Stryker's Desire

by Meg Ripley

  "Would it make you feel better to know that I think you are incredibly beautiful?" she whispered.

  He stepped even closer, and for the first time, Ariel realized that he had one sleeve of his shirt rolled up to his elbow and the other kept buttoned at his wrist. She ventured to touch the sleeve, feeling the warmth of the skin and the strength of the muscles beneath the fabric.

  "What's with the sleeve?" she asked and saw a flash of darkness flicker across his eyes.

  "How well do you know my books?" he asked.

  Ariel looked at him quizzically.

  "Extremely. Why?"

  Max looked faintly pained, but something in his expression told her that his words and his gestures held meaning well beyond what she understood of them and pled her to be patient. He released the buttons on the cuff of the sleeve he wore full-length and slowly pushed the fabric up, revealing his forearm and a long, jagged scar in his skin.

  Her hand flew to her mouth and Ariel rested her fingertips tenderly against the smooth scar. Words streamed through her head in a continuous ribbon, appearing typed against a white background as she remembered the detailed description of that exact scar. She knew the weapon that had created it and what shifter wielded that weapon. It was, to its every feature, exactly like the scar on borne by Lazar in Max's books.

  "It's just like…" she trailed off, not sure exactly what this meant.

  Max nodded.

  "It is."

  She lifted her eyes to him sharply, processing the words, trying to decipher their meaning. Was he only affirming that the scar on his arm was like the one of his main character; that perhaps it was the inspiration for the brutal battle wound the shifter suffered while in wolf form?

  Or could he possibly be telling her that it was, in fact, that scar?

  ****

  "I don't understand," Ariel said, letting her fingers fall away from the scar.

  Max took her hands in his, a slightly desperate look on his face as if he was afraid she was going to run. She was startled by how beautiful he was with the moonlight touching his skin and illuminating the melting color of his eyes.

  "I knew you the moment I saw you," he whispered, his voice no longer reflecting the worried look in his eyes but sounding smooth, controlled, and irresistibly sexy.

  "You did?" she asked back, stepping forward as the strange, unexplainable magnetism from his body seemed to draw her toward him.

  Max's face brushed lightly against hers, nuzzling her. He nodded.

  "You knew, too. I could see the way you looked at me. I could smell you."

  His whisper sent hot breath down Ariel's neck and her breath caught at his words. She knew those words, what they meant.

  "I can smell you now," he continued, his hands leaving hers to trace the swell of her hips and the soft curve of her belly.

  Ariel moaned softly and leaned into him to seek more of the delectable pressure of his body.

  "What do you smell?"

  "Your body," he dipped his head and Ariel felt the tip of his tongue glide across her neck, "Your blood," he bit the curve of her shoulder just hard enough to create a thrilling, pleasurable pain, "How much you want me." His hands slid around her hips to fill with her flesh and hold her firmly against him where she could feel his hardness pressing into her belly, "I can smell my mate."

  Ariel gasped and Max caught the sound with his mouth, drawing her into a deep, primal kiss that felt like their souls were reaching out and melding, connecting after a lifetime of waiting. She pulled away from the kiss and opened her mouth to speak, but instead let out a scream. Behind Max she could see a silver wolf stepping out of the shadows, his sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight as he stalked toward Max.

  Max spun around at the sound of her scream and she immediately felt him push back on her, shoving her back toward the gate as he faced the wolf. The silver animal took another step forward and in the middle of his stride she watched him shift into a human. Ariel's eyes widened, but she couldn't make any sound.

  "Hello, Max," the other man said, the sliminess in his voice sending a chill down Ariel's spine, "I see you found yourself a snack."

  "Back off, Laurence," Max growled.

  Ariel covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hold back the terrified sounds now trying to tumble out of her. She was watching what she thought were just characters in a book come to life in front of her very eyes, witnessing the chapters of an unwritten book unfurling somewhere between reality and her fantasies.

  "She is quite delicious," Laurence said, taking another step forward, "And it looks like there is more than enough of her for both of us. Maybe we can share."

  At that, Max leapt forward, tackling Laurence to the ground so he landed on top of him.

  "She's mine," he snarled.

  Laurence grappled with Max and Ariel could hear him let out a mocking laugh.

  "So, that's what this is?" he said, finally pushing Max away and climbing out from under him so that both men stood, staring each other down, "The Alpha has mated a human."

  Before Ariel even realized what was happening, Laurence shifted back into a wolf and surged forward past Max so that he came down on her. She screamed as she hit the ground, curling away from the stagnant breath and sharp teeth coming toward her. A moment later she heard a blood-chilling growl and felt Laurence torn away from her.

  She looked up and saw a massive black wolf holding Laurence by the back of his neck, his teeth sinking deeply into the other wolf's coat. As he tossed Laurence away, Ariel realized that black wolf was Max. Despite the terror, desire rolled through her as she felt the same intense, animal need for him that she had since she first saw him.

  The two wolves tangled and fought, teeth and claws tearing at one another as they battled for dominance. This was the fight she had been waiting for as she read the books, the conflict she thought would have culminated after Laurence shot the crossbow at Lazar; at Max. As she watched the fight in horror, she wondered what had happened in the months between that moment and this one, how these rival Alphas had gotten here after what she feared was her beloved character's death.

  The need to protect Max surged through her and Ariel lunged forward, reaching for the silver wolf.

  Max turned to her and let out a sound that made her stumble back, somehow knowing he was telling her he didn't want her involved. In the moment that he faced her, Laurence was able to regain some control.

  Suddenly Laurence slashed at Max, his claws cutting into Max's shoulder and soaking his black fur with blood. An instant later, Max's head reared back and he sank his teeth ferociously into Laurence, flipping his head to the side to rip away at his flesh. The other animal yelped and fell back away from Max, shifting back into a human as he tried to get away. Max mirrored his shift, standing above him with blood streaming down his skin, his rough breaths causing his shoulders to rise and fall rapidly.

  "I won't kill you here," he said, his voice as rough as his breath, "but if you ever touch her again, I will rip you apart like I should have a long time ago."

  Laurence stood shakily to his feet and disappeared into the darkness of the cluster of palm trees where he had been hiding when they first stepped onto the beach. A few seconds later, Ariel could hear muffled steps retreated through the undergrowth, punctuated by yelps as if the plants were continuing the punishment by scraping at his wounds.

  Max turned to her and Ariel ran into his arms, allowing him to sweep her against him and bury his face in her hair. She could feel the warmth of his blood seeping through his shirt onto her skin and she stepped back.

  "You're hurt," she said, touching the tattered fabric surrounding the deep gash in his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

  "I'll be fine," he said, brushing loose strands of hair out of her face, "As long as you're alright, I'll be fine."

  "No. Come with me to my room. Let me take care of you."

  Affection mingled with intense attraction flashed in his eyes and he nodded. Ariel slipped her sweater off and
draped it carefully over his wound so that anyone they may encounter wouldn't notice the blood. She knew this wound would not act the same as it would on a normal human; it would heal much more quickly and didn't require stitches or other measures. Cleaning it, though, would soothe his pain and help it to begin to heal.

  She guided him through the hotel to her room and stepped inside. Daniel was still sprawled across the bed, snoring deeply, and she led Max carefully through the suite and into the bathroom. Locking the door behind them, she started the faucet in the soaking tub and reached forward to unbutton his shirt. Her hands shook slightly as she undressed him, revealing his gorgeous body beneath the shirt.

  She wanted to touch him further, but the wound on his shoulder kept her back. Placing her hands on his hips, she guided him gently backwards so that he sat on the wide edge of the tub. Ariel sat beside him, positioning herself on her hip so that she could reach down into the tub and fill a soft sponge with warm water. Kissing his chiseled arm muscle tenderly, she brought the sponge to his shoulder and squeezed it so that the water flowed out across his skin.

  ****

  Ariel bathed his shoulder until as much of the blood as possible was gone. Dropping the sponge back into the tub, she rested her hands on his neck and swept one leg over him so that she straddled his hips but stayed sitting up on her knees, propped up by the marble tub on either side of him. Her mouth lowered to the curve of his neck and shoulder to kiss along his warm skin until she reached the freshly cleaned wound. The primal urges within her took over and she let the tip of her tongue slip out to run along the cut.

  Max's hands gripped her hips and a low growl rumbled deep in his throat. She knew that growl meant that the wolf inside him wanted to be let out. She shook her head at him and licked his skin again, soothing him as his kind would.

  "I need you to stay human for me," she murmured against his neck.

  She gasped as Max pulled her down onto his lap, lifting his hips to meet hers so she felt the hardness of his desire for her nudging into her hot, wet core. She rocked her hips into his lap, reveling in the way the firm swell of his erection built dizzying pressure low in her belly.

  "For how long?" he asked through labored breath.

  Ariel kissed him, drawing his bottom lip into her mouth and biting it playfully.

  "Until I've had you inside me."

  Max growled and lifted her off of his lap, positioning her on the edge of the tub. He pulled her shirt off, and then made quick work of her bra. His mouth touched her breast and Ariel moaned, arching into the touch. As he continued to kiss her breasts, Max slid his hands over her hips and grasped the sides of her pants and panties. He stepped back to remove the garments, and then stood to loosen his belt. She reached up to stop him.

  Max met her eyes and she continued to gaze at him as she unfastened his pants and carefully undressed him, lowering his pants and trunks until he could kick them away. Parting her legs on either side of him, she wrapped her hands around the backs of his thighs and gently pulled him forward so he stepped between her knees.

  Ariel finally looked down and saw him fully, his beautiful cock standing so hard and strong, it made Ariel's mouth water. She indulged her craving for him by leaning forward and running the tip of her tongue slowly up the underside. Max's erection jumped slightly in response to her touch and he gasped.

  Pleased with his reaction, Ariel parted her lips further and drew his erection in along her tongue until she held him completely. She felt one of Max's hands grip her arm and the other come against the back of her head. He groaned loudly and she took a moment to focus just on the tip, holding the base so she could withdraw him nearly all the way and suck just on the head before taking him in fully again, letting him dip into her throat.

  Max gently thrust into her mouth and guided her into a smooth rhythm with the hand on the back of his head. Ariel delighted in the feeling of every ridge and vein as she worshipped his body. Suddenly he stopped her and withdrew from her mouth.

  "What's wrong?" she asked.

  Max got on his knees in front of her and took her face in his hands.

  "Tell me you understand that we are meant to be together."

  "What?" she asked.

  "Tell me that you understand, that you know what it means to have me mate with you," she recoiled slightly and he sighed, "to have me make love to you."

  When she didn't answer, Max pushed back and stood up, grabbing his clothes off of the floor and began to get dressed.

  "Max, wait," Ariel said, bounding off the edge of the tub toward him, "Why are you leaving?"

  "I can't do this, Ariel. You are supposed to be mine, my mate, my partner, but if you don't understand that…" he trailed off and looked at her painfully, "I can't let myself go that far knowing that you are just going to walk away."

  "I want to be with you, Max."

  "Will you want to be with me when I'm a wolf? Would you still want me if I shifted in the middle of the night and you woke up to a wolf in bed with you? Do you want me enough to join my pack and be my mate?"

  Ariel touched his cheek.

  "I want to be with you, Max," she repeated, putting extra emphasis on the word 'you', "Isn't that enough?"

  Max took her hand in his and turned it so that he could press a kiss to the inside of her wrist.

  "No," he whispered and rushed out of the room.

  ****

  Ariel left the next morning before the convention even began, knowing she couldn't bear to see Max again. Her mind was still reeling from the brief time she had spent with him, but even more intense than the confusion was the searing pain in her heart each time she thought of him. She so badly wanted to give herself to him, all of herself, but she struggled to make sense of what he told her, to bring herself to believe it.

  Enough men had hurt her with words like those before. They told her that they loved her, that they were meant to be together, but it would all dissipate just as quickly as it had formed. It was a ploy meant to tell her what she wanted to hear.

  Several days after leaving the convention, Ariel was going through her last conversation with Max again. She felt emptier than she ever had in her life, as if a piece of her had been removed and she was having to learn to live without it. Max's words washed over her, just the sound of them in her ears comforting in the darkness that had seemed to form around her.

  Suddenly a realization struck her, something different about the conversation that she hadn't recognized before. Max had not told her that he loved her—he had told her that they were made for each other and that he couldn't bring himself to be with her if she didn't understand their connection, but he had not told her that he loved her.

  In that moment, Ariel realized that not saying those words expressed their true meaning more than speaking them ever could. In not saying he loved her, Max held their bond as precious and sacred, refusing to simplify it into that phrase until she was able to fully express it on her own.

  Her need for him surged within her, and Ariel knew that no matter how frightening his world could be, it was not nearly as frightening as the prospect of being without him. She was meant to be by his side, to truly live in the world that she had fantasized about through his books, knowing now that in his heart she already always was.

  Ariel grabbed her phone and started to write an email to Max to the address listed for fan mail, laughing at the thought that she had always thought she was his biggest fan, but had never sent him a message, now she was trying hard to craft a love letter to send to his fan mail in the hopes that he would actually read it.

  She struggled to come up with the right words to express her longing for him. After several false-starts and frantic, almost violent hitting of the "delete" key, she let out a long breath, typed a message, and pressed send. It contained the name of the hotel where they met and a date three days in the future above a simple message.

  I need you. I understand. Please come back.

  ****

  The door cras
hed open and Ariel saw Max enter. He circled her slowly and her fingers touched his thick black fur. The pressure of his body against her legs made her lower herself to her knees and she ran her hands down his body, memorizing the curves of his muscles beneath his coat. He nudged her with his face until she settled onto her hip and laid down on the floor. Max's tongue slid along the underside of her chin, her throat, and down along the center of her chest.

  Finally, he took the front of her dress in his teeth and tore it open. Max ducked his head to touch his tongue to her stomach and Ariel felt his fur disappearing as he took on his human form.

  Fully human again, Max licked back from her stomach to her mouth and kissed her. His tongue delved into her mouth and he shoved the shredded dress away from her body. Not removing his mouth from hers, he carefully lifted her back off the floor so he could reach behind her and release the hooks on her bra. He ended the kiss and she heard him let out a moan of appreciation when he saw her full breasts. He lowered his mouth to suck each taut, pink peak, opening his mouth to draw more of her breast into it and give a primal bite. Ariel gasped beneath the sensation, luxuriating in the feeling of him taking possession of her. She smiled as she felt a gentle lick follow the bite.

  Ariel reached for his shirt and pulled it away from his body. His skin felt luscious against hers as he stretched himself over her. Suddenly his hand was at the front of his belt, but he paused. She knew this was her moment to show him how much she understood the connection between them and leave no questions in his mind.

  Lifting her hips a few inches, she slid her panties off and tossed them away. She was totally bare beneath him and she presented her body to him, completely submissive to his touch. Max growled and swept her up into his arms so he could carry her to the bed. He knelt over her hips and stroked his fingertips from the center of her chest down her stomach and onto her pubic bone.