by B. J. McCall
Nash set his mug on the deck railing and palmed her butt. “I’d rather strip off your clothes and take you right here.”
He’d wanted her the moment his eyes had opened, but she’d been sound asleep. Instead of rolling her onto her back and climbing between her soft thighs, he’d showered and made coffee. His morning craving still hadn’t subsided.
“I can’t believe you’re not hungry.”
“Actually, I’m starving.” Nash slipped a hand beneath the hem of her sweatshirt to cup her breast. As he’d hoped, she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her skin was soft and warm and her nipple a taut pebble of erotic pleasure. “I can’t get enough of you.”
She cupped him through the denim, rubbing her thumb over his cock. “Last night I think you hit an on switch.”
His cock jerked to attention.
He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her sweatpants and pulled them down. Beneath, she was beautifully bare. Nash lifted her up, turned her around and rested her back against the deck railing.
She popped the button of his jeans and unzipped his fly. Nash was hard and throbbing before his pants hit his ankles.
Fawn kicked free of her sweats and wrapped her legs around his hips.
One thrust and he was inside her silken warmth. He was home. He rocked his hips, going deep. “Bless the Moon God, you feel good.”
She hung onto his neck, dug her heels into his ass and squeezed down on him so tight, Nash almost came.
“I’m already on the edge.”
Fawn nipped his lower lip. “Take me there.”
Nash thrust again and again, giving her all he had. He wanted to please her, to take her to the edge of wonder and beyond. He drove hard, wanting her to feel his need and share the fever swamping him.
She nipped his ear, mimicking wolf mating play.
Fur sprang out on his back and belly. He hovered on the edge of change, just controlling the shift. His human and lycan senses melded, the mating urge heightened.
She held him tight, a warm cocoon of soft folds, heat and moisture. Nothing on this Earth felt better than being deep inside her pussy.
Her soft cry triggered his inner wolf. He thrust hard and fast, then her pussy fluttered and flooded with molten heat.
A growl tore from his throat as his climax exploded from his balls and a shudder traveled the length of his spine.
Slowly, his brain came out of the burning fog of pleasure and Nash became aware of the cold. “Your butt’s got to be freezing.”
He stepped back and set Fawn on her feet. Nash yanked up his pants and kneeled to help Fawn, then his nose twitched. Nash inhaled, imprinting their mingled scents. He leaned close and licked her pussy, savoring the taste of their mating.
Nash started to rise, but Fawn grabbed him by the hair. “Don’t stop. I love the feel of your lips on me.”
He drew her leg over his shoulder and slid his tongue deep inside her. She was hot and moist, lush against his tongue. She trembled, her pussy vibrating as he thrust his tongue inside her. Nash nuzzled, sucked and licked. Every breath he took was filled with she-wolf perfume.
Moaning, she rocked her hips.
He palmed her ass, then fastened his lips on her clit. Her grip on his hair tightened to the point of pain.
He suckled deep and strong until she trembled and came in a rush of liquid heat.
Fawn gasped. “You’re good.”
Nash massaged her clit with his tongue until her trembling eased and her breathing quieted.
When her leg slipped off his shoulder, Nash released her, slipped her sweatpants over her feet and pulled them up.
He stood and their gazes met.
“You can do that anytime,” she said.
He hadn’t done all the things he’d wanted to do and the thought of spending the day indulging in the pleasure of her body made his cock jerk.
He pulled her into his arms. “I love fucking you.”
“Let’s have breakfast, check on your wolves and spend the rest of the day in bed.”
Fawn understood him, the connection was true. Nash cupped her face. “That’s why I love you.”
“Nash?”
“I love you.”
The words were right, the emotion real. He’d found his mate.
She stared at him without saying a word, the silence tearing at his heart.
Deep inside, he’d feared Fawn wouldn’t feel the same, but Nash knew the difference between feeling momentary lust and being in love.
“Last night unburied everything I’ve been feeling for some time,” he said. “I don’t know when it happened. I know that I’ve dreamed about you a lot over the last couple of years. I yearned for you, but I kept it buried so deep, I didn’t have to acknowledge it. I can’t push it all back inside and pretend it doesn’t exist.”
He waited for her to react, to declare her love or reject him.
“Let’s discuss this over breakfast. I feel like pancakes.”
He’d offered his heart and she’d chosen pancakes. Feeling a bit foolish and dejected, Nash watched Fawn walk back into the cabin. He’d never said those words before and wouldn’t say them again.
Fawn stirred the pancake batter, her arm trying to keep pace with her pounding heart.
She dropped the whisk and closed her eyes.
Love. Nash loved her.
Why didn’t she tell him how she felt? Why did she turn and run?
Fawn sank to the kitchen floor and leaned against the cabinets. She knew why. She was afraid, a coward, but that didn’t excuse her bad behavior or soothe her hurting heart.
Loving Nash had been her secret, a delicious secret she’d buried in her heart and never acknowledged except in her dreams. Only then would she allow her mind to play and to fantasize about Nash. In her dreams, he was her lover, her mate and the sire of her offspring.
In her dreams, she’d never have to face her elders, her pack or her family and admit she loved an Arasani werewolf. She’d never endure banishment or censure. And she wouldn’t have to give up her goal to be pack leader.
But to love him, to have him, she’d have to stand up to the elders, the pack and her family. Nash would face the same difficulties with his pack and his family. Did they love one another enough to leave home, family and the security of the pack?
They weren’t kids too foolish to realize the consequences. They couldn’t run away and ignore the disastrous wake they’d leave behind.
Running away like lovesick teenagers wasn’t the answer.
All she needed was a few months, perhaps a year to achieve her goals, mutual goals they both believed in. Once she became the new pack leader, she’d forge a new peace between the Chanta and the Arasani packs.
Then together, she and Nash would fight for their right to mate.
They’d set an example for both their packs. Inter-mating would ensure a long and lasting peace. But was Nash ready to keep their secret and support her cause?
He was an intelligent and reasonable man, and once they talked it through, Fawn was sure he’d stand by her side.
She pushed off the floor and walked across the room. She opened the door and stepped out onto the deck, but didn’t see Nash. Spotting his coffee mug, she hurried to the railing. “Nash?”
Fawn glanced around, her gaze landing on the clothes, folded and stacked on a lounge chair. Fawn picked up his clothes and held them to her chest.
She hadn’t meant to hurt him, but Fawn knew she’d done exactly that. She didn’t blame him one bit for taking off. When she was upset, she liked to run and work through the problem.
Fawn owed Nash an apology. When he returned, she’d show him how much she loved him and try to explain her foolish actions. She’d never been in love before and hopefully he’d forgive her and they’d recapture the magic between them. What a mess she’d made of his endearing confession.
Nash loved her.
Fawn returned to the kitchen, poured herself a cup of coffee and sat by the window to wait.
By nightfall, Nash still hadn’t returned.
Fawn walked out on the deck and stripped off her clothes. The cold night air barely touched her skin before fur sprang forth, covering her in a thick light-brown coat. Her face reformed, her jaw elongating, her ears growing long and her teeth sharpening.
Her shape stretched and contracted, hands and feet became paws. Sinew and muscle changed, growing sleek and powerful.
She lifted her muzzle and howled, hoping Nash would hear her plaintive call.
Receiving no response, Fawn swished her bushy tail and headed for the ridge.
She followed his scent along the trail leading to the high plateau. At the top of the ridge, she stopped at the overlook, a vantage point offering a view of the plateau. Over the years, she’d watched the gathering of the Arasani trekkers. The last few years, her interest had been on one Arasani, a magnificent dark wolf.
The moon had cleared the high peaks and its light was bright and clear. On the plateau, the wolves were stirring, their yips and howls carrying on the light breeze. Had Nash joined his pack for the ceremony?
Fawn lifted her muzzle, catching Nash’s scent. He was close. She took off, running along the narrow trail with only the moon to light her path. His scent grew fainter. She howled and waited, but Nash didn’t respond.
He was moving away from her and Fawn realized chasing after him was a waste of time. He was too fast and too agile. For her to catch up with him, Nash would have to want to be caught and Fawn knew that wasn’t going to happen. Not tonight. Perhaps not ever.
She turned and headed back to the cabin. She’d fucked up royally.
Chapter Six
Nash padded across the deck. In the waning moonlight, he’d trotted back to the cabin. Hours ago, he’d heard Fawn’s plaintive howl, but he hadn’t been ready to face her polite rejection of his declaration of love. He wasn’t ready now.
Nash peered through the glass-paned French doors. A lamp glowed softly and only embers burned in the fireplace.
He shifted, regretting the change. He’d rather stay in wolf form and run the hills ‘til daylight. If he had his way, he’d go back to Arasani land, but Fawn was determined to fulfill her duty as pack leader and he’d damn well meet his obligation to his elders.
After all, the exchange was a business transaction between packs, not a lovers’ tryst.
His tail and dark fur receded. Bones reformed, muscles stretched and tightened. His face blurred as his wolf features changed to human.
Nash shook his head, flexed his fingers and tested the knob. The door wasn’t locked. Gritting his teeth, he put his emotions in check and stepped inside the warm cabin. All he had to do was hold it together until sunrise, then the treaty would be satisfied and he’d be on his way.
He walked through the living room and down the hallway to the bathroom. After a quick shower, Nash crossed the hall. Heart pounding, he stood in the doorway of the dark bedroom. Fawn’s sexy female scent curled in his nostrils. Damn, he still wanted her.
Nash slipped beneath the covers and curved his body around hers. Her skin was warm and her butt nestled perfectly against his groin. He took a deep breath and was instantly hard.
Nash ran his hand along her hip and thigh, then across her belly to her firm breasts. He rubbed his face against her shoulder. Her softness made him ache.
“Nash?” She rolled toward him. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
He kissed her, then nuzzled her soft breasts. He caught her nipple, sucking the firm nub into his mouth. Heat shot straight to his balls. He suckled harder, pulling firmly on her distended nipple.
She moaned and ran her fingers through his hair.
“Nash, I’m sorry.”
He lifted his head. “Don’t. I just want you.”
“I’m—”
He placed the tip of his index finger over her lips. He didn’t want to talk things through or hear her explanations. He wanted to make love to her in the darkness before dawn broke and shed the stark light of reality.
“Just one last time,” he said.
He suckled each of her breasts, tugging on her nipples until she squirmed and begged him to fuck her. Then he kissed a meandering path to her belly. He wanted to remember her curves and hollows, bank every whimper and sigh she made as he moved his lips over her soft skin down toward her pussy. He inhaled, loving the scent of her arousal. She may not love him, but she wanted him.
The heat between her legs drew him, wolf to mate.
He licked the soft flesh shielding her pussy, felt her tremble beneath him. Nash drew in a deep breath, then slid his tongue into her warmth, letting the scent and taste of her imprint in his brain.
He licked her moist folds, taking his time, savoring the moment, then circled her clit with the tip of his tongue.
She gasped and tightened her grip on his hair.
Nash latched onto her clit and suckled deeply. He wanted her to scream in pleasure.
She bucked and cried out his name.
Before her cry ended, he climbed between her thighs.
She lifted her hips and Nash sank inside her heated flesh. She was so fucking tight and wet, he was on the verge of climax.
“Forgive me.”
He covered her mouth with his, silencing her whispered plea. He kissed her deeply, expressing the feelings he would no longer vocalize.
Their time together would end at sunrise, but he’d hold onto the memories for the rest of his life. He had no choice. She was the only mate for him.
He moved slowly, relishing the sensation of skin against skin, the entwining of fingers and the tangle of legs.
Time suspended, each deeply drawn breath matching the slow thrust of his hips and the gentle slide of wet flesh along the length of his cock.
She clamped down on him, holding him so tight his balls hummed.
Pressure built, slowly, heavily, the need to climax holding Nash on a sharp edge so intense a shudder ran down his spine.
He held back, needing to have her with him one final time. He wanted to hear the wild thundering of her heart, to feel the flood of wet heat around his cock as she took her pleasure.
“I love fucking you,” he whispered. “Only you.”
She gasped, her muscles tensing.
Then it happened, that sweet gush he’d waited for. His blood roared in his ears as he joined Fawn in climax.
Nash kissed her until her moans ceased and her muscles relaxed.
He rolled onto his side and drew her close.
“Nash.”
“Hush. Let’s just sleep.”
* * * * *
A light tapping ended their short respite. Fawn pushed her hair out of her eyes. Although the blinds were closed, gray morning light shone along the edges.
She heard her name being called and realized that Sason, the tattoo artist, was outside. He tapped again.
Fawn jumped out of bed and pulled on her jeans. She dragged her sweatshirt over her head.
Nash sat up. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Sason.”
Nash rolled out of bed and looked around. “My clothes?”
Fawn opened the closet. She grabbed his jeans and tossed them onto the bed. “I’ll get the door.”
“I won’t be tattooed with Talon’s mark.”
Fawn glanced at Nash’s bare belly, imagining the jagged tattoo that resembled four claw marks. She saw it as the mark of the leader. Both her father and her brother wore the tattoo with pride on their shoulders. If she was permanently made the pack leader, she’d be tattooed, but for Nash, it was a mark of ownership and shame.
“Go out the French doors. If you’re gone, there’s nothing he can do.”
Sason tapped again and Fawn headed out of the bedroom.
“I’m not running away.”
She turned.
Hands on his hips, he faced her, jaw set.
“What are you going to do?”
“Refuse and send him back to the Chanta elders as a protes
t. I’ve read the treaty. There is nothing stipulating that the sacrifice must be marked.”
“The treaty implies that the Arasani offering belongs to the Chanta pack leader during the trek.”
Nash put on the jeans. “A renegotiation of the pleasure pact is long overdue and my challenge might get the ball rolling.”
Fawn smiled. She and Nash thought alike and the physical attraction was definitely mutual. If he won the challenge, the elders would be forced to evaluate the treaty. Talon’s peace plan was to take Moonflower as his mate. He’d failed, but she would not. Nash was the perfect mate and Fawn intended to have him.
“I doubt if Sason will understand our protest, but the elders certainly will.”
“You don’t have to do this. If you support me, your elders won’t be pleased.”
If Nash returned unmarked, Fawn would lose the fragile support she had among the elders. Elder Clay would rally his traditionalists against her. Talon’s sisters had produced a line of male descendants. Fawn’s distant cousins had already approached the council for the right to be pack leader.
Fawn was in for the fight of her life. Things would get messy, but change was rarely without friction. She might lose, but she’d go down on the side of right.
Fawn walked up to Nash and cupped his face. It was unlikely their paths would cross in the days to come and this might be the last time she’d see him for awhile. She kissed him, a fast, powerful press of her lips to his. “I have to do this.”
“Fawn.”
“It’s the right thing.”
Ready to face another step in the path she’d set in motion by asking to be pack leader, Fawn grabbed Nash’s hand, marched to the front door and yanked it open.
Holding a kit in his left hand, Sason greeted them with a cheery good morning. The middle-aged man had intricate tattoos of the moon phases running up his arms.
“It’s good to see you, Sason,” Nash said. “Your artistry is highly prized. However, your services are not required.”
Sason’s brown eyes widened. He turned to Fawn. “But it’s tradition.”
“Tradition was broken when the Arasani sent a were to fulfill the exchange,” Fawn said.
Sason looked confused. “What shall I tell the elders?”