by Gwen Knight
He squared his shoulders. Like ripping off a Band-Aid. “He blinded her. Just the others.”
“Oh, my God.” Sky slumped into the chair and covered her face with her hands. “Oh, my God.” Her breath soughed past her fingers as she drew her knees into her chest and rocked into them. “Wait, a werewolf?” Her hands dropped from her face to reveal tear-stained cheeks. “All the werewolves in Colorado belong to you. Who was it?”
He hesitated.
“Who was it, Wyatt?”
“Trinity.”
Her face crumpled with despair. She sucked in a sharp breath, her watery gaze dropping to her hands. “T—Trinity?”
Wyatt’s gut twisted, his friggin’ heart shattering into a million pieces as he watched her fall apart. He dropped to his knees before the chair and pulled her into his chest. “I’m so sorry, Sky.”
“Will she be all right?”
He stoked her hair and nodded. “The doctors are optimistic. They did what they could for her. There will be some scarring, but she’ll live.”
Her fingers tangled in his shirt. “He must have known I was with you.”
Wyatt’s eyes fluttered shut, his jaw tight enough to fracture. That was Bale’s estimation, as well. Thankfully, someone had stumbled across her and called the police. According to Shane’s report, they’d thought Trinity was dead, but the paramedics on scene had managed to resuscitate her. “He’ll never lay a finger on you, Sky. I swear.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she whispered, her body still trembling against his. “He won’t stop until he has me.”
Wyatt dipped his head and met her gaze. “I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. That I can promise.” He brushed her hair back from her damp cheek. “I doubt we’ll always get along, Sky. Two dominant wolves tend to nip at one another. But I swear I will always protect you.”
She gave a lifeless smile and pushed away from him. “I swore to myself that I would never take a mate.”
Wyatt frowned, but held his tongue.
“I grew up in a pack that only cared about one thing. Tradition. When I left to pursue my interest in politics, I was exiled. I told myself I would never again be put in a position where I have to obey another. My pack tried to control me for most my life. I don’t want that for myself, Wyatt.”
“I understand that.”
“Do you? Everything with you is orders.”
He grimaced. “I can work on that, Sky. But you have to cut me some slack. I’m an alpha for a reason.”
“And I’m a lone wolf for a reason, as well.”
He nodded. “It won’t be easy. But it’s something we can tackle together, if you’re willing.”
“And what if it doesn’t work? Will you understand if I want to leave?”
He swallowed his growl. His wolf howled a definitive no, but somehow, he guessed this was a make it or break it question. “You’ll always be free to leave. But know that I will follow.” He pushed onto his knees and slid his hands up her thighs. “Sky, take a chance on me.”
She watched him with tears still fresh in her eyes. “Is now really the best time to discuss this?”
He shook his head. She was right. Right now, she needed comfort. “Come on,” he murmured as he took her hand and led her toward the window.
“Where are we going?”
“For a run. Let’s put everything out of our minds and lose ourselves to our wolves. Trinity will survive, and there’s nothing we can do for her right now. Bale is with her.”
Without waiting for an answer, he led her to the balcony and scaled down the eight flights of stairs. The moment his feet met the concrete pavement, he ripped off his shirt, threw it at her, and then dropped down onto all fours.
“You know we shouldn’t shift in public, right?”
Her voice was weak, but he chuckled to himself, recalling how she’d worried over that before. Though it wasn’t illegal for them to run through the streets, it was considered indecent exposure to remove their clothes before shifting.
“You’re with the alpha,” he teased, recalling the one time a police officer had tried to ticket him. By the end of the exchange, the officer was the one begging forgiveness. It was good to be the alpha. Few had the balls to stand up to him.
“Not the alpha of this territory.”
He growled a nonsensical response, his words swallowed by his wolf. Distantly, he heard Sky’s own grunts, and when he turned, he found a tawny wolf standing proud next to him, her head reaching his shoulder.
He’d already known her wolf form was as beautiful as her human side. Thick, multi-colored fur covered her from the tip of her nose to her tail, eyes bright and alive. Chuffing under his breath, Wyatt brushed against her side and then dashed off, knowing she would chase.
She trotted after him, her heart not quite in it. Wyatt yipped at her, then looped back and gently nipped at her side. For one night, he wanted to help her forget. He leapt about, playful as a pup, hoping to spark her wolf’s interest. After a few blocks, he pounced and tugged on her ear until, finally, a flash of gold rimmed her eyes. There she is… his wolf threw his head back and howled.
Circling around him, she caught his shoulder between her teeth and then drove him toward the coast, her nose lifted in the air as though scenting something. With a final glance back, she bolted. A rush of adrenaline spurred Wyatt forward. If she wanted to race…
He tore after her, his lower jaw hanging open in a grin as they rushed toward the beach. Hidden Creek was nothing but a speck in the distance as the waves crashed nearby, the salty sea air ruffling their fur.
Now this was something he could grow accustomed to, and with a playful bark, one he hadn’t uttered in years, he drove into Sky’s side and licked her muzzle. She whirled around, shock brimming in her eyes before she grinned and dropped her front half down, her rear wiggling in the air.
Wyatt chuffed at the sight of her flicking tail. Though he already thought her beautiful, it was nothing compared to this moment, seeing her melded as one with her wolf. Her tawny fur shone in the moonlight, her sky blue eyes devoid of pain. In this moment, he knew he would do whatever it took to make her happy.
He stalked around her and nudged her shoulder with his, shoving her into the sea. She barked as she slipped under the waves, before coming up with a raking grin. Shaking out her fur, she eased farther into the water, taunting him until he followed.
Wyatt lost track of time as they frolicked in the ocean, tackling and splashing one another mercilessly. The salty sea clung to their fur, but neither cared. Only when her head began to droop did he lead them beneath the nearest dock. Wyatt curled up behind her with his head resting on her side, where he watched the sun rise until they drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 13
Sky woke to a cold nose nudging her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open to the sound of the ocean nearby. A pure black wolf towered over her, his mouth quirked in an odd grin. Wyatt nudged her again, and she scrambled to her feet. He gestured toward the hotel and she nodded, yipping when his teeth closed around her ear. He stood before her, his eyes alive with mischief.
Understanding lit within her, and Sky dropped low, wriggling her rear. He wanted to race back, and she was ready. Last night he’d won by a landslide, but this morning, her wolf felt the need to kick a little ass.
He barked once, then twice…Sky shot forward, refusing to wait for the third bark. She heard his snarl behind her, and she huffed as she wound through the streets, nails gripping the pavement.
Running through the streets as wolves was hardly the most intelligent thing they could have done, but Sky loved it. She hadn’t felt so free or alive in years. She hadn’t realized how lonely her life had been.
A block before the hotel, Wyatt released a burst of speed and tore in front of her. Growling, she took the first left, a short cut she’d learned as a teenager. Her ears twitched as she listened to him scramble to catch up. Her legs felt like rubber, but she pushed harder and then laun
ched into the air and clawed her way up the stairwell they’d descended the night before.
With a gleeful bark, she dove through the open window and shifted back to her human form. She’d won! She couldn’t believe it! A rush of pleasure punched through her stomach as she staggered to her feet. She turned with a grin, her heart taking wing at the sight of Wyatt stalking toward her. Desire burned in his eyes, his jaw a hard line.
“You cheated.”
“I did not.” She laughed as she stepped backward. “But I do know all the shortcuts.”
He came up flush against her, his amber gaze raking over her nude length. Without warning, his mouth came down on hers, and it was like fire, blazing through her entire body. Hell, the man could kiss. He ravaged her mouth with the same ferocity he did with everything else. Impatient and eager, Sky slid her fingers through his hair and held on for dear life as he shoved her against the wall and ground his hips against her.
Breaking from the kiss, he dragged his lips down the length of her neck and set his teeth against her throat, the slight pressure a silent question. She knew what he wanted, felt it in the hard scrape of his teeth. Sky’s heart gave a hard kick, her stomach twisting with mindless desire. The need to let him claim her was so strong, her wolf’s demand impossible to deny.
It would be forever.
But her wolf snarled, as though offended by the warning.
Would it be so bad? To surrender to her desires? She’d sworn to herself that she would never allow any man to do to her what her former alpha had done to her pack. But this was different. She was an adult now, capable of standing up for herself, as she’d proven more than once.
Becoming his…she toyed with the idea, her body lighting up as she envisioned them together. If she was being honest, the idea of becoming Wyatt Turner’s mate was intoxicating.
His teeth sank a little deeper, reminding her of his presence. With a stifled gasp, her knees went boneless. She sunk into his embrace, a dark demand in the back of her mind begging she let him do this. Her wolf prowled the shadowed recess, yipping anxiously as though this was the moment she’d been waiting for.
“Sky,” he whispered against her neck, his fingers digging into her side. He drew back, golden eyes blazing and chest heaving as he studied her. “Give me this.”
Summoning her strength, she slipped her arms around his neck and leaned in, teeth catching his ear lobe. “Is that really how you ask a woman to be your mate?”
His chest vibrated against hers, his growl rumbling against her neck. “I’ve never asked anyone to be my mate before.”
Her hands ran down his length, nails digging into his back. Wyatt shivered against her, his head dropping into the crook of her shoulder. “Well, there should be flowers, and chocolate, and you should be down on one knee—”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly a flowers and candy sort of guy,” he muttered as his hands slid under her rear and pulled her flush against him. “Definitely not the down on one knee sort either.”
Sky poked out her bottom lip, her playful nature taking hold. “But it shouldn’t be all about you.”
“Mm.” He dragged his chilled nose down her collarbone, his tongue laving at her skin. “It shouldn’t be all about you either.”
“All right.” Her breath hitched when his mouth latched around her nipple. “Matching tattoos.”
He chuckled, his teeth scraping against her as he glanced up. “You want matching tattoos?”
“You don’t?” She lifted a teasing brow, her mouth parting when he gripped her waist and lifted, resting her knees against his hips. Braced against the wall, her head fell back when he dipped a finger within her, pumping as eagerly as she was against him. “I thought…” she moaned, her eyes crossing when his thumb came down on her clit, “…you’d like that idea.”
“Keep talking,” he whispered in a hoarse voice as he added a second finger.
She groaned, fingers latched in his hair as he bent over and worked his way to her pebbled nipples. “Matching motorcycles?” Not that either of them were actually thinking about it, not with his fingers fucking her against the wall. Warmth pooled in her belly and her toes curled. She cried out, about to shatter around his digits when Wyatt slowed his pace.
He straightened and took her mouth, swallowing her desperate moan. Sky pressed her bare breasts against his chest and rocked against him. With Wyatt, it would always be this intense heat and desire. And the thought excited her like nothing else. She’d suffered through enough monotony in her life with her former pack. This was what she wanted, this passion that burned them from the inside out.
He drew back, his reddened lips and half-lidded eyes tightening her gut. “You want a motorcycle?” As though he only now realized what she’d suggested.
She shook her head and stole another kiss, praying that he touched her again. Her body cried out for him to fill it, her stomach tight with need. “I don’t know,” she whispered raggedly against him. “Maybe. Could be fun.”
He grunted, then turned, and pushed her against the opposite wall. “Is that a yes, then?”
“I don’t know…are you going to buy me a motorcycle?”
With a soft snarl, he swept her over to the bed. “Darling, I’ll buy you whatever you want.” He dropped her down onto the mattress, waiting for her to settle against it before he knelt on the bed and prowled toward her with eyes as hard as his cock. “Say yes, Sky.”
“I’m sorry, to what are you referring? I don’t recall a question.”
He growled, then gripped her thighs and eased them apart. Sky gasped as he lowered himself between her legs and drew his hot tongue over her sex. “Say yes,” he muttered against her.
She felt him coming apart, knew that he was dying for her answer as to whether or not she would be his mate, but she found herself enjoying this little game. There was no longer any doubt in her mind; her answer would be yes, but part of her wanted him to beg, wanted to see such a dominant male brought down by a female.
His tongue teased her entrance, the golden gaze of his wolf watching her from between her thighs. Holy hell… she choked on her next breath when he grazed his newly-sprouted fangs against her clit. Her back shot off the bed, her fingers gripping the bedspread. Heat pooled in her stomach, the same orgasm from before rearing its head once again. She shuddered as she fell back, her glazed eyes blinking up at the ceiling.
“Skylar…”
His mouth sealed around her clit, his tongue working her until her breath came fast and hard. Her limbs tingled, her breasts heavy and aching to be touched. As though to emphasize his point, he slid his two fingers home, working her from inside and out. Sky cried out, desire eliciting a stronger reaction than she was accustomed to.
Close…her breath rushed past her lips, and her body hovered on that sweet precipice. A lick, a nip…the smallest touch would have shoved her over the edge. Instead, Wyatt pulled back, his amber eyes snapping open to watch her once more. “Sky, tell me what you want.”
Finally…she dropped her head back against the pillow with a frustrated cry. “You,” she whimpered, hopelessly desperate to come.
He climbed her length, licking and nibbling his way to her mouth. Their tongues met in a frenzied tangle, and for the first time, she wrapped her hand around his erection. Wyatt moaned into her mouth, his hips thrusting as she stroked him. What she wanted was to feel him between her lips, taste his excitement in the back of her throat. Palm against his chest, she flipped him over and gazed down on him.
Desire darkened his eyes, but it was his swollen length that called her attention. “Sky, I need to know.”
It was a dangerous game she was playing, and her keyed-up body demanded a release—the same release he continued to deny her as he awaited her answer. Seemed the alpha had found his own way of driving her to the brink.
Desperate to satisfy her wolf, she leaned down and kissed him again, working her tongue and hand together.
“Yes,” she finally whispe
red as she slid down his body.
Her mouth actually ached for his cock. And she knew from the quiver in Wyatt’s stomach as she tongued her way down that he would relish it too.
Grasping his cock, she licked his tip, reveling in the taste before she slid her mouth down his steeled length. Wyatt shot up from the bed, his hands gripping her arms and flipping their positions. “Damn it, Sky.” He shook his head, his eyes a bit frantic as he batted her hand away from him. “I’m serious about this. This is it. This is what you get. Me. I’ve never been anything but honest with you about who I am. Be sure before you say yes.”
She’d flipped the switch. There was no going back now. She’d agreed to mate with Wyatt, and the triumphant gleam in his eyes stunned her. She hadn’t realized how badly he wanted her.
Still panting for air, Wyatt gazed down on her. “You need to be sure.”
Nerves trilled deep in her stomach. Living among humans had revealed their need to court for years before offering such a pledge. Werewolves knew. Whether it was biological or psychological, she had yet to put her finger on it. However, knowing didn’t guarantee a happily-ever-after. Her own parents were evidence of that.
Still, she couldn’t escape the need to mate with him. Her wolf would never let her walk away, and as she stared up at him, she realized she didn’t want to.
“Yes.” Her voice was resolute this time, her decision made.
“Yes,” he repeated.
She nodded. “Now, can I taste your cock?”
His eyes shuttered at her words, but rather than relinquish control, he settled himself between her thighs and thrust himself past her damp entrance.
***
Wyatt wanted to howl with satisfaction. Not only had she agreed to be his mate, but now he was sheathed within her, all wet and tight. Groaning, he dropped his head forward as he withdrew slowly and then glided back in. He’d meant to take it slow their first time together, show her exactly what he could do for her. But the woman was scorching. She stole his control and turned him into some mindless beast that wanted to fuck her senseless.