by Simone Bern
“What the fuck difference does that make? You think we survived so long because we made exceptions for beautiful women with dark secrets? Hell no.”
Jeremy’s insides turned to ice. Maybe telling his father wasn’t such a good idea. He had really thought that with Lee being a witch his dad would treat the situation differently.
“You won’t touch her,” Jeremy stated coldly.
The fury in his father’s face just grew stronger. He put down the book and stood. Jeremy got up to face him. They were the same height but the old man still had a good twenty pounds on him and it was muscle, not fat. A hard finger stabbed him in the chest. “The rules are simple. She knows, she dies. And it’s your dumbass fault.”
Jeremy glared back at the hard blue eyes. “Anyone who tries to harm her will have to face me. And that includes you, old man.”
His father jabbed toward his stomach. Jeremy sidestepped the fist and kicked at his dad’s legs. The bastard barely staggered and swung at him again. This one landed on his shoulder and Jeremy sucked in a breath at the pain. His fist was already lashing out though and he got in a good shot on the side, just under the rib cage. The old man might be bigger but Jeremy was faster. They circled one another warily.
“She wanted me to pass along a message,” Jeremy said. “If she senses a werewolf nearby she’ll act first and ask questions later. And believe me you don’t want to get on the bad side of this witch.”
“She dares to threaten us?” his dad sputtered indignantly.
“Only in response to our threat. I explained the rules to her. And by the way I didn’t actually tell her. She sensed me following her in wolf form. Knew what I was right away.”
“But you showed yourself to her, didn’t you?”
Jeremy shrugged. “It happened. She knows about me and I know about her.” He flashed a brief, feral grin. “We like the situation just fine, so stay out of it.”
“You’ve been bewitched, all right. Had your brains sucked right out through your cock.” His dad dropped his arms and seemed to give up the fight. Jeremy allowed some of the tension to drain out of him.
“Whatever you’re hoping for it won’t work,” the old man continued, dropping back into his lounge chair. “She’s no different than the others. One of these days she’ll say or do the wrong thing and you’ll blow a fuse. That controlled, civilized exterior of yours will be gone in a flash. And she’ll run. Then the rest of us will have to hunt her down and kill her.”
Jeremy winced inside. There was a chance his dad was right. A werewolf in a fury was frightening beyond words. Even Lee might break and run in the face of that. But he wasn’t about to admit the possibility to his father.
“Never,” he answered. “For one thing she hasn’t a drop of fear in her. She’s seen the real me and glared right back. For another you go after her and you’re the one who will die. This woman has power you can’t even imagine. Don’t test her…or me.”
His father stared silently up at him for a moment then shrugged and said, “Fine. Go fuck your witch. Get some pleasure out of her before the whole dreamscape collapses. You always want more than you can have, Jeremy. It’s a dangerous trait. I just hope you don’t get burned too badly before you learn the wisdom of our ways.”
“Our ways stink,” Jeremy spat out. “Fuck ‘em and leave ‘em. Maybe get a kid if you’re lucky. We’re dying out because we won’t trust. How many younger werewolves have a son, Dad? None that I know of. Damn right I want more. I want this woman. I want the life we can have together. Maybe even a real family. It’s a dream…and maybe it won’t happen. But it’s a damn sight better to reach for a dream than to settle for a lifetime of soulless fucking and an empty house.”
His father didn’t answer, just picked up his book. Jeremy walked out of the yard and got into the car. He tried to put the key in the ignition and couldn’t, his hand was trembling too hard. He slammed the steering wheel and growled. For more than forty years he’d lived with his father’s quick fists and cutting words. They’d been jabbing at each other almost nonstop since he was a kid but he had never opposed his father on any of the important things. Not until now. He took a deep breath and steadied his hand. The key slipped into the ignition and Jeremy put the car into gear.
The narrow country road ran beside fields greening up in the late June warmth. There were a few monster houses tucked in between the hovels that had been here for years. The area was changing, drawing wealthy city folk who were willing to do the long commute into town for their yuppie jobs. Jeremy paid little attention to the passing scenery.
Why couldn’t his father understand that Lee was different? She was one of them. A semi-human remnant of some genetic hiccup in the distant past now hiding in the shadows of ordinary life. She was almost as fearful as he was of being exposed. Lee might let others catch glimpses of her extraordinary abilities but she kept her true power tightly under wraps. She knew people would be afraid of what she really was.
Their kind had been captured in stories that would not go away, no matter how cleverly they hid themselves. Parents still told their children the dark tales, full of misunderstanding and based on the actions of a wicked few. It was very rare for a werewolf to kill people for pleasure but it did happen. Jeremy wondered briefly how witches policed themselves. A werewolf that went bad was taken down by others of his kind. Such killing was justified. He firmly believed that. Still, the memory sat like a rotten canker on his soul. He was wolf enough to kill a man but human enough to regret that the act had been necessary.
What he had said to his father was true. They needed to learn to trust. If they continued along the same path another couple generations and werewolves would no longer exist. Once upon a time his kind could venture forth from their damp, gloomy castles and take a village girl to bed until they managed to get an heir. Life was easier then, especially if you had wealth. And wealth was easy enough to come by. His ancestors had amassed considerable fortunes during less rigidly law-abiding days. Jeremy did not need to work. There was a significant sum of money stored away in Switzerland. He could live like a rich playboy, except that would inevitably draw media attention. These days living like a wealthy eccentric just created more problems. So he did his best at pretending to be an average middle-class guy.
But he wanted so much more than what he had right now. Not the money, not the rich lifestyle—he wanted a home and family. Someone to wake up next to, arguments about what color to paint the bedroom, kids tugging on his sleeve and plastic toys scattered around the living room. The impossible life of TV sitcoms. With Lee he felt he had a shot at that. He knew it was damn stupid to pin all his dreams on one wild little woman. He was afraid his dad might be right and fear would eventually drive her away.
No, Jeremy swore to himself, not this time. He wouldn’t let it happen again. He’d keep his temper around her even if it killed him.
Chapter Nine
Lee strode down the street, dodging lampposts and slow-moving pedestrians. It was Friday night and she had a hot date. Jeremy would be arriving within minutes and she wanted to get home early enough to prepare. She chuckled, not that she’d be dressing up—it was more of a stripping down that she had in mind.
Lee tossed her keys on the side table and started stripping. Her sensible black leather pumps and trench coat landed in the closet. She unbuttoned the cotton blouse on the way into the bedroom and pulled off her slim skirt. Bra and plain, boring panties got thrown into the laundry bin. She reached into her dress-up drawer and pulled out a black corset and stockings. Jeremy would love that. She just had time to slip into a short silk robe before the buzzer went off.
She stepped into black spike heels and went to answer the door. Jeremy’s eyes raked over her outfit and he grinned like a boy being offered a new toy. He had a brown paper bag in one hand and a sports bag in the other.
“Oh, baby. You look good enough to eat. And I’m suddenly very, very hungry.”
She smiled and raised an eyebrow at h
is luggage.
“Change of clothes for tomorrow.”
Lee shrugged. She doubted he really needed to bring a whole bag of clothing for one night but maybe he wanted to stake a claim to her closet.
“Let’s put out the sushi,” she said.
Jeremy dropped the paper bag onto the table and then came up behind her while she was reaching for plates. His hands went straight for her bare ass, sticking out between the corset and stockings. She put the plates down and he pulled off her silk wrap.
“Wow, that’s sexy,” he murmured into her shoulder.
She pushed him away. “First we eat.”
“Please, pretty please, can’t I have dessert first?” he whispered into her ear.
Lee ignored him and began unpacking the containers of sushi. He had picked up all her favorites—tuna, salmon and ebi sashimi, dynamite rolls, california rolls and futomaki. She picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth. Then she turned to offer some to Jeremy, who was still busy exploring her backside.
“Sit down, my hungry wolf, let me feed you.” She pushed him toward a chair.
He sat down and she straddled his lap. “Do you like soy sauce or wasabi?”
“I like them naked or barely dressed. Sort of how I like you,” he replied and licked the tops of her breasts. She tried the tuna sashimi and it melted in her mouth.
“Mmmm, you have to have one of these. They’re perfect.”
“I think I will,” he said and lifted a breast out of her corset.
“Not that…this.”
He gulped down the delectable morsel in a sinful rush before returning his attention to her breasts.
“Jeremy, you’re not doing this meal justice.”
“I know. How about you eat while I play?”
Lee managed to get down another half dozen or so bites. Jeremy rubbed her clit and sucked on a nipple while she sat on his lap and ate. Her body was starting to tremble with mounting desire. He noticed and moved his stroking fingers deeper into her cunt. His mouth clamped down hard on her breast and she moaned. She writhed on his lap, pressing herself onto his hand.
“This is too distracting,” she murmured between gasps of pleasure.
Jeremy raised his head and smiled. She kissed him hard, thrusting her tongue into his mouth as he jabbed even deeper into her slippery-wet cunt. With a groan she bit his lower lip. Her hand reached down and rubbed the hard bulge in his jeans.
“I give up,” she declared. “Let’s go have dessert.”
She slipped off his lap and headed for the bedroom. Jeremy followed, tossing off his shirt en route. Lee sat on the bed and watched as he pulled down his pants. He came toward her, his swollen cock jutting into the air. She put her arms around his waist as he stood in front of her. She licked his cock from base to tip and then moved her tongue slowly around the cap. His hands cupped the back of her head and nudged her on. Taking him into her mouth, Lee sucked hard, released the pressure then sucked again.
Jeremy groaned and pulled away. “Keep doing that and I’ll come.”
She smiled up at him. “I can wait for the next course.”
“A very tempting offer, my witch. But I’ve been dreaming about the sounds you make when I fuck you. I want to hear those animal shrieks again.” He pulled her up and his mouth descended on hers. Then he turned her around and suggested, “If you get down on all fours on the bed I can probably take you standing up.”
She eagerly got into position. Jeremy slid into her, his hand gripping her waist and pulling her onto his long shaft.
“Oh yeah. This is good,” he said between thrusts. “I can fuck you hard like this.”
“Yes. Please yes. Fuck me hard, my wolf.”
He was penetrating so deep that she could feel his cock slamming into the top of her vagina. It sent shock waves of ecstatic pain-tinged pleasure into her. She reached back between her legs and took hold of his balls, tugging gently. He howled and almost lifted her off the bed with his next thrust. She gasped out a muffled shriek, struggling to keep her cries muted. Then her climax hit like a black wind. It tore away her control and she screamed.
Jeremy joined her in an equally loud orgasmic release.
They toppled onto the bed. She had hardly caught her breath when Jeremy stood back up.
“Time to go eat,” he said and tugged her onto her feet.
“It won’t go bad in another ten minutes, you know,” she teased but followed him back to the table.
They devoured the rest of the sushi. Then she curled up next to Jeremy on her sofa. He seemed unable to relax. Even after the sex and food she could feel tension pulse in him.
“You’re really wired today, more so than usual. Anything happen?” Lee asked.
He leaned back and shut his eyes for a minute then looked at her with a serious expression. “Missing kid, eleven years old. I spent most of today interviewing relatives, friends, teachers. No leads so far.”
“A runaway?”
“Her parents don’t think so and, even more important, her friends don’t. I’ve got someone tearing apart the family computer to see if she was in contact with anyone—you know, telling some perv in a chat room too much about herself.” He sighed. “She disappeared yesterday afternoon. I’ll be going in to work tomorrow, that’s why I brought my uniform.”
“I guess something this important you have to work the overtime. Are we still on for Sunday?” She let him see her disappointment.
“I’ll take the evening off. Sorry, but it’ll be pretty intense for a while. The longer it takes to find her…”
Lee nodded. Every day that passed increased the probability that the girl was dead. She hesitated then made her offer, “If I can help let me know. I’m good at getting information out of people and I’m good at finding things that have been…buried.”
He gave her a long look. “Thanks. I’ll let you know.”
Lee went to the fridge and took out two beers. Jeremy could probably use one and his tension was feeding into her. “Should we dress and go out onto the balcony?” she asked.
“Nah. I like the view just fine from here.” He grinned at her. She was still in the black corset although she had lost the shoes some time ago.
Lee sat on the other end of the sofa and put her feet onto his lap. He took the hint and started giving her a foot massage. They talked about various topics from the weather to political mishaps making the news. Lee closed her eyes and relaxed. She lazily rubbed against the rising lump at Jeremy’s crotch.
“That feels very nice,” he said. His hand was wrapped around the base of her thigh. She scooted closer and opened her legs for him.
He accepted the invitation and slid two fingers into her moist cunt. “You look so hot in that outfit. I wish I could take a picture of you like that.”
She smiled. “Maybe someday.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“Would you let me take pictures of you naked?”
He thought about it for a moment. “It could wreck my career if they got onto the Internet. I’m sure the photos would launch another one but I don’t want to be a porn star.”
“My, aren’t we modest,” she teased.
He raised an eyebrow. “Do I have any reason to be?”
“No. I have to admit you have the physique for it. Not sure about the temperament.”
“Yeah. I’m not into fucking some blonde bimbo while guys with cameras watch.” His fingers continued to massage her clit as they talked.
“The bimbo part obviously isn’t a problem so I guess you must have performance anxiety,” she said dryly. Her body was feeling pleasantly tingly—not intensely hot and needy yet just the beginnings of an aching desire.
“You’re not going to let the Melissa thing go, are you?”
“Well, she is a bimbo and you did fuck her.”
“She was a warm, willing body and I was hungry. Haven’t you ever taken a man to bed who had no capacity for intelligent conversation? Some big guy with the brains of a Neander
thal?”
Lee thought about some of her nameless fucks. She’d done it more than once this past year. Met some guy at a club, went to his place, had sex and then snuck out while he was sleeping, leaving nothing but her scent behind. No names. No phone numbers. No attempts at conversation. “Yeah. I’ve been there. Okay, I forgive you.”
He laughed and his hand stopped moving. “Forgive me for a woman I was with before I met you? How far back do you want to go, Lee? You could be granting absolution for a very long time.”
“Don’t brag. I don’t want to know the numbers.” She sat up. “Makes me nervous thinking about communicable diseases. We haven’t exactly been careful.”
Lee frowned as she thought about that. Their meeting in the woods had been so wild it hadn’t even occurred to her to demand protection. And then it had seemed like a case of shutting the barn door after the horses were out. But if he really had been with that many women, maybe she should still ask him to wear a condom. Her powers could heal her of most illnesses but she didn’t really want to try her luck with AIDS.
“Don’t worry about it, my witch. Werewolves don’t get sick. Not ever.”
“What? You’re naturally resistant to everything—colds, the flu, gonorrhea, AIDS?”
“Yep. None of us have ever had so much as a sniffle in our lives.” He pulled her against his chest and bent his head to kiss her.
She pushed him away “What about pregnancy?”
“We’re not particularly fertile but I do usually ensure some kind of protection. You were rather a surprise event. I assume that you—”
“I’m on the Pill.”
He nodded. “Then there’s nothing to worry about.”
She looked at him keenly. “What’s the drawback? My mother taught me that every magic has its price. You’re inhumanly strong, extremely fast, have heightened senses, age slowly and don’t get sick. What’s the price for all that?”
Jeremy growled softly into her ear. “I get hungry. Very hungry.” He nibbled on her throat. “I have to eat probably twice as much as a normal man. I eat dinner before we go out and then have a second meal. And I crave sex almost as much as food. A week without a woman is very difficult for me.”