Winter Craving

by Marisa Chenery

  A finger pushed inside her, plunging in and out. She lifted her hips to meet the thrusts. A second joined it, working her. Shyla whimpered, her need to have Cyrus growing. No, there definitely would be no turning back now. She wanted him too much. His scent filled her head, making her almost drunk on it.

  Cyrus shifted lower, nipping his way down the same path his hand had taken. Shyla let go of his head and fisted the sheet under her. She spread her legs farther apart as he settled between them, his wide shoulders making sure they stayed that way.

  The first pass of his tongue along her pussy had her sucking in a sharp breath. The second had her moaning. He hungrily lapped at her, sending pleasurable sensations all through her. It wouldn’t take much to have her falling into release.

  He swirled his tongue around her clit before he shoved two fingers inside her pussy. The swirling turned to sucking as he moved the digits in and out. She clamped her inner muscles along them, which increased the pleasure she experienced.

  Shyla panted. “I’m going to come.”

  “I want you to,” Cyrus said in a rough voice. “I want to taste you as you do.”

  He thrust his fingers faster and harder. Along with that and his words, it was enough to have her crying out as she climaxed. He pulled the digits out of her pussy and replaced them with his tongue. He lapped at her, growling against her sensitive skin.

  As she settled, Cyrus rose over her. Shyla reached between them and undid the drawstring on his sweat pants. She pushed the material down past his hips. He helped her and dragged them the rest of the way off, then chucked them onto the floor.

  She took hold of his hard cock and stroked up and down its full length. It jerked, and a bead of pre-cum welled out of the tip. She rubbed the moisture into the flared head. Cyrus was thick and long. Shyla couldn’t wait to have him inside her, stretching and filling her. He thrust into her hand, a low growl rumbling out of him.

  Shyla stroked Cyrus’ cock a few more times before he gently pulled her hand off him. “That feels too good,” he said in a strained voice. “I can’t wait anymore.”

  He settled more firmly between her legs. The head of his shaft came to rest against her wet pussy. She reached up and placed her hands on his biceps as he lifted his upper body, supporting his weight on his straightened arms. He thrust his hips, sliding a little more of his length inside her. He kept up the slow pace until he was buried to the hilt, then held still.

  Cyrus pulled back until his cock was almost all the way out before he slid back inside. Shyla lifted her bent legs to either side of his body. She rocked her hips, matching him stroke for stroke as he pistoned into her. He filled her to capacity, the head of his shaft butting up against her cervix as he sank home. The pleasurable sensations he created deep within her built once more as another orgasm gathered steam.

  He surged into her, alternating between slow, long thrusts to hard, fast ones. They both were breathing heavy, the sound filling the room. She squeezed her inner muscles around his shaft, wringing a sound between a moan and an animalistic growl from him. If she’d been able to purr, she’d be doing so.

  Cyrus pumped his cock in and out of Shyla, angling his shaft so it hit all the right places deep inside her pussy. Her release snuck up on her and washed over her like a tidal wave. It tore through her, and she could only go along for the ride. She let out a long, whimpered moan as the most intense climax she’d ever experienced held her in its grip. It seemed to go on and on. Once it ended, it left her feeling boneless.

  He lowered himself to his bent arms so his chest was against hers. Cyrus picked up the pace, taking Shyla hard and fast. He buried his face into the crook of her neck. She felt the drag of what felt like sharp teeth across her skin where her shoulder and neck met before he licked her. His cock hardened even more, and growls rumbled out of him.

  Much to Shyla’s surprise, another orgasm built inside her at a fast rate. Just as Cyrus’ erection pulsed with his climax, she followed right after him. Her inner muscles milked his plunging shaft as they clutched and released it. Their cries of pleasure filled her ears. She also noticed he held on to her shoulder with his teeth, but not hard enough to break the skin.

  Cyrus rolled off Shyla to land on his back. He gathered her close to his side with her head pillowed on his well-muscled chest. They both fought to catch their breaths. Feeling as if she wouldn’t be able to move for anything, she closed her eyes. Sated, she went to sleep content to be held.

  Chapter Four

  Cyrus tugged the covers into place over him and Shyla. From the way she’d gone limp against him and her breathing had evened out, he could tell she’d fallen asleep. He turned his head and kissed her forehead. She didn’t stir.

  Making love to his mate was even better than he’d imagined. Her touch, taste and smell had heightened his pleasure. He’d also had the urge to claim her, to bite her and make her truly his. Just before he’d come, his eyeteeth had shifted, becoming longer like a wolf’s. It’d taken everything inside him not to bite hard enough to break her skin. It’d gone against instincts that had yelled at him to do it, to mark her, and have the invisible link form that would join them as mates.

  Then there was the fact that after the mate brand had appeared on his skin a countdown had begun. Cyrus didn’t think he’d have to worry about losing his humanity now that he’d found Shyla, but her being human added a new variable to a wolf shifter mating. There was no telling how she’d react once he told her what he was. And he would tell her. Very soon. Preferably, before he bit her. He wanted her to know what she was getting into. Plus, there was the fact he couldn’t pass off the tattoo-like mark that would suddenly show up where her shoulder and neck met as if it were no big deal. Kiel had done that with Neha, had let her find out on her own it was there, and that’d almost had her running from him.

  Cyrus figured he’d give Shyla a few days to get to know him better and for their relationship to strengthen, then he’d spring his being a wolf shifter on her. He ran the risk of her not being able to handle it and walking away for good without him claiming her, which meant he did lose his humanity, but it seemed like the right thing to do. He really hoped it didn’t backfire on him.

  Shyla mumbled something in her sleep. Cyrus smiled and stroked her back. He closed his eyes, looking forward to what the new day would bring.

  * * * *

  The next morning Cyrus awoke to silence. The wind was no longer howling outside the cabin. He stretched, then turned his head to look at Shyla. She lay on her back, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

  He rolled toward her and gave her a soft kiss. “Good morning. Did you sleep okay?”

  She smiled as well and nodded. “I did. I enjoyed last night.”

  “So did I.” He’d woken her twice during the night after their first time together, unable to keep his hands off her. She hadn’t seemed to mind.

  “I don’t hear the wind anymore,” she said.

  “I think the storm finally blew over.” Cyrus gave Shyla another kiss before he sat up. “How about I make us some breakfast? I’ll see if my cell phone has any service.”

  She nodded. “Food sounds good. I just thought of something. You don’t have any electricity. How do you charge your cell?”

  “Kiel, my older brother, is the only one in my family who has it in his cabin. We all charge our phones there.”

  “If he has it, will you ever get it?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. Kiel only got it because his wife couldn’t live without it. She’s a big city girl.”

  Cyrus had just gotten out of bed and was about to pick up his discarded sweat pants when four sets of howls could be heard coming from outside, close to the front of the cabin. He groaned to himself.

  “Were those wolf howls?” Shyla asked as she sat up.

  He yanked on his pants. “I’ll go take care of that.” Cyrus stopped only long enough to pull on a clean long-sleeved t-shirt before he headed out of the bedroom.

  In the main room, he stepp
ed into his winter boots, then yanked open the cabin’s door. He walked out onto the porch. Sure enough, in the yard were Memphis, Gage, Talon and Rhett, all in wolf form. The dumbasses just stood there staring at him as if Shyla seeing them would be no big deal.

  Cyrus took the three steps down off the porch. He hurriedly bent and picked up a handful of snow, which he formed into a ball. He launched it at his nearest brother. It hit Memphis in the side. Memphis had gone to run, but hadn’t moved quick enough to get out of the way. Cyrus formed another snowball and took aim. His brothers were darting around the yard. They had to be thinking he’d have a harder time hitting a moving target. He soon proved them wrong when he hit Rhett right on the muzzle. He didn’t stop until he’d nailed Gage on the backside and Talon took one on the ear.

  “Do you give up, you pains in the ass?”

  “Are you throwing snowballs at wild wolves?”

  Cyrus turned to find Shyla standing on the porch behind him with a look of surprise on her face. He smiled. “They aren’t exactly wild. They like to come here and bug the crap out of me.”

  He looked over one shoulder and then the other to see the last two of his brothers were running into the trees. Out of the corner of his eye, he managed to catch sight of a snowball soaring through the air in his direction. He spun so it wouldn’t hit him in the side of the head. Instead it landed on the back of it. Cyrus let out a yelp as it exploded and sent snow down the back of his shirt. Talon howled as Cyrus brushed the cold stuff off his shoulders. He now knew who’d shifted to human form only long enough to get some payback.

  “Please tell me that wasn’t a wolf who threw that,” Shyla said as Cyrus took the steps up to the porch.

  “One of my brothers was out there.” Which was true. “He was hiding out in the trees and used the opportunity to get me back.”

  “You guys do that a lot? Have sneak attack snowball fights?”

  Cyrus put his arm around Shyla’s shoulders and walked her into the cabin before he shut the door. They took off their boots. “Occasionally. Most of the times during the winter we’re too busy looking after our traplines to play around like that. I think because you’re around is why I got it today.” Actually, it was because he started it with the first snowball he’d thrown at what Shyla thought were wild wolves.

  “Okay,” she said with a smile. “Then I guess I don’t have to constantly look over my shoulder while I’m out learning how to be a trapper with you.”

  “No. Plus, they wouldn’t have you as their target. They know better than that.”

  Shyla chuckled. “I still can’t believe you threw snowballs at those wolves. I thought for sure one of them would attack you for it.”

  Cyrus grinned and shook his head. “They wouldn’t dare.”

  “Do they come around often?”

  He snorted. “All the frigging time. They’re family, so what can I do?”

  “You mean like family pets?”

  Cyrus quickly realized his mistake once Shyla asked that particular question. “Yeah, sort of.” He changed the subject. “I’ll make us some breakfast. I have bacon and eggs out in the ice house. I’ll run outside and get them.”

  He put on his winter boots once more, then walked out of the cabin before Shyla could say anything. He definitely was going to have to tell her very soon what he was. He’d already slipped up once, which meant he’d do it again. He didn’t want her to find out on her own before he had a chance to lead her in to it.

  * * * *

  As the door closed behind Cyrus, Shyla shook her head and chuckled as she sat on the couch. She’d followed him outside to see if indeed it’d been wolves she’d heard. It’d been a bit of a shocker to see him throwing snowballs at the animals and hitting them. Now that she thought back on it, some of their wolfy expressions had been funny. It was almost as if they’d said what the hell. And that last snowball that’d gotten Cyrus, it’d seemed to come out of nowhere. His brother had to be a crack shot and really good had hiding in the bush. She hadn’t seen him at all.

  It wasn’t long before Cyrus returned to the cabin. Just as he came inside carrying a package of bacon and a carton of eggs, the sound of her cell phone ringing in the bedroom drew Shyla’s attention.

  She stood, and said, “I’d better get that. It’s probably my cousin.”

  Cyrus nodded. “Go ahead. Take as long as you need. I’ll get the food going.”

  Shyla hurried to the bedroom. She went to the pile of outdoor clothing in front of the fireplace that consisted of her winter jacket and snow pants. She fished her cell out of the jacket pocket and hit the button to answer the call.

  “Hello?”

  “I’m so glad to hear your voice,” Nancy replied.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

  “Well, you did. What happened?”

  “I dumped the snowmobile and couldn’t get it righted. So I stupidly thought I’d be able to walk back, but the storm worsened and I got turned around so badly I became lost. If not for Cyrus finding me, I hate to think would have happened.”

  Her cousin sighed. “Cyrus is truly hot. I’ve seen him a few times around town, but have never spoken to him. He and his family seem to keep to themselves.”

  “I hadn’t realized you’d seen Cyrus yesterday. I thought it was just John.”

  “Probably would have been, but John asked me to bring a piece of your clothing that you’d worn to him so he could give it to Cyrus.”

  Shyla’s brows drew together. “Why would he have done that?”

  “Because Cyrus said he needed it for his hunting dogs so they could pick up your scent. He said he was going to use them to help look for you.”

  “Oh. I didn’t know about the shirt.”

  “It was just one of your sweat shirts that I took out of your dirty laundry. I guess the dog thing must have worked for him to have found you so quickly.”

  “Yeah, it must have.”

  Shyla had to wonder if Cyrus had used the wolves that he’d mentioned as family and had called them dogs for John’s benefit. She was sure her cousin’s husband wouldn’t have been that comfortable with the idea of Cyrus using wild wolves to search for her. They could be dangerous.

  “Did John find the snowmobile?” Shyla asked, deciding to veer away from the topic of dogs or wolves.

  “Yes. He had his buddy take him on his machine. They just got back a little while ago. He wants to know if you want him to come get you. It’ll have to be by snowmobile since the roads are still pretty terrible.”

  “Actually, John doesn’t have to bother.” She paused. “I’m in no hurry to leave.”

  “You hooked up with that fine piece of male ass, didn’t you?”

  Shyla burst out laughing. “That’s a good way of putting it. Yes, I did. I surprised myself with that one.”

  “It’s about damn time you loosened up. I’ve been telling you for years that you need to relax more when it comes to men. You can get too uptight.”

  “Then you should like this. Cyrus is a trapper. I sort of talked him into teaching me how to run a trapline with him.”

  Nancy didn’t say anything right away. “You want to learn how to be a trapper?”

  “It sounds different.”

  Her cousin snorted. “You could say that. It isn’t an easy career. I don’t think you have any idea what you’ll be getting yourself into. You’re a city girl. You’ve never even been hunting before. You know you’ll be skinning animals and then having to dry and stretch the pelts. It’s messy work.”

  “I know. I think I can do it.”

  “More like you’re going to use it as an opportunity to spend more time with Cyrus.”

  “Maybe, but it’ll also give me something else to do besides sit at your place all day. You know there aren’t any job openings in Canyon Creek.”

  “True. All right. I’ll let John know you’re fine and that you’ll come home when you’re ready.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Enjoy your
hunk. I’ll see you when I see you.”

  “Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  Shyla smiled as she ended the call. Now she didn’t have to worry about Nancy getting upset when she didn’t come home right away. She put her phone on the nightstand next to the side of the bed she’d slept on before she walked out of the bedroom.

  The smell of cooking bacon filled her nose as she headed for the kitchen area. Shyla came up behind Cyrus where he stood at the woodstove and put her arms around him. She rested her head against his muscular back.

  He looked over his shoulder at her. “All done with your phone call?”

  Shyla kept an arm along his waist as she stepped around him to stand at his side. “Yeah. It was Nancy, my cousin.”

  “Does that mean you’ll be leaving me soon?”

  She smiled. “Not unless you want me to. John would have picked me up on a snowmobile since the roads are still bad, but I told Nancy to tell him not to bother. I figured you could take me home when I’m ready. I want to stick around. I’ve been enjoying the company.”

  Cyrus wrapped an arm along her shoulders, bent his head and gave her a kiss that was short but filled with heat. Once he pulled away, he said, “You don’t ever have to leave, as far as I’m concerned. So I won’t be kicking you out. You will have to put up with me going to check my traps, though. And I’ll have to stop in at my parents’ before they decide to come here.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “After that, I’ll take you to bed and keep you there for the rest of the day.”

  Shyla swallowed as a surge of desire shot through her. She definitely liked that last part. “I can help with the traps. After all, you’re supposed teach me how to become a trapper. And if you don’t mind introducing me to your parents, I have no problem meeting them.” She turned to face him and finger walked down his abs to the crotch of his sweat pants. She gave his cock, which twitched, a gentle caress. “As for the bed part, let me shower first, then I’m all yours.”