Fur and Feathers [A Raven Saga Book 2]

by Crymsyn R. Hart

  "That is good to know. Alena, I—Shit, why does this have to be so hard?"

  His frustration at not knowing the right things to say passed through her mind. He wanted to tell her things which were in his heart, but he'd boarded up and locked away so long the words had died on the vine. The only things that came easily to him were fighting and pushing people away.

  "It doesn't have to be hard, Darius. Just let yourself go. Let yourself feel. Get rid of the hatred you've had for so long, bury it along with the old you. I promise I won't run away from the monster still locked inside of you if you promise not to run away and leave me."

  Her words got his attention. “Why would I ever leave you now I've found you?” He grabbed her hand, placed it over his heart, and then brought the other over, laying it on that one. Alena felt his heart racing and the fear in his soul.

  "Being with you has awakened the wolf in me. Because of the passion, each time I've been with you, in your arms, the wolf gets closer. I'm afraid one time being with you I'll change and I don't want you to see me as a monster.” Alena turned away from him then surprised she had admitted the truth to him.

  "So you're afraid to be with me. Great. Just fucking great! I finally meet a woman who—"

  Alena turned, hating the tears in her eyes. “I didn't say I was afraid to be with you. I said I don't want you to think of me as a monster if I slip my skin. I don't want you to look at me with disgust."

  Darius grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. He was laughing. “I would never be disgusted at anything you change into. I love you. I know your heritage. I know what you are and it doesn't scare me. I want all of what you are Alena. I—” He paused, and she felt a realization move through his mind like something dawned on him he had forgotten for a long time. His voice lowered to a hushed whisper as he brought her closer. “I want you to be with me forever and be the mother of my children. I-I don't have the words to tell you how much I love you. I've only known one way for so long it's like part of me was poisoned before I was stuck with the dagger. It was so black and tainted that all I saw was hatred, but you have given me a new insight into life. Tell me you'll be with me. Tell me—"

  The words never left Alena's lips because she reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressed her body along his. At that one moment, everything clicked into place. They were meant to be together. She knew that and knew he felt it too. They were two perfect pieces of the eternal puzzle and nothing was going to stop them. As her lips pulled away from his, a jolt of such pure pleasure rolled through her she didn't know if the ecstasy was pain or pleasure. And she didn't care. Alena just wanted him.

  "I'm yours, Raven Warrior. All you have to do is come claim me!” Alena untangled herself from his embrace hating the warmth was broken between them. She swallowed and moved across the open space of the cabin to her bedroom. She got to the hallway and extended her hand to him. A smile appeared on his face which brightened more than his demeanor, changing the constructs of his soul from a mean, gruff warrior into a kind man who had a heart of gold underneath his pain and anger. This was the man she would spend the rest of her days with.

  She got to her room, and when she heard the door click behind her, she knew this time she was trapped and they were not going to be leaving the room until she had her way with her Raven Warrior.

  "Woman, you are going to drive a man mad the way you speak to me!"

  She giggled and suddenly she found herself thrown on the bed and he on top of her. His hands worked in a frenzied pace trying to take all of her at once. She couldn't concentrate. Darius's lips tickled her ear and then moved to her neck while his hands had stayed on top of her clothes as if he waited for permission to go to second base. Alena realized he felt like he was a little kid, too. His lips brushed against the sensitive chakra points along her neck, sending sensations coursing through her which were going to drive her insane.

  The walls around Alena's mind were slowly eroding away under the onslaught of sensation Darius brought to her. It had been so long since she had been with anyone. So like a nun she had been, so wrapped up in her restaurant she had forgotten what having sex was like. Then again, she also knew the restaurant was an excuse to hide. Dating someone and always having her walls in place around her emotions had been so hard. She had never been able to really share herself with someone who would understand what it was like to feel what they felt and let them experience it. The human mind was not built to handle that. But with Darius, she knew he had a degree of her ability because of what he was. Now that they had worked out their differences, the language their bodies wanted to speak was no longer stifled.

  His mouth devoured hers, like she was his first meal in ages. Their past encounters had not been fruitful, and the last time they had been in this room, he had accused her of using him. Then Marija had told her exactly what Darius was and what she had done to him. A goddess had told her she was his soul mate, his heartmate, and she knew that to be true. Darius had apologized to her, which was strange since their encounters had been so explosive. She just knew that she forgave him and wanted him. There was an attraction between them from the first time she had seen him when she walked in for the pack meeting. Tonight, he had revealed his true feelings to her. He had asked her to be his mate. To have his children and part of her understood on a deeper level what that meant. It wasn't just getting married and having a white picket fence. It meant being bonded forever. That was what wolves did. They mated for life.

  Darius's fingers ran through her hair while hers ran over the cloth of his black T-shirt. His mind was in a frenzy, fighting with itself and with the years of anger he had kept bottled up while mingling with the confused emotions still combated inside his heart for her.

  After a moment, she pushed him away from her a little bit. He breathed heavily. Darius's eyes searched her face. “What is it?” The look of concern was quickly turning into confusion and anger as she could see it rolling through his mind like a thunderstorm.

  She took his face between her hands and smiled at him. She dropped the walls around her feelings and used a little of her power to brush against Darius's mind. Her eyes never left his. She knew he sensed her on the outskirts of his mind, but he wasn't letting down the barrier around his thoughts. He had gone on the offensive, which she understood. He might have relaxed enough to get her into bed, but he was still holding onto himself in case he did start turning into a raven. “Please."

  His brows furrowed for a moment. Alena waited. Slowly the walls around his thoughts tumbled like the walls of Troy. Her mind wove into his. This was new territory for her. She had never done this with another person except unconsciously or when she was angry and wanted to hurt them. She had thought she could kill, like when she had attacked her uncle, but her mother had informed her she had only damaged his person and given the wolf free rein. Still she could inflict some damage if she put her will behind something, and she hadn't done that since she was a teenager. Her mother said she had power. Alena wondered how much, but right now, she wanted Darius to experience what she felt to make him understand what it meant for her to have them together.

  "What are you doing?” he asked.

  "Touch me, Darius."

  He ran the back of his hand along her cheek. His touch made her smile, but the caress wasn't exactly what she wanted and she experienced his confusion. For an example, she ran her hand along the bulge in his pants and bit her lip. The pleasure that coursed through him washed over her. This time, he seemed to understand and slipped his fingers under her panties, teasing the slit which hid her secrets. Alena gripped his arm hard and couldn't help but let her eyelids flutter. A jolt of sweet ecstasy washed over her and rode into him. His eyes lit up when he felt her emotions through the link she had forged with him.

  "What do you want me to do, Alena? It's been so long and I'm—"

  She put a finger to his lips. “Shh. We have all night. I'm not going anywhere. I know your need. I can feel it like an itch that hasn't
been scratched in a long time. I promise I'm not going anywhere. Just ride the experience and let me handle everything."

  He began to protest, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and met his lips in a light kiss. He pressed in for more, but she pulled away letting him know she was in control, nudging his mind gently by sending soothing thoughts along their connection. His hands wrapped around her waist and cupped her ass gently. Alena resumed her kiss. Her fingers played with his short hair, running over the top of his ears sending shivers through him. Darius was not used to not being in control. Her lips met his, and she snaked her tongue out and traced his mouth, slipping slightly between his lips to taste him before she deepened the experience. Their shared emotions were taking both of them by storm. Alena was trying to urge patience, but the heat of Darius's pent-up feelings were rocking her to the core, and as much as she wanted to prolong their lovemaking, his hands were tracing the curve of her back, sending spine-chilling sensations throughout her flesh.

  "I need you, Alena. I know what you want, but I can't give it to you. Not yet. Tell me I can have you. Say it before I go crazy.” His breath was hot against her ear as he begged her to end the torture.

  Alena liked his pleading. She didn't respond at first but kissed along the side of his neck, stopping to suck here and there before she bit down on his supple flesh. He moaned, and pain raced along their link. He enjoyed it. Mischief formed in her mind while she thought about what she could do to him. She ran her free hand over the length of his cock and squeezed him through his pants. He moaned again and gripped her ass hard.

  "Please.” Alena shared his ecstasy and pain. Darius wanted to plunge himself inside of her.

  "Only if you do something for me."

  "Anything.” Darius looked at her through half closed lids. His muscles were tense with the effort of holding himself back from ripping her clothes off and taking her right there.

  "When you fuck me, don't hold anything back. I want all of you. Everything you've kept locked away. I want it all."

  He searched her eyes. “I might hurt you. I don't—"

  She leaned in and pressed her body against him making sure to rub along his hard shaft. Her kiss was sloppy and hard, but she wanted him to get the point. Through their connection, she let him know her determination. “I'm not afraid. You want me, Darius. I know you do, but you can't give me anything I can't take.” She nipped his lip and pulled on it, letting it snap back into place. Her mind was made up, and she knew he could feel that. “I'm all yours if you want me."

  "You know I do.” With swift movements, he tore her shirt, unfastened her bra, and threw the flimsy garment into the corner. He ripped her panties off so she was completely naked. He didn't bother being gentle. He got up slowly, the bed rebelling from the loss of his weight. Alena watched him strip off his shirt and then his pants, leaving his clothes in a heap. Alena took in his extensive length and licked her lips. This was going to be fun.

  He sauntered over and straddled her. She scooted out from underneath him and pressed her body against his. His hands wrapped underneath her arms, and he ran his hands over her back, feeling every curve and line of her flesh. Alena shivered underneath him. She moved her fingers over his muscular back, and she felt something raised, like a brand, on his left shoulder. He flinched when she touched the design.

  "What is that?” she asked.

  He pulled away, and Alena felt some of the walls come back around his mind. He sighed. “It's the brand I got when I was cursed. It's three ravens joined at the feet, touching beak to tail to form a circle. I'll have it until the day I die."

  "I'm sorry,” she whispered.

  Darius smiled and kissed her gently on the lips. “There is nothing to be sorry for. I got myself into this mess, and now, because of you, I'll be out of it. But first, I have other things I want to discuss."

  His lips started sucking on the hollow of her throat slowly, painfully working their way along her collarbone nipping and biting her enough she would have bruises the next day. Darius made her forget she had ever asked him what was on his back and she easily slipped back into the comforts of his arms. He gripped her ass hard. She cried out. He nipped her along the fleshy part of her shoulder and worked his way back. His desire for her consumed her mind while she was drowning in his emotions. He wanted her so much and was trying to give her pleasure, to draw out her desire when he wanted to flip her on her back and shove his cock deep inside of her.

  The Raven Warrior bit his way back to her neck, a fire started to burn deep in her gut. She ignored the smoldering and let herself be carried away by Darius. He slid a hand down her body, finding her moist slit and pressing his thumb hard against the top of it. The tip of his thumb barely touched the hard nub of her clit, but the pressure was almost too much. Alena cried out. His lips captured her nipple while he suckled with a passion. She clawed at his back, scraping the flesh. He didn't relinquish his thumb. Her movements were all the torture she needed to bring her to the edge and keep her there waiting for release.

  The pain in her belly spread its tendrils outward, slowly weaving itself along her limbs and her flesh. His caresses became more insistent. Their sharing of the same mind and emotions was too much for them. He wanted to be so deep inside of her. He yearned to hear her scream.

  Alena felt her fingernails shift as well as the teeth in her mouth. She ran her tongue over her lower jaw and felt two sharp points. It's not possible. I can't be. Not now.

  Darius bit her other breast and slipped two fingers inside of her moist slit while his thumb worked her slowly. His manipulations were bringing her over the edge, but the pain was interfering. Alena knew from instinct that she was changing. Marija's words echoed in her mind. All she needed was passion. She understood that now. It wasn't passion she needed, not altogether. What she needed was the complete breaking down of her walls. Even the goddess had said that. She had to accept everything she was, and now with Darius, there was nothing around her psyche. Over the years, the doubt and the pain had pushed the wolf down even more, and now, being home, facing everything with Darius, with the deaths, and with Vincent, she knew her time of reckoning had come. Her nails scraped furrows in Darius's flesh when the pain became too much. Her whole body was on fire.

  "Yes, Alena. Give me everything you have,” he whispered against her neck.

  Tears of agony slid down her cheeks. This was exactly what she was afraid of when she had told him she didn't want him to be horrified of her. She was slipping her skin and didn't know what to do. The moon wasn't pregnant tonight. The full moon had passed. Was the transformation possible, since she was half or because of everything she had been through she was not being held sway by the moon? Darius was working his way down to replace his fingers. She couldn't take the pain anymore. She didn't want him to see her shift. He couldn't be here. Not even after he promised he would not see her as a monster.

  "Stop. Please stop,” she whispered, trying to keep her voice calm. The change was overtaking her. Her tendons were splitting, her bones popping. She felt them rearranging in her back, and she tried to fight it, to stop it.

  Darius looked up. He stopped. The bond between them was dwindling. She couldn't let him feel the pain of her changing. She didn't want him to see her slip her skin. “What's the matter?"

  She shook her head and bit her lip, but she couldn't contain the burning anymore and screamed. Her skin felt as if it were boiling. Something was wrong. She didn't know what, but instinct told her something was not going right. Maybe it was because she had not changed when she was supposed to, or maybe because she was fighting the transformation. Whatever the reason, the pain was like a black hole sucking her downward.

  Darius jumped off the bed when she writhed on the covers. “Darius,” she reached out to him, but he didn't seem to hear her. Finally, the agony was too much, and she succumbed to the blackness.

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  Chapter Seventeen

  Darius didn't care he was naked
when he ran out of the room. Alena was in pain. He didn't know what caused her agony. He only knew he had to find some way to help her. He had found her, realized he loved her, and she was his heartmate and he was not about to lose her now. “Marija."

  There was no one in the house. They hadn't returned yet from when they left before. He tried to quiet his thoughts and sense her out, but she was no where. His emotions were too fragile. "Marija," he screamed, knowing she would hear his cry and come.

  Without waiting for the witch, he raced back into the bedroom to see Alena writhing on the bed. Her legs seemed longer, and her back arched. Her face had lost some of its human appearance. Her nails were long and slightly black, thickening into claws. He realized she was changing. This was what she had meant about her becoming a monster. She would not push him away if she did transform into a wolf. He was not going anywhere. What he said to her was true. He wanted her with him forever and to have his children. Seeing her convulse in pain made his heart wrench. Whatever the change was doing to her was not right. Something was going wrong. She was sweating, and her dawn-colored hair was plastered to her scalp. He didn't know of anyway to help her except ease her pain. He was not going to lose her now when he almost had just the other day because her stupid cousin hated he was moving in on his so called territory. Well, that Alena now wanted nothing to do with Vincent was obvious. Good riddance. Everything in Darius yearned to take out the pack leader, but he had stopped himself when Alena had asked him to. He did know that before he left, the wolf and he were going to have some choice words. Darius shook his head and swore at himself for thinking that way. His first priority was to be sure Alena was okay.