go.” He snarled.

  A pair of footsteps retreated from the cabin. The door slammed shut. Kallie turned around in time to see Wolfrik give the frame an extra shove that rattled the hinges. He stood in place, lips pressed together tightly, listening at the door.

  Kallie limped over, experiencing a moment’s shyness when she stopped a couple feet away from him. She glanced at her toes.

  Wolfrik moved over to her and brushed her unruly hair over her shoulders. “Randy old bastard,” he muttered. “He’s still out there listening.”

  Kallie wrapped her arms around Wolfrik’s neck, eyes shining as she lifted her gaze to meet his. “Then let’s give him something to listen to.”

  Wolfrik smiled wolfishly. The animalistic desire in his eyes made the walls tilt all around her as her breath quickened.

  He lifted her off the floor. She gave a little squeal, holding on tight. Wolfrik didn’t have far to walk over to the bed. Instead of tossing her onto the mattress, he bent down and ripped the blankets off and threw them onto the floor before lowering her gently on top of them. He stood on his knees while she lay back drinking in every inch of his body. Aside from his raw, red, brutal scars, his body was perfection. Muscular arms bulged from broad shoulders, and his six-pack rippled like waves across a pond—each one dipping into the next—drawing her into his powerful frame. His abs V’ed straight down to his groin, long and thick; large and beautiful like the rest of him.

  Wolfrik followed her example, his eyes boldly perusing her. Warmth flooded between Kallie’s thighs. Her nipples tightened.

  Wolfrik’s dick pulsed. He lowered himself down and nudged himself at her gently, sliding himself inside her inch by glorious inch.

  He rocked his hips again
st hers, face contorting as though fighting to keep control.

  Kallie’s eyelashes fluttered. Her breath rasped in shallow gasps.

  Wolfrik brushed his thumb over her nipple. Kallie moaned her pleasure.

  As Wolfrik dived deep inside her, she wrapped her legs around him. Her body felt weightless, buoyed atop bright wisps of ecstasy. Wolfrik thrust faster. Kallie shouted his name right before exploding. Warmth shot into her when Wolfrik emptied his seed inside her. He shuddered and collapsed, but not before throwing out his palms to keep from crushing her.

  As soon as he recovered, he eased himself out and collapsed at Kallie’s side. They lay on their backs, breathing deeply, staring at the wood beams supporting the ceiling.

  Eventually silence blanketed the cabin. Kallie waited for Wolfrik to say something or leave, but he surprised her by moving closer and turning her onto her side, her back in the hollow of his chest, and wrapping his arms around her. His body trembled as he squeezed her to his chest several times. Then he went slack and breathed the deep breaths of someone who had fallen asleep.

  Kallie lay still, listening to Wolfrik breathe. She snuggled gently against his arms, not wishing to wake him.

  She’d meant it when she told Wolfrik that she had no expectations other than sex, but when they’d mated, Kallie hadn’t felt disabled. She’d felt whole.

  Light nudged its way through the cabin’s cracks early the next morning. Kallie lay still, though her bad leg was stiff from pressing into the hard floorboards all night. Wolfrik held her like he’d never let go. The few times she’d wiggled around, he’d nestled in closer, burying his face into her hair.

  Reluctantly, Kallie, scooted away and stretched her leg, gritting her teeth to keep from groaning. She tried focusing on other parts of her body instead, such as the delicious ache Wolfrik had left between her legs. The groan that had been on her lips softened into a silent moan as she remembered Wolfrik inside her. Her eyes fluttered closed, and when she reopened them, Wolfrik stirred and blinked away the haze of sleep from his eyes.