by Ann Gimpel
He moved his mouth away from hers and looked down from where he balanced on his arms. “Yes, sweet girl, come for me. I wish you could see yourself. You’re glowing.”
Her orgasm barely took a bite out of her need. She moved her hips lazily. “More.”
His face was so beautiful, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. “I’ll give you all the more you want.” He withdrew. His cock glistened with her fluids. “Turn over, darling, on your hands and knees.”
Audrey flipped over and felt him sink inside her again. He closed a hand over her swollen nub and rubbed as he drove his cock into her. Another climax rose to the surface, rolling in on the waves of the last one. She was close, almost there, when he crowed. “Open your eyes, we’re shifting. We’ll finish as wolves.”
Chapter 11
Max’s claws dug into the soft fabric of the bedclothes. He was probably ripping the shit out of them, but he didn’t care. From his vantage point behind her, he watched Audrey transform into a stunning black and gray timber wolf with a lush pelt. He felt his own transformation. Felt his penis develop a bulb on the end that swelled inside her vulva, holding them together.
He forced himself to wait until the transformation was complete. This coupling would count as the one in animal form, but not if it happened before they were fully wolves. His cock was so hard, it ached. He’d been on the edge of coming for a long time, but he’d wanted to bring her to a second climax. The transformation only took moments, but they lasted an eternity. Finally, he let himself go. His climax rocked him to the pads of his feet. He tossed back his head and howled and then buried his teeth in the junction between her neck and shoulder.
Audrey howled right along with him. Her vulva quivered. He rocked his cock deeper inside her. Her muscles clenched around him and clenched again. He kept on moving to extend her orgasm. He wanted her to come a thousand times. His mate. His woman. She would never want for anything. Ever. He would see to it.
Ecstasy didn’t come close to describing his delight. Earlier, part of him had been lost in the wonder of her body, but another part was waiting for them to shift. It was only when he stopped worrying about it—and trying to control things—that nature had taken over.
It took a while before her body stopped quivering. She wriggled her butt against him. “We’re stuck like this for a few minutes,” he told her.
“I thought it might be something like that,” she murmured. “Oh, Max. I don’t care if we’re stuck like this forever. Maybe I do. I love you so much. I want to be able to turn around and hold you and kiss you.”
“Soon, darling. My love. My mate.” He growled, surprised at the possessive note.
“At first I kept waiting for us to shift, then I got so caught up in wanting you, I guess I sort of forgot all about it.”
“Which is why it finally happened.” He moved inside her, testing things. It seemed he was a little smaller. Maybe he’d be able to slip out. It would be nice to get their paws on the floor. The bed was far too soft.
“Oh my God, you’re white.” She craned her neck around to look at him. “I saw a white paw, but all of you is white. And your pelt is gorgeous.”
“I’m a Russian wolf. All of us are white. Helps us hunt in winter—which lasts damn near all year.”
“If we have children—”
“Not if, when.” He heaved backward and tugged himself out of her body. ”Come on down to the floor. You can look at me all you like.”
She took him at his word, padding around him and licking and sniffing. “You’re even more handsome as a wolf than you are as a human, and that’s saying something.” She licked his snout.
Max didn’t know how to respond. Emotion thrummed through him. He shifted and said, “Now you. I want to hold you against my human body.”
“I wasn’t done,” his wolf protested.
“You’ll get another opportunity soon enough at the mating ceremony.”
“I was right,” his wolf boasted, sounding insufferably smug.
“I should listen to you more often,” Max told him. He grinned and drew Audrey’s naked body into his arms.
“Truer words were never spoken,” the wolf gloated.
“Yours talks to you, too.” Audrey looked up at him, hazel eyes aglow with joy.
Max laughed. “You betcha.” He ran his hands down the silk of her skin. “Ready for one more round, or would you like a break? Something to eat or drink or a bath?”
“Maybe a drink of water. I started to ask you this before. If we have children what will the wolves look like?”
“Probably timber wolves like you. The white color and long coat should be recessive, but I’m not certain about that. We’ll just have to produce a few and find out.” He grinned. “Are you sure you don’t want juice or wine or beer or liquor? I’ve got some stellar Irish whiskey from the eighteen hundreds.”
“Later. Didn’t you say we needed to make love both ways before we were, uh, mated?”
“You came in both forms. So the bond’s complete on your side.”
Her eyes danced with mischief. “Looks like you owe the kitty an orgasm.” She closed her hands over his stiffening cock. “How do you want me, and how can we keep from shifting?”
“Frontal sex works pretty well. Or you could finish what you started with your mouth.” He kissed her forehead and her eyelids. “Depends if you want to come again. Of course, we could do simultaneous oral.”
“I feel like a kid in a candy store. I want it all. I want you in my mouth and in my pussy and in my hands. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of looking at you or feeling you against me.”
“I love you, Audrey.” He covered her mouth with his.
She returned his kiss with a joy that filled his soul. Finally, after all this time, he was complete. An empty place inside him would never be empty again. She hadn’t been a shifter long enough to fully appreciate what that meant. He maneuvered them back toward the bed, never breaking their kiss. Her tongue sparred with his. His cock throbbed between them, anxious to bury itself inside her again.
Audrey must have felt it because she trailed kisses down his body, leaving a track of liquid fire. Before she could kneel in front of him, he lifted her onto the bed and lay next to her. She tongued a trail down his chest and stomach. When her mouth closed over his cock, it was exquisite. Bolts of pure lust radiated from his dick to his fingers and toes. It felt like his body was a lightning rod for pleasure. She nibbled with her teeth and pumped his shaft with a hand. Her other hand moved between his legs and pressed right behind his balls.
They snugged up against his body. The only thing in the world was Audrey and her knowing mouth and fingers. His cock exploded, alight with burning jets as they raced outward. He came forever, higher than he’d ever been.
She licked and swallowed, finally lifting her mouth from him. “Sweet,” she murmured. “I loved doing that. I could get hooked on the way you taste and feel in my mouth. Did you know you swell even more right before you come? I didn’t think you could get any bigger, but—”
He pulled her up the length of his body and sank his tongue inside her mouth. She tasted of him, and it drove him mad. He felt himself harden again. Her hips pressed rhythmically against him. Erect nipples jabbed into his chest. He put a hand on either side of her face and drew away from their kiss. “Do you want me inside you or my mouth on you?”
“It’s a hard choice.” A broad grin split her face. “How about mouth—this time.”
Max flipped her onto her back and positioned himself so his head was between her legs. He licked her nub experimentally. She buried her hands in his hair and drove her pussy against his face. “Move, goddammit,” she growled.
He took her clit into his mouth and sucked while plunging fingers inside her pussy. He paid special attention to her G-spot. Audrey moaned and writhed under his touch. When he glanced up, she’d moved her hands to her breasts and was twirling the nipples. Her clit swelled. She had to be close. He sucked harder and worked h
er pussy with his fingers. Her muscles grabbed his fingers and grabbed again. She was coming. He sucked and licked until her arched back fell onto the mattress.
“Oh my God. That was amazing,” she said, panting. “You can do it again whenever you want.”
He pulled his fingers out of her and sucked them clean. What a sweet pussy she had. Tight and hot and fragrant. His wolf was damn near incontrollable. He wanted out for another round.
Audrey laughed and held out her arms. He crawled up her body and settled into them. “My wolf wants more. She wants to know when the mating ritual will be.”
“After we take a break and eat something.”
“Maybe I could rinse off.”
“Good idea. I’m right behind you.”
*
Audrey leaned against Max as he soaped her with a loofah. “Where do you get all this stuff?” She gestured to the soap, shampoo, and bathing sponges. “I’ve seen some at the black market, but they’re wicked expensive.”
“Johannes gets them from a number of black markets. Not all of them are located in the U.S.” He sluiced water down her body. “Ready to get out?”
“Not really. I feel like I woke up in a fairy tale. I never want it to end.”
“It never will.” He turned off the water and drew her close. “You’ll never have to worry about anything ever again. I’ll take care of you.” He grabbed a thick towel and wrapped her in it.
“Do I get to take care of you, too?” Audrey was so moved, it was hard to find words.
“Of course, darling. We’ll take care of each other.” He tossed her a robe. “Let’s go downstairs. Johannes should have supper made for us.”
“Is it dinnertime already?” She slid into the soft terrycloth and belted it around herself.
“Are you hungry?” She nodded. “Then it’s dinnertime.”
Audrey followed him back to the mansion’s first level. The smells of dinner made her mouth water. Guess I burned up a bunch of calories. Feeling like a spectator on a tour, she craned her neck first one way, then the other. The house was so large, it would take weeks to get familiar with the place. She gazed at an array of artwork and sculpture that must have cost a fortune. “Not that it matters, but you must have a lot of money. California pays you pretty well but not nearly well enough to afford all this.” She took his arm once they got to the main floor.
“I’ve been alive for a long time. And I’ve done a lot of things.”
“You’re going to tell me about each of them.” Possessiveness burned in every nerve ending. She wanted to know everything about Max.
“Of course I am. Mates have no secrets from each other.” He pushed open a swinging door and held it for her.
Johannes leapt to his feet with a warm smile on his face. He strode to her and kissed her forehead. “Welcome to the pack, sister.”
“Thank you. Are you really part of a pack with Max? How are shifter packs organized?” Even though she knew it was safe to ask, the questions still felt awkward on her tongue.
“No, I’m a mountain cat. You were right about one thing a few days ago, though. Max and I have known each other for hundreds of years.”
“Watch it.” Max jabbed Johannes’ arm. “She’ll start thinking I’m much too old for her.”
“How many hundreds?” Audrey was fascinated.
“Never mind,” Max murmured. “Dinner smells great. We’re ready.”
“I’ll just bet you are. I could smell the, um, progress of your activities.” Johannes leered knowingly. “You’re lucky I didn’t storm the fortress. I was this close,” he held up his thumb and forefinger, “to joining the fun.”
“Really?” Audrey looked from one man to the other. After the intense lovemaking with Max, she couldn’t imagine adding anyone to the equation. Not only couldn’t she imagine it, she didn’t even want to.
“No. I’m joking. We may take some women as a team, but mates are a whole other story. They’re definitely a one-on-one proposition.” Johannes winked. “Take her into the dining room, Max. I thought we could eat in there tonight, since it’s such a special occasion.”
Max drew her through a door on the far side of the kitchen. Audrey took a step into the old-fashioned formal dining room and gasped. Tears filled her eyes. A chandelier with too many lighted candles to count illuminated a polished mahogany table set with crystal, china, and silver. A matching sideboard almost groaned under the weight of several dishes. “This is all for us?” She turned to Max, not trusting herself with more words.
“Yes, love. All for us. It’s a rare and wonderful day when one of us finds their mated one. Let me seat you.” He pulled out a chair.
She took a closer look at the carved wood and padded seat before she sat. “This looks like an antique.”
“Well, it was new when I bought it in the eighteen hundreds. Cost a fortune to ship it over here from Europe. I’m glad you like old things. I’ve never been able to force myself to get rid of any of the furnishings in this house, even though they’re not practical.” He took the chair next to hers.
“If I read the regulations right, a lot of these things aren’t even legal to own anymore. Like that big bathtub upstairs. They use too much water. Or,” she glanced at the lit fireplace with a log in it crackling merrily, “those. Wood is scarcely available for anything anymore. Burning it is—”
“Spare me, Carrie Nation. I find certain things…comforting. And I have a problem with laws designed to protect me from myself. One of the trees on the estate blew down during a storm last month. The wood isn’t any good to anyone, so I’m using it for the occasional fire. It’s either that or give it to one of those pulp mills.”
Johannes walked into the dining room carrying a bottle of champagne. “What? You haven’t served yourselves yet? The food will get cold.” He poured the fizzy liquid into cut crystal champagne flutes.
Audrey smiled around a lump in her throat. She still couldn’t quite believe her new life. “Here.” She got to her feet. “Let me dish up our dinners. I’d feel better if I could be helpful. Truly.”
She padded to the sideboard and took silver lids off the serving dishes. “Oh, my.” She turned to glance at Johannes over one shoulder. “Come tell me what each of these is.”
He set the champagne down and walked to her side. “This one is a lamb casserole with caramelized onions. This is chicken breast in a creamy parmesan sauce. This is orzo with fresh herbs from the garden and a bit of cream. The rest you’d recognize easily.”
“Hmph. Looks like I could benefit from some time in the kitchen with you. Never was much of a cook.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Max said. “I’d still love you if you burned water.”
“That’s only because you’d still have me to cook for you,” Johannes teased.
“What do you want?” she asked Max.
“A little of everything.”
For a while the only sound was the clink of silver against fine bone china. Audrey hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she began eating, and then she remembered she hadn’t had any lunch and very little for breakfast.
“A toast.” Johannes raised a champagne flute. “To a fruitful mating.” He cocked his head to one side. “If I’m any judge of things, it’s off to a sound start.”
She raised her glass and clinked it against the men’s. “I’d like to propose a toast as well. To both of you, for being strong and true to our people.”
Johannes looked hard at Max. “You got a good one. She’s smart as well as beautiful.”
Audrey felt heat rise to her face. “I’m not used to compliments.”
“I can tell. Before we have dessert, would you like me to formally join you?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Max laid a hand over hers. “Have you had enough to eat for now? The ceremony can take…a while.”
She drained her champagne. “Sure. I can eat any time. It’s not every day a girl gets married.”
Max stood and extended a hand to her. �
��Come stand by my side in front of the fire.”
Johannes followed them and withdrew a smooth, dark stone from his pocket. It was curved and so shiny it reflected light from the fire. “This is a ritual mating stone. As one of twelve elders of the shifter clan, I am authorized to bind mated couples. Hold out your right hands.” He made short, deep cuts in the meaty part just beneath the balls of their thumbs and held their hands so the cuts bled into one another.
“Now repeat after me. Body of my body, blood of my blood, now and forevermore, I shall be yours.”
“Before you say the words,” Max placed a finger under her chin and tipped it up so her gaze met his, “you need to know this is permanent. It will bind us together throughout eternity in both our forms.”
“I understand. You told me something similar earlier.” Her heart swelled with emotion. It spilled over in tears. “I love you, Max. I want to be with you through every lifetime I have. Body of my body, blood of my blood, now and forevermore, I shall be yours.”
Max repeated the words while looking deep into her eyes. “You’re crying.” He grazed a knuckle gently over her cheeks.
“It’s because I’m happy.”
Johannes handed white linen strips to them. “Bind your mating wounds and bury the cloths in a safe place.” He elbowed Max. “Ready for the next part?”
Max cleared his throat. “Hopefully. Could you give us a few moments’ privacy while I explain what happens next.”
Johannes quirked a brow. “Oho! I’d love to be a fly on that wall, but I shall be a gentleman and retreat to the kitchen where I’ll try not to listen. I’m as close as a holler.”
Chapter 12
“What’s all the cloak and dagger stuff?” Audrey wrapped the cloth more firmly around her cut.
Max cringed. Warmth, love, and trust shone from her hazel eyes. He didn’t want to do anything to disabuse that trust. He put his arms around her and stroked her hair. “If you were born a shifter you’d know and accept this part. It may sound odd to you since you were raised human.”