by Zoe Perdita
My tongue dances around his cock, each slow suck eliciting a grunt of pleasure from Dmitri’s throat. God! It gets me off almost as much as getting a blowjob myself!
Suddenly, he pulls my head up, his cheeks flushed and his chest heaving, and smiles. “Claim me,” he says.
“What?” I ask, my heart slamming in my chest at the suggestion. He was the one that claimed me!
“Please. I want it. We’ll be equals, like we should be.”
Taking in his naked form, the garden of red curls cradling his erection, the hard muscles under his smooth skin, I nod. How could I say no to that? Then I reach over to my nightstand and pull out a new bottle of lube. A guy should always be prepared, after all, and pour the clear substance over my fingers and rock hard cock.
Dmitri watches me, his bright eyes slightly hooded with desire as I crawl toward him. Tenderly, I kiss is thighs and slip my hand under his ass, easing open the tight cheeks and poking at his virgin entrance.
His breath catches in his throat as I nudge the first finger inside. His ass grips onto me like a vice, squeezing the digit in a flurry of spasms, but I slip it deeper until my mate moans. Yeah, that’s the spot.
Carefully, I slide in a second finger, stretching him wider and wider with each slow intrusion. Dmitri writhes on the bed under my mouth and hands, his eyes locked on mine in the most glorious look of passion I’ve ever seen.
“Ready?” I ask, not sure if my own cock can hold off any longer.
“Yes,” he says and pulls me up to him.
Our mouths smash together, lips burning and tongues lashing. Sparks of pleasure shoot from my head to my toes just having his body this close to mine. What will being inside him be like?
Dmitri shifts his hips, and I urge the fat head of my cock past his tight entrance, his fingers gripping onto me as his eyes widen.
“Are you okay?” I gasp, his ass strangling me with desire.
Dmitri nods. “Yeah,” he says in a gruff whisper.
Each slow thrust makes him moan, his hips shifting in time with my own. I want to be as close to him as possible, the heat of he body is like a fire and I’m a freezing man. Leaning down, I bury my head into the crook of his neck, his rich scent surrounding me completely.
Jolts of pleasure shot through my body at every thrust, and pressure in my balls builds harder and faster. Shit! No wonder he wanted to fuck me so badly!
Reaching down, I grab his hardened member and pump it in time with each thrust, my breathing just as shallow as his. The rough edge of his cheek scratches my face, and I force myself into him harder and deeper, my body moving of its own accord.
“Fuck, Sammy!” he moans as his cock stiffens in my hand, the heat of his come emptying over our chests.
I thrust once, twice- then my own balls contract, the overwhelming satisfaction spilling into him as we ravish each other’s mouths again. His body writhes under mine, hands gripping my back and lips searing my skin.
Yes. Yes. This is what I want. This is perfect. Why did I run away for so long?
“Sammy,” he moans as the gratification leaks over our bodies, easing us into that wonderful place of contentment.
“Dmitri,” I answer and smile, still buried inside his perfect body.
“You’re my mate, forever,” he says sleepily, his eyes glazed over with lust and exhaustion. I feel the same way.
“Yeah, I know,” I say and listen to his heart as it pounds to the same beat as mine. But what’s more, I’m ready to accept it- to accept all the Lowell brothers- as my mates forever.
Chapter 8
I'm leaning against the kitchen counter in the Lowell brother's house as they cook dinner and we have, another, informal meeting. Even though Yuri is the alpha of their pack, he seems to be on a power rush lately when it comes to calling meetings. I hope this isn’t how it always is.
Dmitri stands across the room from me coating some chicken in marinade for the grill and smirks whenever he catches my eye. My stomach does that weird little flip again as I take in his broad shoulders and forest green eyes. He's as handsome as most of the other pack members are pretty, and he's my mate. God. I never thought I'd feel content thinking that. My life mate.
Yuri crosses his arms over his bare chest, his pale, toned skin flawless. Black hair falls over his shoulders and the evening sun illuminates shades of brown and red in his midnight mane. "Tomorrow. You should join the pack tomorrow, Sammy," he says with his slight Russian accent.
I open my mouth to speak, but Alexei cuts me off. "And what about the white wolf? When are we going to deal with him?" the second oldest Lowell brother asks. His dirty blonde hair is cut short, similar to Dmitri's, and his broad frame is similar as well. The strong Russian nose and rough cut of his jaw also reminds me of Dmitri- too handsome and manly to be as pretty as their other brothers.
"What’s there to deal with? If we all claim Sammy, the white wolf won't have a right," Nikolai says and brushes his dark hair off his shoulders. He looks startlingly like Yuri in every way except his eyes aren't as bright blue as his older brother’s, but more of a deep fathomless blue like the ocean.
"He never had a right since I claimed Sammy first," Dmitri says and brushes more barbecue sauce on the chicken.
Pasha, the youngest, looks up from chopping vegetables for the salad. "Shouldn't we let Sammy decide?"
For a moment, the kitchen is so quiet I swear I can hear every brother's heart beating in their chest, as well as some kids playing down the road. Everyone looks at their feet, avoiding my eyes, except Pasha. He smiles at me across the kitchen; his pale blond hair and fair skin make him stand out even more than the other Lowell brothers.
We’ve had this discussion several times. How their overprotectiveness drove me away- although that's really only part of the story. But they did admit they needed to let me in on the decision-making, especially since I'm a werewolf now too.
"Fine. I'll join your pack tomorrow. You can all claim me or whatever. But I'll deal with the white wolf on my own."
The room erupts in a chorus of Russian and English and I only catch snippets of what's actually being said- most of it out right refusal.
"After what he did?" Yuri growls as the other brothers slowly calm down. Although everyone still bears their teeth at the absent antagonist.
"He cured me," I say simply and glance around the room. This time only Alexei, Nikolai and Pasha lower their eyes. Dmitri and Yuri both hold my steady gaze.
I can't explain it. And I know it will take them a long time to accept it, but no matter what else Caleb did I owe him my gratitude. Being wolf's bait, while exciting, burdened me more than anything else in my life. I had no choice when it came to werewolves- they all got me horny as fuck and I had the same effect on them. It made me doubt my own feelings and run away from my best friend. But now I'm free, and strangely lighter- happier- than I ever thought I could be. My parents, I think, would be proud.
Dmitri grits his teeth and I can tell he wants to say something, but Yuri speaks first. "He can still hurt you."
I bite back a sarcastic retort; I know they're concerned because they care about me. "What else is he going to do that he hasn't already done?" I ask since they know the whole truth about what happened when I was the white wolf's prisoner.
Dmitri's face flushes crimson, and he slams his fist on the counter. How can I explain? I just don't think he'd hurt me, but I doubt any of the Lowell brothers would believe that. Not after Caleb faked my death and held captive me for nearly three weeks.
"No," my lover says firmly, his face almost the same rusty red as his hair.
Every instinct I have tells me to fight back, push away. My heart pounds in my chest and blood rushes to my ears- but we can't all be the angry one. Instead, I sigh. "If you want me to join your pack you can't always tell me what to do. I get to make my own decisions. We leave Caleb alone. That's how we deal with him."
All five pack members stare at me, and I stare back. While there was a time when I
would have either crumpled under their gaze or fled, now I do neither. If I’m going to be a member of this crazy Eurasian wolf pack, I have to learn to hold my ground inside it.
"Leave him alone?” Alexei balks, "what if he comes after you again?"
The same question is echoed in every Lowell brother's face. I really can't blame them. This fear they've been harboring for years- this idea that the white wolf wants to claim me- it's hard to let go. Even after I told them his true intentions.
"He no longer has a reason to come after me. His goal's complete," I say and grab the pan of chicken from the counter. "Now can we start the barbecue or what? Someone needs to explain to me how this claiming ritual goes down."
Pasha smiles and grips onto my shoulder. "I'll start the grill," he says and the other pack members follow us outside.
Looking over the golden fields of wheat toward the eastern mountains, I sigh. I hope the brothers don't mind this one last lie because I have to see Caleb before they claim me. And I know they won’t let me go if I tell them.
We feast on meat and beer and other goodies until well after the sun dips behind the mountains to the west. The sky twinkles with evening stars, lighting up the dark purple mantle. The new moon peaks from behind a brush of clouds, and I feel the tug of the wild, the urge to change, engulf my body.
Unfortunately, every Lowell brother was born a werewolf and not bitten. As far as I can tell there's a slight difference, and they don't really understand my particular control issues. I hope Caleb has some advice, at least.
I smell Yuri's sensual musk right before his hand grasps my shoulder, squeezing it gently. "We don't all have to claim you if you don't want it, Sammy," he says through tightly gritted teeth.
Glancing at him, I notice the pained expression on his face, like the look my mother got when Dmitri and I decided to cut down all her tulips and daffodils for Mother's Day bouquets.
"What makes you think I don't want it?" I don't say it just to see him squirm, although it's a bonus, but I really do want to know.
He sighs and pushes the long dark hair from his forehead, tucking it behind his ear. "I know you love our brother."
At least the darkness hides my flushed cheeks. "Does Dmitri want you to claim me?"
Yuri looks at me, his bright blue eyes shining in the shadows of the night. "He left it up to you."
A smile creeps over my lips. Even if it took them a while, at least the Lowell brothers are starting to understand the idea of personal freedom. "I think a better question is do you still want me now that I'm a werewolf?"
The alpha wolf furrows his brow. "Why wouldn't we want you, Sammy? We've always wanted you, wolf's bait or not."
My stomach flips about ten times all at once and I hope, feverishly, wolves don't have some weird heat vision I don't know about. "I already said you can claim me, didn't I? I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. But I still don't know what goes on during the ritual."
Hints of his fangs glint in the darkness. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out."
Anticipation gathers on my skin like static electricity, and I nod. Suddenly, tomorrow can't come fast enough.
Chapter 9
I sneak away from the pack the next morning under the guise of buying groceries. The brothers all cast me glances rich with worry, but they don't say anything. Good. Maybe they finally understand I can take care of myself. Hell, I'm a werewolf now too. I can't blame them for worrying, and knowing what I'm about to do leaves a sick hole in my stomach. But they won't let me see Caleb alone- or at all- so telling them is pointless.
"Anything you need me to pick up?" I ask Dmitri and fiddle with my keys to avoid looking into his eyes.
He grips onto my hand like he's never going to let go, and my heart aches. I don't know what I would do if I went through the roller coaster of emotions he's faced these last couple of weeks. If I thought he was dead- I can't even think about it.
"Just be safe," he says and the little line of worry between his brows, the one that wasn't there until I disappeared, crinkles.
"I will. I promise." And I have every intention of keeping my word.
Thankfully, my car is fixed so I didn't have to borrow one of their trucks. Once I hit the main road, I turn toward the mountain instead of back to town.
The idea of joining their pack prickles at the back of my mind. It's kind of like a wolf wedding without the spectacle and party afterwards. Weird thing is I'm not nervous at all. In fact, the only sense of unease I have is facing Caleb again. But if I don't do it now I may never have the chance.
It's not hard to retrace my steps, even though I was pissed off the day I ran into him. Driving up towards the mountain, I see his inconspicuous mailbox and the little gravel driveway that leads to his house. I turn into it and stop, taking a deep breath to steal my nerves. At least his truck is here. Then I climb out and head towards the door. While it's only been a week since I escaped this place it feels like much, much longer.
His strong musky scent fills the wood around me, and I wonder how often he marks his territory. The Lowell brother's scent is everywhere around their farmhouse. They even marked around my house! As of yet, I haven't had the urge just to piss in anything except a toilet.
The wooden steps creak under my tennis shoes, and my hand shakes as I raise my fist the door. Maybe I should just forget about this and leave. What am I trying to prove? Why do I want to see him again? I should hate him. I should think he ruined my life, but I can't muster those feelings at all.
Suddenly, the door swings open right as my knuckles hit the wood. Caleb, the white wolf, towers over me. His huge six feet five frame fills the entire doorway, and he casts a quick look behind me, his arctic blue eyes flashing, and his proud nose moving as he sniffs the air. Then he glances down at me. "What are you doing here alone?" he sounds almost as incredulous as the Lowell brothers.
I frown and square my shoulders. "We need to talk."
His eyes narrow, and I notice the bandage wrapped around his bare shoulder and arm. Probably from the bite I gave him when I was a wolf and couldn't control myself.
"Fine," he says and opens the door wide, stepping out of the way.
Maybe I'm an idiot for walking in voluntarily, but I can't worry about that now. He points a blunt finger at the kitchen table, and I sit down. I hardly remember this room at all since I spent most of my time here in the bedroom with the dusty blue curtains.
"Water or iced tea?" he asks and sets a glass on the table next to his own.
"Water’s fine."
After he fills my glass, he sits across from me and rests his massive elbows on the table and pushes a piece of pale blonde hair across his wide brow. He's handsome in a manly lumberjack kind way- if lumberjacks looked like Nordic gods. Thankfully, I no longer feel the ache of desire that I did before. The wolf's bait curse is cleared from my blood- the curse he knows better than anyone.
"How’s your arm?" I ask lamely.
He runs a big hand over the bandage. "Healing fine. You have quite the bite."
"You’re one to talk," I say and rub at my healed side.
The hint of the smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "Did you come out here to warn me, Sam? I know those Russians want my head. Or were you planning on taking care of me yourself?" he asks and raises an eyebrow in the particular way he has.
I wrap my hands around the glass of water, the coolness of it seeping into my skin. "No. I came to thank you."
Caleb widens his eyes and both brows shoot up. "Thank me? For what?"
Does he know and he just wants me to say it or is he really unaware? "You know. You cured me."
He takes a long sip his iced tea and considers me with an icy stare. "You came all the way out here for that? I don't buy it."
I sigh and narrow my eyes. "That was part of it. I also wanted to ask you a few questions about what it's like to be a wolf changeling- or whatever they call it."
"You want my help?" A note of amusement colors his
voice.
"Advice. You did bite me after all. It's the least you could do," I say and cross my arms. Why does this bastard have to make everything so difficult?
He laughs, his whole chest rumbling, and runs his thick fingers through his hair. "Your little pack doesn't know you're here, do they?"
"Let’s just say they're not your biggest fans. I insisted they leave you alone though. You have a right to your own life without their interference as long as you don't interfere with ours."
He raises his eyebrow again and nods. "I've seen a few changes in my day, but most men don't get calmer after they turn."
"It’s not being a werewolf that changed me. It was seeing Dmitri and the other Lowell brothers again. I realized something I'd known all along, that's it."
He studies me for a moment like I'm some puzzle he's trying to figure out. "Okay, Sam. Ask away."
Shit. Now that the moment is here my mouth dries up. I sip my water and clear my throat. Hopefully, he won’t think my questions are stupid. “Will I go crazy every time I change?”
“No. It evens out over time. The first time you change is the worst. I’m actually not sure myself why it happens- maybe the body just isn’t used to the strain.”
“How long does it take?” I ask. The idea of what I did- what I could do as a wild beast- still sends stabs of fear coursing through my veins. What if I got ahold of a human? Or someone’s pet?
He shrugs his massive shoulders. “I’m not sure. To tell you the truth, I moved a lot after I changed. Finally settled up here because there was less of a chance I’d bite someone’s face off. A few months, maybe?”
I nod slowly. Dmitri and the others will have to take me out before the full moon and keep an eye on me. I hope they don’t mind monthly camping trips. “How do I change on my own? Will I still go crazy if I try?”
Caleb smiles, his pale eyes shining. “You feel the tug, don’t you? It seems stronger at night, but you can change any time you want. Just give into the beast and you’ll shift. Of course, you might want to take off your clothes so you don’t rip them to shreds. And make sure you aren’t in public.”