by Zoe Chant
“I meant something like a job,” Raluca said. “Not a vacation.”
Nick laughed. “I know. The idea is that while you’re on the road trip, you figure out what you want to do.”
Journey nodded. “Nick’s right. The traditional American way to find yourself is to go somewhere else, to get a new perspective. But it doesn’t have to be a road trip. You could travel the world.”
“I already did that,” Raluca said.
“Join the Marines,” Ethan suggested.
Rafa snorted. “Navy SEALs beat Marines.”
“PJs beat SEALs,” said Shane.
Destiny rapped her teammates on the head. “PJs and SEALs don’t take women. Anyway, if you want a military career, the Army is obviously the best.”
“She doesn’t want a military career,” Nick said, saving Raluca from having to find a polite way to say so. “Get a grip.”
“It is an American tradition,” Hal pointed out, flipping a steak.
Fiona set down her cocktail. “You’re all missing the obvious. Go to college. Take different courses. See what appeals to you. Once you get a sense of that, if it’s something that needs a degree, you’re already on your way. If not, you drop out and do whatever it is that you want. It’s traditional, and unlike everything else that’s been suggested, it’s something Raluca might actually enjoy.”
“I would enjoy the road trip,” Raluca said, unable to resist coming to Nick’s defense. Then she added, “But college is an interesting idea. Thank you, Fiona. I will think about it.”
***
After the party ended, Nick and Raluca were left alone in their new home. They’d walked the guests out, so they were in the living room. The apartment seemed very quiet after the noise and chatter of the party. And after being with so many people, being alone together felt very intimate.
“Sorry about the non-proposal,” Nick said.
Raluca smiled. “I truly do not care. As I said, we had already made our vows. The wedding is a formality. However, I should like a proper one. It will take some time to plan...”
“Yeah, you do that part. Have fun with it. I’m fine with anything, so long as you’re there. Just like our new apartment.” He gave her a wolfish grin. “Want to try out our new bed?”
“I would. And I have something else I would like to try out, as well.”
Nick’s breath caught at her words. “A new position?”
“You shall see,” she teased.
Raluca gave a startled gasp as Nick pounced. He swept her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. She lay back, enjoying his strength and grace, especially after all the days he’d spent in bed with his leg in a cast. But he walked without a hint of weakness, and carried her as if she weighed nothing.
He pivoted as they came to the doorway, making sure he didn’t knock her feet into the frame, and his black hair fell in tousled locks across his forehead. She raised a hand to toy with it, tugging lightly. It was so soft. Raluca never tired of touching it.
“I love how you play with my hair.” Nick bent his head, and she obligingly ran her fingers through it.
Then he laid her down on the bed. It was king-sized and luxurious, with four polished wooden posts and a canopy. It had been Raluca’s choice, but she hadn’t had to do much persuasion once she pointed out that since they both had shifter strength, a smaller or less sturdy bed might break beneath them.
Nick stood at the end, waiting, his green eyes gleaming with curiosity. But when Raluca did nothing but lie where he had placed her, teasing him with her silence, he took off his boots, then sat on the bed and began to undress her. She shivered with excitement as he removed her shoes, briefly cupped her feet in his strong hands, then unzipped her dress. She wriggled out of it and draped it over a nearby chair, then lay back again and let him take off her bra and panties.
The air was cool on her bare skin. Her nipples hardened as Nick reached out toward them, before he even touched them. But she made herself put her palm against his chest, holding him away. “Not yet.”
Raluca took a moment to savor the sight of him fully dressed in black jeans and black leather jacket, leaning over her naked body, before she said, “For what I want to do, you must be nude.”
His grin was more hungry than playful. “I’m going to like this, aren’t I?”
“We shall see.”
Nick undressed quickly. He was breathing deeply, making the tattooed leaves on his muscular chest seem to stir in a breeze. His old scars were still there, but he had no new ones; all his wounds had healed without leaving a trace behind. When he pulled off his jeans and boxers, his cock rose up hard and throbbing.
Then he knelt naked on the bed before her, wearing only the silver dragon coiled around his left arm. Its winding shape emphasized the strength of his forearms, and its sharp angles highlighted the curves of his muscles. Because it was silver, the metal of Raluca’s dragon, she could sense it when she was close. And with the heightened bond of their mating, she could feel the warmth of Nick’s arm, the softness of his skin, and the hard swell of his muscles through the silver, as if she was touching him herself.
“This is the dragon mating ritual,” Raluca said. She trailed her fingers along his arm, tracing the edge where skin met silver.
Nick sucked in a deep breath. “I wear this to bed?”
She smiled. “Yes. But I would like to bedeck you a little more.”
“A ring?”
Raluca glanced at his big-knuckled hands, his deft fingers. Rings would look good on him. Perhaps she could bedeck him that way later. But for now... “No. Something more versatile.”
She rolled over, reaching for the safe behind the bed where she kept her hoard. As she unlocked it, she could almost feel Nick’s hungry gaze on her back, her backside, the nape of her neck...
“Don’t touch,” she warned.
She’d guessed right; the bed rocked slightly as he settled back.
“You’re making me crazy, Raluca,” he muttered.
“So impatient,” she teased. But she was impatient too. She could feel the warmth coming off his body, and smell his natural masculine scent. Heat gathered between her thighs, and she shivered with excitement. It made the safe hard to unlock; she fumbled several times before she managed to get it open. Then she drew out her surprise.
Nick’s eyes widened as she dangled it before him. “Is that...?”
“It is another mating gift. But this one is only for us to use in private.” She handed him the long, thin length of silver chain.
His fingers closed convulsively around it. The delicate skin of his throat bobbed as he swallowed. “What do I do with it?”
Raluca smiled. “Have you truly no idea, Nick?”
“Oh, I have ideas!” He tugged it between his hands, testing its strength. “But you said it’s a dragon ritual. Is there something specific I’m supposed to do?”
The sight of him naked with the silver dragon on his arm and the silver chain in his hands was almost too much for her to bear. Abandoning teasing, she said, “No. The ritual is only to wear your mating gifts in bed. You are already wearing the dragon, and I am wearing your ring. The chain was simply an... an idea of mine.”
“A fucking hot idea.” Nick’s voice was hoarse, almost a growl.
“You could wind it around your other arm,” Raluca said, savoring the image. “You could bind my wrists to the bedposts, or I could bind yours. Or —”
“I know what I want.” Nick caught her hand in his. Then he wound the chain around their wrists, sliding cool silver around and around her heated skin and his, until his right hand and her left were bound together.
She tugged experimentally. They were caught tight. She clasped his hand, locking their fingers together. And then they fell to the bed, unable to hold out for one second longer. They kissed with passionate abandon. Nick’s stubble was rough against her lips, his mouth hot and eager. His body pressed against hers, moving urgently as the desire she felt.
; The silver chain and armband were cool, a thrilling contrast with the warmth of his skin and heat of hers. Every time he moved, her arm was tugged by the chain that bound them, and every time she moved, he was tugged as well. Not only did she love the touch of silver and the sensation of their wrists being tied together, but every single movement was a reminder of their closeness. Whatever she did affected him, and vice versa. It was a metaphor of their love made real.
Raluca wanted to tell him how clever he was, but before she could, he reared up above her. Their bound wrists were already pressed into the mattress above their heads, but Nick moved her other hand there as well, and pinned it with his own.
“Love you,” he whispered. “My dragon.”
Raluca’s heart was too full to reply. After all those terrible moments when she’d thought he was dead or they were both about to die, she finally felt in her heart and soul and body that they had triumphed over death, and were reclaiming their lives and love.
Nick bent to kiss her, his mouth hot and hungry. She surged up against him, needy and desperate with desire. He slid into her like a key into a lock. She gasped into his mouth, shuddering with the intensity of the sensation. Each thrust rubbed against her sensitive pearl, and each movement of his body pushed their silver-bound wrists against the sheets.
Nick was panting and flushed, his eyes brilliant and intent, his black hair disheveled. He’d never looked so handsome. The silver dragon glittered on his strong left arm, the one he’d used to save her with. He’d used his entire body to save her. She was as overwhelmed with love as she was with pleasure.
“I love you, Nick,” she gasped.
He gripped her hands tight as he came inside of her. Then her own climax broke over her, shaking her body with burst after burst of pleasure. But even more than the physical delight, Raluca felt deep in her soul that she and Nick were one, bound heart to heart. Forever.
They held each other close, enjoying the afterglow. The silver had warmed against their bodies to the temperature of their skin. Raluca gave her wrist a little tug, smiling to feel his arm move as well.
Nick tugged back. “That was a fucking amazing idea of yours. You’re just as wild as me, you know that?”
“I do now,” Raluca said. “You set that part of me free.”
Nick slowly unwound the chain, taking his time and kissing her fingers, until their wrists were freed. He let it dangle from his hand and twist in the air currents. “Next time it’s yours. Surprise me.”
Raluca smiled. “I will.”
Nick got up and put it back in the safe that held her hoard. Then he stretched, interlacing his fingers above his head, displaying his fine musculature. “Want to go flying?”
Raluca too felt more energized than sleepy. “You are full of good ideas tonight.”
They showered quickly, then dressed and went to the roof. Night had fallen, and the sky was spangled with silver stars. For all the times that Raluca had taken Nick flying, it never stopped feeling special, intimate, and precious.
She became a dragon and waited for him to mount her. Once his strong legs gripped her sides, she became invisible and soared aloft.
Raluca now knew the city better. She flew here and there, with no particular destination in mind, simply enjoying the sky and Nick’s presence.
Then he nudged her. “Look down.”
She saw a bunch of buildings amidst an expanse of grass. It was brightly lit, with people walking around with books or backpacks, alone or in pairs or groups. Many but not all were young, and all seemed busy and purposeful.
“Santa Martina University,” Nick explained. “It’s not far from Protection, Inc. Or our apartment. You could even fly there, if you could find a place to land.”
Raluca dove downward, making Nick hold tight to her mane, and circled until she found a space between buildings with no windows facing it. She could land there easily, and no one would see. Then she circled the university again, swooping low to inspect the classrooms, the fields where sports were played, the picnic benches, the library. It seemed a pleasant place.
She imagined herself there, carrying her books in a fashionable designer bag. The image was unexpectedly appealing. So was the idea of studying, of learning new things, of making some friends of her own, and of starting anew in a place made for people to discover themselves and their heart’s desires.
“You like it, huh?” Nick asked.
Raluca dipped her head in a dragon’s nod.
“I go to work, you go to class. Then we meet up and go flying. Go dancing. Make love. Sounds good to me.” Nick laughed suddenly. “It sounds better than good. It sounds fucking awesome!”
Luckily for Raluca, her dragon’s form prevented her from replying aloud. If she’d been a woman, she’d have blurted out that it sounded fucking awesome to her, too.
She had her mate, she had her friends, she had a home, and she was on the path to finding her purpose. Her heart light as a cloud, Raluca arrowed upward, into the open sky.
***
A note from Zoe Chant
Thank you for reading Warrior Wolf! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’re starting the series here and would like to know more about Nick’s team, the first book is Bodyguard Bear, the second is Defender Dragon, and the third is Protector Panther. Please review Warrior Wolf, even if you only write a line or two. I love hearing what my readers think.
I’ll write more stories about Protection, Inc., but I haven’t decided who should star in the next one. Can you help me figure it out? If you know whose story you’d like to see next or who you’d like to save for the grand finale, please leave a comment in an Amazon review or email me. Your votes last time helped me decide to have Nick star in this book.
If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list.
Here’s YouTube links to Bonnie Raitt’s “Nobody’s Girl” and Johnny Cash’s “Man in Black” from the diner jukebox and Pitbull’s “International Love” from the nightclub. I made up the songs Nick plays Raluca on the radio, but they were inspired by being trapped in cars with similar ones playing.
Please keep paging down to read a special sneak preview of reading Prisoner (Werewolf Marines). If you enjoy Protection, Inc, I recommend Lia Silver’s Werewolf Marines and Lauren Esker’s Shifter Agents. All three series have hot romances, exciting action, brave heroines who stand up for their men, hunky heroes who protect their mates with their lives, and teams of shifters who are as close as families.
The cover of Warrior Wolf was designed by Augusta Scarlett.
***
More Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant
Bodyguard Bear. (Protection, Inc. # 1). A curvy paramedic who witnesses a murder + the sexy bear shifter bodyguard sworn to protect her with his life + firefights and fiery passion = one hot thrill ride!
Defender Dragon. (Protection, Inc. # 2). A curvy backpacker who loses a shoe at a ball + a lonely dragon prince facing an arranged marriage to a princess he doesn’t love + magnificent castles and deadly assassins = one thrilling romance!
Protector Panther. (Protection, Inc. # 3). A curvy paramedic who doesn’t know the meaning of fear + a mysterious panther shifter bodyguard with the power to inflict terror + sinister experiments and desperate passion = one heart-pounding romance!
Firefighter Dragon. A curvy archaeologist with the find of a lifetime + a firefighter dragon shifter battling his instincts + a priceless artifact coveted by a ruthless rival = one blazing hot adventure!
Firefighter Pegasus. A curvy pilot wary of flighty men + a firefighter pegasus shifter determined to win her trust + a high speed air race with even higher stakes = one burning hot adventure!
A Pair of Bears. One lonely cat shifter + two sizzling hot bears who want to share + a whole lot of action (in and out of bed) = one wild and sexy adventure!
The Billionaire Wolf Needs a Wife. A shy BBW teacher + a sexy billionaire wolf shifter + a mail-order bride company = a white-hot weddi
ng.
A Werewolf’s Valentine. A BBW cat shifter who's turned her back on love + a handsome werewolf stranger who comes to town + a very special Valentine's Day = a hot and heart-warming romance!
The Snow Leopard’s Mate. A curvy waitress longing for a better life + a lonely lumberjack snow leopard shifter + a wild night that will change their lives = one sweet and steamy romance!
Sheriff Bear. (Bears of Pinerock County # 1). A small-town sheriff + a wrongly accused BBW on the run + deadly enemies and dangerous passions = a sizzling forbidden love!
Bad Boy Bear. (Bears of Pinerock County # 2). Biker bear on the open road + BBW runaway-bride hitchhiker + evil motorcycle gang = an unforgettable red-hot road trip!
Alpha Rancher Bear. A take-charge alpha with commitment issues + a midwife who's not about to give up control of her well-ordered life + a roadside winter disaster = an explosive romance that's about to blow up everything they both thought they wanted.
Hero Bear. A wounded Marine who lost his bear + a BBW physical therapist with a secret + a small town full of gossips = a hot and healing romance!
See Zoe Chant’s complete list of books here!
***
If you love Zoe Chant, you’ll also love these books!
Laura’s Wolf (Werewolf Marines # 1), by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine Roy Farrell, scarred in body and mind, thinks he has no future. Curvy Laura Kaplan, running from danger and her own guilty secrets, is desperate to escape her past. Together, they have all that they need to heal. A full-length novel.
Prisoner (Werewolf Marines # 2), by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine DJ Torres is a born rebel. Genetically engineered assassin Echo was created to be a weapon. When DJ is captured by the agency that made Echo, the two misfits find that they fit together perfectly. A full-length novel.
Partner (Werewolf Marines # 3), by Lia Silver. DJ and Echo’s relationship grows stronger under fire... until they’re confronted by a terrible choice. A full-length novel.
Mated to the Meerkat, by Lia Silver. Jasmine Jones, a curvy tabloid reporter, meets her match— in more ways than one— in notorious paparazzi and secret shifter Chance Marcotte. A BWWM romantic comedy novelette.