“We just saw a wolf as well. It was huge and black, and it climbed on the front of the truck and stared at us.”
“The one that attacked Rob was way bigger than normal, and also black,” Trey said.
“Do you think it was the same one?”
“When did you see it?”
“Right before you called us.”
“I called you guys maybe three minutes after it happened. I had to check Rob was ok, and I wanted to make sure it was gone before I contacted you.”
“It sounds like it attacked Rob, and then came to the truck. No wonder it was looking so pleased with itself,” she said, with a shiver.
“Was it threatening towards you?” Rob asked.
“No, not at all. That was the weird thing,” Isabel said. “It was just watching us pretty casually, and it kind of grinned, you know, like dogs do sometimes, but even more so. And then it ran off.”
“We’re so lucky you guys were in the truck by the time it came along. I never should’ve let you go off like that.” Rob said, his face a mask of self-recrimination. “Wolves are never dangerous to humans. This whole thing is, like, totally unheard of.” Isabel shot a glance at Josie, who’d been keeping quiet all this time. Her face was as pale as Rob’s.
“Yeah, it was really weird. Like something from a movie,” she said at last.
“A really weird movie,” Isabel added.
Josie threw both her arms around Rob’s waist. “Let’s get you back to the center, and then I’m taking you home, babe.”
“I’m fine,” Rob said, laughing.
“No, Rob. I’m serious. No more work today, and no more chasing these animals. You’ve had a big shock.”
“Ok, honey,” he said, which Isabel guessed meant they’d discuss it later, when she and Trey were out of earshot.
All four of them were silent on the way back to the center. Isabel’s body was swirling with adrenaline, a queasy combination of fear and an exhilaration she couldn’t pin down. Maybe it was because she’d seen one of the mythical beasts Rob had been obsessing over, she considered, as she was driving back home. She’d left quickly after they were back at the center, sensing that she was the odd one out, the only one who wasn’t directly linked to the strange happenings.
Chapter Five
When Isabel pulled into her driveway, there was a large, dark shape sitting on her doorstep. She froze, paralyzed by the crazy thought that the wolf from the forest had managed to find her home and was lying in wait for her. Then she laughed at her own silliness. It was another kind of wolf entirely. As she walked up to the bungalow, Peter unfurled himself into a standing position, walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her.
“Hi,” she said, confused. Peter didn’t do hugging. “Are you ok?” He brought his face down to hers and kissed her softly on the lips.
“Never better,” he said. “Have I caught you at a bad time?”
“No, not at all. Except that I feel like I really need to get in the shower,” she said, pulling at her clothes. She probably didn’t smell too good after her expedition.
“Relax; you smell great. Of the woods,” he said. Isabel smiled, far beyond being surprised at his sense of smell. “I’m possibly being presumptuous, and maybe you have plans already, but I thought we could have pizza and watch a movie together?” Isabel gaped at him, as stunned as if some average guy had said he wanted to spend the night camping in the middle of the forest.
“What, here? In my house?” she managed to say.
“Of course!” Peter shrugged, doing a very good impression of an easy-going, amenable dude.
“I don’t have plans, and that sounds great,” she replied.
He followed her into the house. “I need to get in the shower, like immediately,” she said. Can I get you a drink while you’re waiting for me?”
“Sure.” She went to the fridge and pulled out an ice-cold bottle of rosé.
“So, after I tried your lovely Romanian wine, I looked for some in the shops, but I couldn’t find any.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Peter said, smiling.
“But I found the next best thing – organic Californian.”
“I’m sure it’ll be delicious.” She poured two large glasses and left him with his glass in the living room, while she went through to the bedroom. She made a quick call to check that Rob was doing ok. Josie said he was fine. He’d issued a warning to all the park rangers and conservation centers in North America and northern Mexico, then she’d taken his laptop away from him. He was now watching TV with a cup of cocoa. Very relieved, Isabel stripped her damp and dirt-stained clothes off quickly and threw them in the washing basket. Then she walked across to the bathroom.
The rainforest shower felt amazing, as always, surrounding her in hot, invigorating jets that gently massaged her muscles. The rushing of the water was so loud that she didn’t hear the bathroom door opening.
“Bella,” Peter called, so as not to startle her as he opened the shower door. With her nerves still tightly wound, a small sound escaped her mouth, but this was soon followed by a grin. Peter was already naked, and he stepped into the shower behind her. She gave a little shudder as his hard, muscular body pressed against hers. His arms went around her waist, and he dipped his head and kissed the side of her neck, making a trail down to the edge of her shoulder, and up to her ear. His hands moved down to her breasts, cupping them lightly, and she moaned, loving the combination of his mouth and fingers, and the delicious slipperiness of their wet bodies. One of his hands stayed on her breasts, while the other moved further down, stroking the line of dark hair on her Mount of Venus, and running over her labia with the lightest of caresses. He kept his fingers just there, not trying to enter her, just teasing her, turning her on. Isabel felt Peter’s growing arousal too, his hardness pressing into the small of her back, but he ignored it, continuing to pleasure her, as the warm water beat down all around them, and steam began to rise. Isabel closed her eyes. It was so atmospheric and sexy.
Peter drew away from her, and gently pressed her against the shower wall. She shuddered at its coldness, but it was only cold for a moment, before it took on the warmth of her body. He crouched down in front of her, and placed his tongue exactly where his fingers had been. She sighed at the warm, wet touch. He licked up and down her cleft, not focusing on her clit, still teasing her. The familiar throbbing began deep inside her, and she instinctively spread her legs a little, wanting to feel him there. He resisted, continuing to lick her inner labia with the very tip of his tongue. Her clit felt swollen, aching. It was just visible when she looked down, erect and demanding his attention. Beneath her clit was his long, arousing tongue, feathering up and down her sensitive areas, and below that was his cock, springing up, big and hard, between his strong thighs. She thought about it being inside her again, and she cried out. Peter rewarded her with a firm lick, right on her clit, and her body jolted. It was almost too sensitive to be touched directly. Instead, he placed his mouth over it and sucked, very gently. It felt insanely good. A finger slid inside her, almost painful to her sensitized nerves, and her pussy became pure liquid. He added another finger, curling them into her, caressing the tender area that she hadn’t even known she possessed until she met him. His tongue delicately circled her clit, while his lips kept up that incredible suction, and his fingers made tiny, exquisite movements. Isabel threw her head back, clasping her breasts in her hands, breathing fast. He was driving her crazy. She was already very light-headed, and thought she’d pass out when she came. The first tremors began, deep inside her, and her hands came down and pressed Peter’s damp head hard against her, dimly aware that she was grinding on his face, but unable to stop it. He licked her hard, twice, and she orgasmed, in a seemingly unending series of blissful shockwaves. She clung onto his head for balance, her legs trembling, and no longer capable of supporting her. He adjusted himself so he was kneeling, and pulled her onto his thighs. She collapsed onto him, wrapping her arms around his bac
k. The climax had left her spent. She felt sleepy, dizzy, but she was also aware of his cock, pressing against her belly. She lifted herself on her knees a little and positioned her pussy right over it, already feeling her muscles begin to slacken and welcome him in.
“Bella, I – ”
“It’s ok.”
“Ok, just for a minute,” he whispered. He held her hips, supporting her, and she slid down onto his cock. She gasped. It felt different from the other positions they’d done, the weight of her body creating new sensations. She couldn’t move much, her knees tender on the hard floor, instead letting him lift her up and down on his cock. She met his eyes, and they glowed with a wild, amber heat that was hard to look at, hard to look away from.
“We have to stop,” he said. He lifted her off him. As she straightened up, he turned her and pulled her back down, so her back was to him. He drew her back against his body, and, at the same time, guided his cock back into her. She let out a moan, his length hitting her insides in yet more different ways. Now, he began to move her faster, pulling her hips back and forth, pushing himself deeper into her with every stroke. His finger found her clit and he stroked it as he came, surprising her with a second orgasm.
After they’d recovered, Peter lifted her to her feet.
“Ok, we’ve got to get clean now, he said laughing. They soaped each other up, using Isabel’s shower sponge, giggling as they scrubbed each other, making sure they didn’t miss a single bit. They dried off together and Isabel wrapped herself in a fluffy bathrobe.
“Should I wear something?” Peter asked. Isabel glanced at him over her shoulder, taking in his flawless muscle tone, and that smooth olive skin.
“Not if you don’t want to,” she said, simultaneously making sure that all curtains and blinds were closed.
“Ok,” he said, with an endearing smile. He walked naked into the living room and took a sip from his wine. “Now, shall we order pizza?”
Two meat feast supremes chosen, Isabel opened her laptop for them to choose a movie.
“What do you like?” she asked, with action and sci-fi her top bets, while fervently hoping he wasn’t going to suggest a nature documentary.
“I like quirky, arty films. Often ones that don’t have a strong linear plot, but encourage you to think, or just present you with something beautiful,” he said.
“Me too!” Isabel exclaimed.
“David Lynch is one of my favorites, actually. But I know some people can’t stand him, so it’s ok.”
“No, I love him,” Isabel said, and together they agreed on one of his less eccentric options.
They sat on the sofa while they waited for the pizza to arrive, close together, almost snuggling. Pizza, movie, sofa. The Wolf’s beginning to feel a lot like boyfriend. Isabel shifted position so she could see him better.
“You seem different today,” she blurted out. “I mean, before, you were all, like, serious, and about being out in the woods, and we were just having this hook-up thing. But now you’re kind of soft…” she trailed off, realizing how awkward she sounded, but Peter laughed. He took her hand and examined her nails.
“You seem to be bringing out my softer side, Bella.” He folded her fingers so he was holding her hand in his. “But, seriously, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking while I was away.”
“And?” Isabel’s heart beat a little faster, but she kept looking at him calmly.
“Maybe I want more than to just hook up with you.”
“You do?”
“I do. But I know it’s too much to ask of you, so I never would.”
“What if I said I wanted to?”
“Bella.” It was his turn to shuffle on the sofa, so that he was looking at her straight on. “I’m afraid you have no idea what you’d be agreeing to.”
“So try me.” Peter’s eyes dropped to the ground.
“I can’t. I’ve wanted to try, Bella, but I really can’t.”
“I think Josie knows. But she won’t tell me either.” At the sound of her name, anger flashed through Peter’s eyes.
“Josie knows nothing!” he said loudly. “She couldn’t begin to understand!” Isabel flinched at the strength of his reaction. His body was taut, energy seeming to crackle from his skin. She didn’t want the evening to go like this. After such a hard day, what she wanted, more than anything, was to have a sofa night with an incredibly hot man, and it wasn’t about to get sabotaged by the secrets of Silver City.
“Hey, how about we drop this for now, and enjoy our evening?” she ventured. Peter’s head snapped towards her, but, as he caught her eye, his expression softened.
“You’re right,” he said, squeezing her hand. “I’m sorry.”
The pizza came and they snuggled under a light blanket on the sofa, drinking wine and drowsily watching a movie that was as fascinatingly mind boggling as ever. Every now and then, Peter made some movement to bring himself closer to her, sliding a leg between her thighs, pulling her head onto his chest, curling his body into hers. Each instance filled Isabel with a heady, fluttery feeling, which was more than arousal. When the film finished, they headed to Isabel’s bedroom, drowsily, falling asleep in seconds, wrapped in each other’s bodies.
Isabel was woken in the middle of the night by Peter tossing and turning on the bed.
“What’s the matter?” she whispered.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I’m just not used to sleeping on such a soft bed.”
“Do you want to sleep on the floor?”
“Do you mind?” he asked. Isabel propped herself up on her elbow and stared at him in the darkness. “Oh, that’s a weird thing to do, isn’t it?”
“It’s pretty unconventional.”
“You’re right. I’ve got to get used to sleeping in normal beds.” Isabel grinned at him, finding his lack of affectation very appealing.
“Maybe this will help you get back to sleep,” she said, and she wriggled close to him and kissed him. He returned her kisses, turning her onto her back. Then, he twisted her hips to the side, and entered her from behind. He fucked her more gently than ever before, rocking against her, continuing to kiss her and caress her breasts. As they were both close to coming, he turned her face away from him, pressing it into the pillow. It was a little insulting, hot, and made her come hard, and, in minutes, they were both asleep again.
They didn’t wake again until mid-morning, with the sun streaming in through a chink in the curtains. Isabel woke first and caught Peter still in a dream. His face was open in sleep, almost boyish, and he slept silently on his back, his full lips firmly closed. She used the opportunity to drink in his looks, to examine his features in a way she couldn’t have done when he was awake. She loved the straightness of his nose; the well-formed arch of his eyebrows; the prominence of his cheekbones, which had initially made her think he was Native American. She loved the way their definition combined with his strong jaw to give him a slightly hollow-cheeked look, which was excitingly masculine. His eyes opened, amber stars, as his pupils rapidly contracted, and dilated again at the sight of her.
“Morning,” he said.
“Morning yourself.” She eased her head into the crook of his arm and draped her limbs over his body. “Did you manage to get back to sleep?”
“Oh, yeah! Something knocked me right out!” he said with a grin. She let her eyes fall closed, and they lay there for some time, not speaking or moving. Then Isabel’s stomach started rumbling.
“Coffee and eggs?”
“That would be perfect.” She clambered out of bed and put her gossamer dressing gown on, and went into the kitchen to make food. While she was cooking, Peter came in too, standing behind her and slipping his hands under her robe, caressing her lightly and making her flustered and wet as she scrambled the eggs.
Peter didn’t seem to want to leave after breakfast, nor after lunch. When they weren’t eating, they rolled around in bed together, having sex countless times. Isabel came to love that sensation of him taking ho
ld of her hips and entering her from behind. It was hot and primal. He fucked her doggy style on the bed; doggy style with her on the bed and him standing; against the wall, her standing on a small box to elevate herself enough; over the sofa; facedown, lying flat on a rug, and, once or twice on her back, with her eyes covered.
That evening they went out for dinner in Silver City. It was their first time together in public. When Peter suggested it, Isabel fizzed with relief. As much as she’d taken pleasure in The Wolf being her secret, she’d feared that she was his secret too, and that was something else entirely. They went back to the Tex-Mex place she’d been to with Kara. Peter took in the candlelight, and the strings of fairy lights here and there.
“Charming,” he said. He pulled her chair out for her, and she was charmed in turn, adoring his old-school manners.
They ordered lots of food and red wine, and, when the menus had been taken away, Peter held her hand across the table. His pupils were slightly dilated, and, in the low lighting, his eyes seemed dark brown, and not amber at all.
“Tell me about your childhood, Bella,” he said. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger.
“You really want to hear about it?”
“Why would I have asked you if I didn’t?”
“No reason at all,” she said and beamed at him. She rested her chin on her clasped hands. “So, I was born in Chicago. My parents are Bob and Jean. I have an older brother and a younger sister. David is six years older. He’s a carpenter, and has a young family in Bloomington, a town in the same state. Melissa is two years younger. She’s a real live wire. She’s been travelling and volunteering in Europe for the past I-don’t-know-how-many years.”
“So you’re the responsible one out of the two of you,” Peter said.
“Yes, it’s been that way up until recently. But now I’m not so sure!” She looked at Peter with a sly grin.
Isabel and the Wolf: (Part 3) Page 7