“It’s a fillet steak and it’s nearly done.” He pointed to a grid balanced on rocks over hot coals. “Come this way.” He took her hand and led her to the table. “I’m glad you came, for a moment there I thought you might have changed your mind.”
“I almost did but I couldn’t let you down. I had to say goodbye.” She bit down on her lip.
“Let’s not talk about goodbyes.” His throat worked. “Not right now.”
She nodded. Brynn’s eyes were on her mouth. He leaned forward and kissed her softly. It caused a shiver to run up her spine. A simple touch and she was falling apart. How was she going to walk away?
Don’t think about it right now.
She barked out a laugh. “Wow! You really outdid yourself.” There were cutlery and plates, accompanied by a salad and bread. A rose sat in a vase on the middle of the table that was covered with a white table cloth. “How many trips did you make to get this out here?”
“Four, but I wasn’t counting.” He grinned. “Besides, it was all worth it. I’ll just go and fetch our steaks and we can eat.” He pulled out her chair. “Take a seat.”
They talked about meaningless things while they ate. Her gaze kept straying to the makeshift bed to the left of them. Made up of blankets and pillows.
Brynn cleared his throat and she looked back at him. “Um … yeah … what did you say?”
“I asked if you wanted something more to drink?”
She noticed that his gaze drifted to her neck as he spoke. He licked his lips. Tiffany shook her head. “I’m good. Dinner was amazing, thank you for going through so much trouble. You shouldn’t have.”
His gaze narrowed in on her. “I had to. I guess I don’t want you to forget me. To forget our time together.”
She shook her head. “I’ll never forget you, Brynn.” Her voice was a mere whisper. “I sometimes wish I could. That I could unwind our time together and make different decisions.” She moved her chair back from the table.
His face clouded with hurt. “Don’t say that.”
“It’s going to be tough to walk away from you.” Her voice quivered.
“Shhhh.” He stood and walked to just in front of her. “Let’s not talk about that now. I want to make love to you.” His voice was deep and husky.
Shit! Sex between them was explosive, like the coming together of two chemicals that reacted when in contact with each other. It scared her. “I don’t have much time.”
“Bullshit,” he whispered the word, running his hands through her hair. “One time. It’s all I ask. Let me make love to you tonight. I’ve enjoyed every rut. Sex with you has been the best of my life.” He cupped her cheek and she couldn’t help but lean into his touch. “I want more. I need to touch you and taste you. I want to make this last. I want to show you how much—”
Oh god! Was he about to to tell her that he had feelings for her. She couldn’t take it. “Okay,” she blurted. It came out sounding high-pitched. She wanted nothing more than to have him touch and hold her. She hated the thought of never seeing him again.
Her folks were upset that she’d turned down Sebastian’s advances. She’d cut things off with him the first day she’d been intimate with Brynn. There was nothing there. It wasn’t fair to string the male along.
“Don’t say anything more,” she added. “Make love to me and then …”
“No talk of goodbyes. Not yet.” His voice was gruff. Brynn leaned down and lifted her up into his arms. He walked to the makeshift bed and lay her down gently. “As much as I love you in a dress, this is coming off.” He touched the lace on the hem.
Tiffany nodded, lifting herself up so that he could take it off of her. “That’s better.” His gaze heated as he moved down her curves. His nostrils were flared, his pupils dilated. She could hear his heart as it raced, it matched her own, beat for beat.
He kissed her, soft yet deep, his hands moving over her skin in careful strokes. Her arms, her back, her thighs, her breasts. She moaned as he pinched her nipples. Moaned harder as he squeezed her flesh.
“I need to taste you,” he growled.
“Yes,” a soft whisper. She’d never allowed a male to have her in this intimate way. To open herself up and leave herself bare. It hadn’t seemed right. At least, not until now.
Brynn gripped her thighs. He kissed her mouth, her nose, he sucked on her nipples until her back bowed and then he peppered kisses down … down.
“Fuck,” he groaned as he reached her pussy. Her chest heaved as she felt his breath against her flesh.
Her whole body prickled with anticipation. Tiffany arched her back. A moan was torn from somewhere deep inside her as he laved against her tight bundle of nerves. He laved her again and then suckled on her clit.
By all that was furry and ran on all fours!
Her back bowed and she made a strange noise. It sounded wounded, which couldn’t be further from the truth. She tried to close her legs. The build was just too much. Brynn was in the way. She watched how he sucked and then laved. His eyes were focused on her. His touch not too hard or too soft. Her hips began to rock gently against his mouth. It was completely against her will. A need for release rose up in her, blinding her. It made her grit her teeth, it made her growl. It made her pant and rock harder. Then he pushed a finger inside her, quickly adding a second digit. Her orgasm raged through her, making her dig her toes into the blankets. By the time she came down, her hands were buried in his hair. She was breathing heavily, even though he had done all the work.
Her body felt boneless yet far from sated.
Brynn moved over her, covering her body with his. His nose rested against hers, his forehead too. He cupped her cheek and traced her bottom lip with his thumb.
“This is too human, too …”
Intimate.
He silenced her with his mouth, taking her in a soft caress. It was too much. It spoke of love and forever which was not in the cards for them. It tore at her heart.
“Shhh,” he whispered against her. “Let me make love to you.”
She nodded, unable to deny him or herself any longer. Tiffany wrapped her legs around him.
Brynn took back her mouth and slowly pushed inside her. Two deep lines marred his forehead, his eyes a deep blue. “Never felt so good,” he whispered as he broke their kiss. He nibbled on her neck, just below her ear. She longed to feel his teeth, his bite.
She longed to be marked by him, owned by him.
It wasn’t possible. She remembered her granny’s words, telling her to follow her heart but how could she? A wolf and a vampire. Enemies. The truce was just that, temporary. She moaned as he seated himself deep inside her. His cock throbbed. His breath was choppy. His forehead glistened.
Brynn leaned on his elbows. He threaded his hands into her hair, looking her deep in the eyes. “Never want to leave,” he murmured.
Making love.
It was exactly what he did. Slow and careful yet deep and intense. Each stroke, each touch and caress. Every kiss. Every thrust. She moved to meet him. Aligning her body with his, matching the rhythm he had set until she was vibrating. Until every cell screamed. Until every breath came out sounding like a plea. Until their bodies were dripping. Their throats ragged.
Brynn changed his angle and her world tilted on its axis. Everything shattered and all at once. She screamed his name, her nails digging into his back.
There was a light pinch on her neck and it felt as if every nerve-ending exploded. Her throat hurt from the guttural moan that was torn from her. This was right before she couldn’t breathe. Her eyes widened. Her jaw turned slack. Fire raced through her. White hot pleasure resonated from her belly, spreading across every part of her.
Brynn pulled away with a loud snarl. His body jerked. He whispered her name over and over while he slowed his movements.
He’d bitten her. In wolf terms that made them mates. Only mates bit one another. Only mates drew blood. But he wasn’t a wolf so it didn’t mean anything. It didn’t.
Brynn was breathing hard, his face in the crook of her neck. He quickly pulled back. “Did I hurt you?” His eyes were wide. “Jesus, Tiffany, speak to me. I’m sorry. Hell …” his voice softened. “Was it the bite? I’m so damned sorry. I couldn’t help myself, it’s—”
“I lied yesterday,” she blurted. It just came out.
“What?” He swept the hair from her face in a gentle caress. His eyes were filled with concern. It only hurt her more.
“I told you that we needed to end things because we might fall in love, but it’s too late.”
He tried to talk but she put her fingers over his mouth. “Don’t say anything. Let’s enjoy our last few moments together.”
Brynn sighed. He moved her hand. “Stay the night.”
She shook her head. “You know I can’t. We can’t.”
“We can, Tiffany, this doesn’t have to end. I’ll go with you to your village, I’ll—”
“No! You would never be accepted. It won’t work, Brynn. We both know it.” She tried to pull away from him. This was madness. It hurt her so badly. It felt like her heart was shattering, one crack at a time.
His arms banded around her, pulling her close. “No. If this is it, Tiffany, let’s make it count. Please.”
She nodded. They lay together for a while and then Brynn made love to her again. There was more urgency this time. His touches were desperate.
Silently, her heart heavy ‒ and by the look in his eyes he felt the same way ‒ they made their way to the river to wash.
She waded in, turning to hand him the bottle but Brynn was still on the bank. “Aren’t you coming in?”
He shook his head.
“Why not? Everyone will know if you don’t wash.” She held the bottle up.
Brynn folded his arms. He’d never looked more handsome. His face solemn. His hair tussled.
“Don’t act crazy. Why risk your superiors’ anger when we are never going to see each other again?” She squeezed her eyes shut for a beat. “You should still pursue that human …” She swallowed down the bile that rose in her stomach. “What was her name … Sylvia?” Her voice shook.
His jaw tightened. Brynn shook his head. “I want my superiors to know. I want my friends to understand why I am going to be quiet and foul-mouthed for a time.” He shrugged. “They need to know why I am not going to pursue any of the humans. Why I won’t be able to be with any female for that matter. I am deeply in love with you, Tiffany. I will be broken when you walk away. I won’t tell anyone who you are but I want them to know that I love a wolf. I don’t want to hide the fact that I love you.” He waded out into the water and pulled her against him. “I want to shout it from the mountain tops. I want to live it and breathe it. I want to say fuck it and to hell with the rest of the world. I want you and I don’t care who knows.”
Joy coursed through her, together with frustration. Last of all, pain blossomed. Fiery and hot. It caused her to moan. “We can’t. I can’t.” She whispered the last.
Brynn nodded. He kissed her softly. Tears burned her eyes and clogged her throat. “I’m sorry,” she choked.
“I understand. Please don’t cry.” He took the bottle from her, opened it and placed it back on her palm. Then he waded back to the water’s edge where he waited for her.
Washing him from her body was the hardest thing she had ever had to do. No … turning and walking away from him was the hardest.
“I’ll never forget you,” he whispered as she changed into her wolf form.
8
Three weeks later …
Brynn could still hear her anguished howl as she changed into a beast. He had fallen to his knees, felled by the sound. If he hadn’t been looking at her, he would’ve thought her physically wounded. Caught in a snare or pierced with a silver spear. Some wounds did not bleed.
At least, they didn’t bleed on the outside.
He pulled the pillow more firmly over his head, trying to drown out the noise even though it resounded from inside his mind.
That howl.
He was supposed to be at training. His life had gone to shit. It hurt him more than he thought possible. He knew it would, but this was ridiculous. How could she have crept so solidly under his skin and in such a short time?
There was a loud knock on his door. The hinges creaked as it opened.
It was Zane. His king. What?
Brynn jumped to his feet. Sure, he’d missed some practices and some of his shifts but it didn’t warrant a visit from Zane. What the fuck?
“There is a female on our territory. A wolf. She is claiming—”
“What?” He snarled the word. Brynn took a deep breath. His kind would not take kindly to a wolf trespassing on their territory. “Is she hurt? Where is she?” He raked a hand through his hair.
Zane gave him a quizzical look. “She refuses to tell us her name. She is asking for you. I’m not sure if she is the same female that you—”
“My female,” Brynn growled. It had to be her.
Zane frowned. “She’s a vixen. A little hellion. She scratched Dane, threw sand in Gunner’s face and kicked Scott square in the nuts.”
Tiffany. His blood ran both hot and cold. Hot because she was here and cold because …
“If one of those bastards harms her in any way, I swear to fucking god.”
“No one will harm her, but you …”
Brynn didn’t wait to hear what his king said, he ran faster than he’d ever run in his life. Once outside, he followed the commotion.
“Take your hands off of me.” It was a low growl.
Tiffany. It was her. He forced himself to run faster. A group of males surrounded her. One of the males held her by her elbows. He felt his blood boil.
“Get your hands off of her,” he snarled.
The male’s eyes flashed to him. Tiffany took the opportunity to elbow him in the solar plexus. She proceeded to kick another male in the shin and a third astonished looking elite warrior got a hard right to the nose.
She pushed her way past them and flew into his arms, wrapping her legs around him. Thank fuck she was dressed, but her tight tee and little shorts didn’t cover nearly enough for his liking. He snarled a warning at the group of males. His snarl turned into a choked laugh as he noticed the blood and scratches on many of them.
“Brynn,” she half moaned his name. “I found you. Thank god. I made a mistake. A huge mistake.” She sniffed and pulled back so that she could look him in the eye. “I want to shout it from the mountain tops. I want to live it and breathe it. I want to say fuck it and to hell with the rest of the world. I want you, Brynn, and I don’t care who knows.”
Brynn couldn’t help but grin as she threw his words back at him. A tear coursed down her cheek.
When he didn’t answer, she went on. “I did as you said, I used their weaknesses.” She pointed to the bleeding males behind her. “I had to find you. I hope I’m not too late. Please don’t tell me I’m too late.” Her hold tightened on him.
“You’re not too late. You could never be too late.” He kissed her hard. They were both panting when he pulled away. “I think you might need a few more lessons though.” He chuckled. “Didn’t I ever tell you not to fight when you’re greatly outnumbered?”
She shook her head. “I don’t believe you did. I played dirty. I got them below the belt. I did what you said.”
“They could’ve hurt you.” He nuzzled her neck. “I would’ve had to have killed them.”
“I’m here now, you can train me some more … like maybe for forever.” Her eyes were wide.
“Sounds like a plan.” He kissed her softly. “What about your pack, your family?”
She shrugged. “They were angry. Still are.” She sighed. “They’ll get over it. I have to live my own life, make my own choices. I needed to follow my heart, which means that I needed to fi
nd you. This is where I belong.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” she whispered against his lips.
“We’ll talk to your family, together. We’ll make this work.” He meant every word.
“Yeah, we’ll be fine as long as we have each other.” She gripped him tightly.
Zane nodded his head even though he didn’t look happy. His other king, Brant, was outright scowling. To hell with them. To hell with them all. The world would have to deal.
“You’re mine,” he growled as he walked back to the castle.
“And you’re mine.” She smiled.
Nothing else mattered.
The battered males began to clap and to catcall. “Now I understand why you acted like such a pussy,” one of the males growled. “She’s some female.”
“She’s mine,” he snarled.
“Yes, she is.” Zane grinned. A couple of the males laughed. “I’ll organize you a room upgrade,” his king added.
“Thank you.”
“What does that mean?” Tiffany asked.
“It means that we’re going to be just fine.” He smiled. She smiled back and his whole chest tightened.
About the Author
Hope you enjoyed the books.
I decided not to put my next book out on pre-order this time around. Next up is Keto’s story – Book 7 of The Chosen Series. This book will be out beginning of August, so not too long to wait. Please look out for it. I would suggest that you sign up for my newsletter to stay informed - http://mad.ly/signups/96708/join. I send out freebie, sale and latest release emails – so, in other words, no spam. You’ll only hear from me if I actually have something to say. All new sign-ups will receive a free novella - One Night with a Shifter.
A big thank you for all the support!
I live on an acre in the country with my gorgeous husband and three sons and an array of pets. You can usually find me on the computer, completely lost in worlds of my making. I believe that it is the small things that truly matter like that feeling you get when you start a new book or a particularly beautiful sunset.
A Mate for Titan (The Program Book 7) Page 31