by Skye Winters
But the more she teased, the more I wanted her. I rocked my hips back. Thrust at her. Groaned when she pulled away and waited for me to relax before she started up again.
Please, Rowan. Please don't make me wait.
I wanted to touch her. Taste her lips. Her skin. All of her. But each time she sucked on my clit, my ability to take over was lost under the rush of endorphins.
Crouched in front of me, Rowan's scent tickled my nose. Teasing me. Taunting me.
Fuck it. I bit my lip to suppress a moan as I pressed both hands on her shoulders. Fortunately for me, she got the point, and after wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, she rocked on her heels and stood before me.
I didn't wait. Hell, I'm not sure she'd had time to breathe. But I took over. I took over every inch of her. Her lips were mine. Her breasts. Her clit. All mine.
As I looked deep into her eyes, I pressed her against the counter. I lifted her up until she was perched on the edge. Half kissing her and half supporting her with an arm, I used my free hand to do everything I wanted to do, and more. I squeezed her breasts until the most delicious moan passed though her lips. I bit the side of her neck. Felt her heart beat under my tongue.
My clit throbbed with need as I parted her pussy lips with a finger, guiding it inside to tease her G-spot. Setting my palm against her clit, I kept up the friction against her exposed skin as I beckoned her G-spot. Pushing her higher and higher as my body ached for the release I was too proud to accept.
She may have thought I'd finished, and if not, she didn't let on. She submitted. Completely. Her body rocked against me as her head fell back. She was lost to me, under her lust and need for release. One I'd happily give. Just not now. I needed her. Wanted her. We were moving too slow. Too fucking slow.
"Not here," I almost gasped as she thrust up to meet my hand. "I promise, I'll make it worth it. But please, for the love of God, get in the shower."
Rowan grimaced as she slipped off the counter and into my open arms. "Someone sounds needy."
"Oh, shut up." I gestured at the stall. "Shower. Now."
Stifling what was most assuredly a string of giggles, Rowan leaned into the stall, turned on the faucet and closed the glass door as we waited for the water to go from frigid to something more acceptable.
We'd stopped for the moment. Rowan near the shower and me in front of the mirrors. I took the time to check my eyes, the glowing iris many wolves in the pack got after completing a bond. But we aren't done yet.
Soon.
Not soon enough.
Rowan opened the shower door, and as steam spilled into the rest of the room, I hurried over to join her in the small cubicle. Too small for two individuals who needed a shower, but large enough if they wanted to get close. Very close.
The closer, the better.
I could do a lot more with limited space than I could if it were open. I was in my element, and as the water doused our skin, Rowan's vibrant red hair turned a ruddy brown.
Streams of water washed over her cheeks, dripping off her nose and chin. I let my vision focus on those drops of water to where they led. Her breasts. Her flat stomach. To what had been my focus moments earlier.
I licked the water from my lips, leaned in and kissed her, drawing her to me as moisture covered our bodies. I ached to tease her. To be touched by her. But I didn't move. With her breasts gently grazing mine, I pressed a hand to the small of her back as I used the other to softly caress her face.
God, even when you're wet, you're beautiful. I'd seen her with rays of sunlight on her hair. I'd watched her hunt in the forest. I'd even caught myself ogling her as she did the most mundane things. Things such as the way she ate. How her lips moved and how precise she was with every bite.
If someone had asked, I wouldn't have been able to tell them what element I liked her in most. Light. Dark. Water. I loved them all. Especially the one we were in now.
The pounding water muffled any noise we made, which meant when she moaned, only I'd be able to hear it.
"I'm the luckiest wolf in the entire pack," I said between breaths, squinting to keep the water from my eyes.
"Oh?" Rowan kissed me. "And why is that?" A second time.
I took her chin firmly in my hand and held her gaze. Your eyes. There was a faint glow to them, the very same glow I'd seen countless times before. These moments, this one right here, is for us.
"Because." My voice shook, so I tried again. "The only wolf I want is standing right in front of me. In my arms. Sharing a shower with me."
She grinned and pressed her forehead to mine. "Guess we should get washed up, then." She blindly reached for the bottle of body wash, but I stopped her. "Anna, we can't possibly stay in here all day."
I gave her the best puppy dog eyes I could muster. "Why not?"
"Well, for one," she brushed my cheek with the backs of her fingertips, "the water's starting to get cold."
"And?"
So we get cold. That's what drying you off and taking you back to bed is for.
"But more importantly, I hate prunes. They're wrinkled and gross. You're turning into a prune." She took my hand in hers and lifted it so I could see my palm. "See?" She scrunched up her nose, which sent both of us into a fit of laughter.
A hard knock on the door silenced us.
"Done in a minute," Rowan called, stifling a laugh as I kissed along the side of her neck.
"I need to speak with my daughter."
Shit. It was my dad, and knowing him, he was right on time. He didn't sound happy.
Rowan covered my mouth with her hand, and as creases formed in the corners of her eyes, she said, "Anna's almost done. She had a run-in last night and, let's just say she isn't presentable. A tangled mess if you're wanting me to be honest."
"Rowan," I said in a low whisper.
"What? It's true." She shrugged.
Whatever she said must've worked, because the next time my father spoke, he wasn't nearly as rough around the edges. "Send her to my study when she's through."
"Will do."
I took a breath and used my wolf senses to listen to my father's footsteps as he headed down the hall toward the other side of the house. "That was close." I smiled and leaned into Rowan. "I suppose we should finish so I can go get lectured." My father only ever invited someone to his study for a talk. A very long, hard talk.
Both my brothers had had the misfortune of receiving such a summons on more than one occasion, but this would be my first. What the hell did I do now?
More like what I didn't do.
Rowan.
Her eyes were on me, but I could see her mind had drifted while I was lost in my own thoughts.
"So, where were we?" I offered her a sly grin.
"You were and still are turning into a prune." Rowan nodded to my hands as if to prove her point.
"Not what I was talking about." I caressed her cheek with my fingertips before taking her chin in my hand. "Not even close."
She went rigid as I seized her lips, forcing her to submit as my wolf howled in pleasure from the invitation for control.
"We... we shouldn't." Rowan bowed her head. "I should really be getting you ready to see your father. I told him we were almost done—"
"And we can be..." I went in for another kiss. "Just have to make it quick."
"Anna, you know I hate saying no, but..." She chewed her bottom lip, "I still have to wash your hair, comb out the tangles and get you dried and clothed. No amount of haste in the world will aid your father's patience."
"Still—"
She'd already grabbed the bottle of shampoo, pouring a pool of it into her palm. "Not to mention, doing what we'd planned here, now... it would leave unwanted scents all over you."
I laughed, turning my back to her so she could lather my hair. "And I'm getting washed. I don't see your point." I winced as Rowan worked out a knot. "All he'll smell is..." I frowned and checked the bottle. "Twilberry. Whatever that is."
I had no doubt Rowan
was shaking her head at me, but she went on anyway. "I promise, after your trip with your father, you can have me however you please. Not right now. Not with him waiting. I'd hate for him to get angry at us for wasting his time and punish you just because."
I sighed and tilted my head back when Rowan directed me to do so. Tepid streams of water chipped away at the lathered bubbles, but the unsettled feeling from earlier this morning was still there. Not on my skin, but close enough to the surface for me to feel it.
Partially numb, I went through the motions with Rowan as she gingerly dried me off, clothed me and combed out whatever knots were left in my hair.
When I turned for the door, I paused to look at her with nothing but a towel around her body. "You have no idea how hard it is for me to leave this room when you look like that."
She took my towel off the sink and turned to hang it back up. My hope of seeing the fabric loosen from around her breasts and fall around her feet never happened.
"I'll clean up in here while you're gone. Shouldn't be long." She returned to the sink to tidy things we hadn't even touched.
"Not before making a mess of yourself, right?" I cocked an eyebrow, and the slight goose bumps on her arms told me my last comment had sent her right back to where I wanted her.
She cleared her throat and, with a nod, returned to the shower stall so I could leave.
The floor was tar. My limbs stone. But somehow, I made it one step at a time through the door and into the hall. I allowed myself a spare moment to take in Rowan's scent, memorizing it before rushing to the other side of the house.
Wait for me, Rowan.
I expected her to be in my room once my father was through. She almost always was.
Chapter Four
I paused outside my father's study and took a breath, making sure to hide my pendant beneath my shirt. It probably wasn't the best of ideas, bringing it with me, but at least if I was wearing it, no one could take it away without my knowing. Last time I make that mistake. So much for a secret hiding place being secret.
Somehow my father had known, because when I went to retrieve it, my amulet was gone.
I reached for the door, flexing my hand as I did before dropping it down to my side. Anytime I'd interrupted my father while he was reading, I'd gotten a stern look. I hated the thought of intruding on something now, but then, he did summon me.
And the door was open.
I took in a lungful of air and slowly released it as I stood in the doorway. "You wanted to see me?"
Even from across the room, his salt and pepper hair framed his face in such a way, he looked equal parts gentle and intimidating. It all came down to what side of the spectrum I landed on.
"Close the door, and have a seat." He turned his back to me as he gazed outside at the forest of shrubbery and pine.
I eased the door shut. Suddenly, every noise, every creaking floorboard was too loud as I inched across the vast distance between the door and my father's desk.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and it took all I had not to grit my teeth as I sat in the armless chair opposite of him. I set my hands in my lap and waited.
When he turned to face me, his expression was hard. "You mind telling me why I smell your wolf all over the boundary?"
Crap. I hadn't even thought of my wolf's scent or how long it would last after I got home. I normally wasn't so careless during my runs but—last night's run was far from ordinary. I was mad. Upset. And I still was. Only now, it wasn't because of what my father told Devlin, but the way he looked at me.
His eyes narrowed. He clasped his hands behind his back and rolled his shoulders. I could see he was calm on the surface, and my wolf couldn't sense much else. He'd always had a great poker face. Now was no different.
I coughed to force the air from my lungs. "I'm sorry?"
"Your wolf. Everywhere I tracked this morning, her scent was right there. What were you doing last night?"
"I should be asking you the same thing." I hugged my arms around myself to keep from shaking.
His jaw tightened. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You obviously know I was out. So, how come I saw you heading for Devlin's house?"
"That's none of your concern."
"Isn't it?" I leaned back in the chair and crossed my legs. To everyone else, I may have seemed confident. Relaxed. But he knew me all too well. I was falling apart, and by the look on his face, he didn't just know it, he planned to challenge whatever strength I had left.
"Why is your scent all over the boundary?" he asked again.
"Why haven't you told me about Mom?"
He stepped back, and the color drained from his face before he stared me down. "Who told you? Who else knows?"
"Rowan is the only one I've told. And she has every right to know, same as me and the rest of the pack."
"Who. told. you?" He was fighting his anger and his wolf back, but I couldn't mistake the growl in his voice.
"You just did."
His mouth gaped open, and for the moment, his silence was a lot better than what I knew he was about to say. "You were there. At Devlin's. Last night." He shook his head and lowered into his chair. "I thought my senses were confused. Why? Just tell me that."
"Because it's not your heart to give. And telling an opposing pack we're weak and vulnerable? How did you think this would end?"
"But if you bond with him—"
"What? It'll keep the pack safe inside the boundary? You know those wolves have been after our territory for years, and no bond—not mine or anyone else's—will keep them from claiming what's ours."
"Anna, every decision I've made has been for the better of the pack. They're my responsibility, and now, they're yours as well. You are a part of this pack. A part of this family."
"But he's not!"
"You know the laws. The veil is thinning. The humans are getting too close. You must—"
"I won't."
"I understand Devlin's pack isn't the most trustworthy, and that we've lost good wolves to their fangs, but it's the best chance we've got."
"To ally with an opposing pack? When their numbers are greater than our own? Do you have any idea what that will mean?"
He stood and slammed his palms on the desk. "Do not patronize me, Anna. I know what I'm doing."
"Do you? You'd give up a portion of our pack to take on theirs?"
"You don't know if that will even happen."
"And you know it will. Strength in numbers can only go so far. Any wolf, pup or bitch this other alpha doesn't like will be banned outside the boundary. Including some of our best wolves." My voice cracked. "What about Rowan?"
"What about her?"
"She's one of our best. But what if they toss her from our territory?"
"It's a sacrifice—"
"I'm not willing to make, and neither would Mom if you let her have a say in it."
My pendant warmed against my chest, and I hoped my father hadn't noticed. Even with a layer of fabric between the polished gem and the rest of the room, it couldn't conceal the way my amulet pulsed with my heart if it happened to glow.
My father continued. "Your mother is ill. She cannot weigh in on things such as this any longer."
"So, because your bond to her is severed, she can't take a small part in this plan of yours? Why not?"
"Because, Anna. Because..." He sunk back in his chair. "Because if she makes her wishes known, I won't be able to disobey them. And that leaves the entire pack at risk."
"So the veil falls, then what? The humans find us, but that's as far as it would ever go."
"You're wrong. They'll hunt on our lands. Trespass. And if one of us should shift or be on the hunt when they're out there? Just... no."
He was defeated. I could see it in his slouching shoulders. I could hear the weariness in his voice. My mother really is sick. My stomach twisted around itself. I gripped the seat of my chair.
If I was going to lose my mother, I wouldn't lose Row
an as well. Already my heart was sinking. My throat was tight and my mouth dry.
I won't give up on her. And he shouldn't have given up on his bonded, either.
But sitting there, waiting for his judgment, I could see he was slowly falling apart. Once he did, the pack wouldn't be far behind him.
He exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "You love her." It wasn't a question.
I grasped at the metal under my shirt and bowed my head. "Yes."
"When?" The edge in his voice forced my throat to close up.
I met his gaze which was fierce and demanding. "Always," I croaked. "I don't remember."
"You know our laws." I expected him to get to his feet. To make some crazy gestures. But as his voice rose, the rest of his body lowered even more.
I fisted my hands in my lap. "Laws have no say in what my heart wants. And I want her. If you bond me with an outsider now, you know I'd make a horrible alpha."
He didn't say anything after that. His eyes glazed over as he stared at his hands. I followed his line of sight and studied his callused palms. His chipped nails. And how weak those large hands appeared now that we were closed away from the rest of the pack.
He was right. It was his responsibility to look after us. I wasn't his only charge. And even if most of the pack wasn't by blood, the bond was just as strong.
When he stood from his chair, I did the same. "That's enough for now." He was already walking toward the door to let me out, but I knew if I left now, the tension between us would never resolve itself. Not when so much was already on the line.
I followed behind him at a slow pace as I considered one of my brothers taking my place. "What about Markus or Caine? Either would make a sound alpha."
"Anna. You're the first born—"
"By an hour, Dad. Markus is old enough to lead. Caine, too, if you give him the chance."
"Neither are ready. Besides, you know our laws. First born becomes alpha. This is your task, not theirs."
"Then I'll leave the boundary. That way the responsibility will fall to them. They actually want it, Dad."