Forget Me Knot

by Melissa Glisan

  Celena semi-woke from her arousal when Madden pushed her knees to her chest, the sudden change startled her out of the haze of lust. She made to move, to demand to know what was going on when she felt his arm behind her knees shift. He slid her panties to her ankles and slid her knees to his shoulders. Before her mouth could frame the question on her lips, his tongue slid over her swollen flesh and lower to the spot that ached. The thrust of his tongue made the pulsing throb explode into a river of electricity spilling through her veins. She heard herself call out, begging, crying without sense as her back bowed against the mattress. It felt like his mouth was everywhere at once, licking, plunging, sucking, and soothing her body as her legs shook. Her world narrowed to a point and dimmed as she begged for more.

  “Lena,” he kissed the inside of a quivering thigh, “do you want more?” Madden was so hard he hurt, but he had to be sure, she felt pretty tight. Maybe it had been a long time since she had a lover. Not giving her time to answer he teased her, slowly sliding his tongue from her sheath to flick against her clit as his finger unhurriedly plumbed her depths.

  “Yes,” she sobbed, clutching at his shoulders. That was all the encouragement he needed, it wasn’t romantic, but the way she was mewling and begging, he figured she wouldn’t notice that he just managed to slide free of his jeans for their first coupling. He didn’t mind, that was certain, his brain burned with the need to be inside her, to sink in fast and deep, surround himself with her skin, scent, and cries.

  What he hadn’t expected, as he settled between her legs, cock in hand, easing the purpled helmet into her slick, pink flesh was to feel her stiffen. Dimly, he heard Celena call his name as he captured her mouth for a hungry kiss, a split second before he thrust hard into her hot, tight channel. Three things immediately registered, she was so tight he stopped mid-thrust, hair pulling really hurt, and for a small woman, he discovered she had incredibly strong thigh muscles as she tried to buck him off.

  “Stop, Lena, God please don’t do that.” He held himself very still as she tried to pull her hips away. Clearly she didn’t know how amazing it felt to have her slick inner muscles tugging at his cock. “Please, Celena, easy.” It was killing him not to continue what he started but he stayed still, cupping her weeping face in his hands, hating himself very much. The sweat on his back beaded and rolled along his spine, making him shiver.

  “A virgin?” He hadn’t meant to sound accusatory but the pain in his balls was intense.

  “I’m sorry,” she sniffled.

  “No baby, I’m sorry.” Gently he kissed all the tears off of her beautiful face. “I never expected--that is--I thought you were just tight, not that…well you know,” he ended lamely.

  “You’re still in me.” Her wide velvety eyes blinked owlishly up at him.

  “I know,” he smiled ruefully, “give me a second to uh—Angel, don’t move like that.” He closed his eyes, looking at all that beautiful skin wiggling underneath him was a trial and a half. Having her place her feet on the bed and lift her hips in a soft rocking motion wasn’t helping. It was decidedly making him happier to continue than to quit.

  “Look at me you goof.” Stunned, he opened his eyes, goof? “I wanted you to be my first,” she bit her lip, “Well really my one and only. I knew it would hurt, just not that much.”

  Delicately, he tried to back off of Celena but found he couldn’t, she’d reached between them and grabbed the open lapels of his jeans. “Lena, woman you’re killing me. I’m trying to do the right thing here.”

  “Madden, listen to me, the right thing is to finish this so the next time it’ll be as awesome as it was until you—we--well, you know. I’ve read about this.” He shook his head as she blushed. That was Celena all over, trying to be logical in the middle of something that shouldn’t have a textbook attached to it.

  Instead of indulging in the sudden urge to shake her, he kissed her lips softly, with just a bit of the hunger from earlier. When he felt her start to relax, he pulled back. “I don’t care what the stupid books say sometimes the first time can be more than just pain. For you, I’d have at least tried to figure out just how the hell to do it. You mean the world to me, Celena.”

  Feeling her around him was incredible, he felt the moment she relaxed enough for him to slide out, but couldn’t bring himself to do it. “Kiss me, Madden,” she cupped his face, “Just like you did earlier.” Impossibly he felt her heartbeat throb around his cock as he nuzzled the side of her mouth, remembering the way she was more sensitive on the left. Taking a chance, he trailed kisses along her neck, feeling the way she sighed and twitched under his lips. He almost flinched when she lifted her hips as his teeth grazed the crease of her shoulder.

  “Oh…” The sound caught his ears and he looked up, there was still a flush riding her cheeks but her eyes were distant and dreamy as she lightly rocked against the bare few inches he penetrated her. Watching her eyes carefully, he slipped his hand along her belly and lower, finding the split flesh of her labia to tease her clit. When she shuddered and took air in hard and fast he dared to push in a small bit more, luxuriating in the hot, tight fisting feel of her body swallowing him slowly.

  “Does that hurt?” he asked, his voice tight.

  “Li’l sore,” Celena muttered as her eyes went vague. She felt how tense he was, knew that he needed to hear what she was and wasn’t feeling, but she couldn’t find the words. When he had started kissing her neck she felt a burning throb inside and shifted, but the ache melted away and turned into a want.

  His fingers found her still slick flesh and the wonderful feeling of falling apart started to build low in her belly again, experimenting, she lifted her hips and the small rocking motions he made deepened into a thrust, then a second, and she felt the difference between the raw burning pain and the new pulsing ache. She needed something…it was there but it wasn’t.

  “Madden?” she asked and begged at the same time, not knowing what she wanted. Finally he seemed to understand as he slipped an arm under her hips tilting them to let him slide in deeper. It felt so strange, his thickness sliding in and out as the curious feeling grew into an obsession—she had to have more. “Don’t stop, oh please, don’t stop.” It was hard to breathe as an orgasm gripped her. She couldn’t move, couldn’t imagine moving, it felt so good. He didn’t stop, and the feeling doubled, tripled, until the light fractured swallowing them both.

  The moment she went stiff in his arms, the act had gone from long time erotic dream to terror. Holding her in his arms was like holding her heart. He felt everything she did, and he strove to push her over the edge into release without damaging the amazing woman who had known her heart, mind, and body well enough to throw caution to the wind for a quick screw on his bed. Kissing the hollow beneath her ear, he allowed himself to come, pouring his heart into holding her gently, safely, as he felt her aftershocks pull him deep, wringing the last bit of fluid from his softening member.

  “I love you, Celena,” he confessed, cuddling her to his chest. “I never should have touched you. Maybe you should go.”

  “You are so weird, Madden.” She sighed. “The only man in the world who would say, I love you--go away. Twice.” She grabbed him angrily by the ears. “If you think I’m letting you out of doing that to me at least twice a day for as long as I can walk you are out of your freaking mind.”

  Madden couldn’t help it, he started laughing, still holding her he rolled to his side. “Lena you don’t live here or work here, and there is your mom.” His heart contracted painfully as he watched the sparkle in her pretty eyes disappear. “You deserve better than a carpenter.”

  She just snorted and pushed at his shoulder; the stabbing fingers eased and traced the corded muscles of his arms. “I worked for the government for the past six years in some of the crappiest places imaginable, on a lot of things both agricultural and classified. It paid really well and I haven’t spent much of it. I have no plan on leaving, whether you want to keep me around or not. I warn you, I
can be pretty damned stubborn when I’m not passing out at your feet.”

  Those curious fingers found a ticklish spot on his abs as they explored. He’d only hoped for maybe a quick tumble to get her out of his blood, but knew only now how deeply he screwed up—she was firmly entrenched in his heart.

  “First things first then,” he conceded. “Let’s see if we can fix the mess the pack has going then we’ll fix us, how’s that?” It must have been a good solution because Celena snuggled in closer, sighing before falling into a light sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  Top Knot Detective

  There was a small crowd of folks that wanted to start working on the mysteries, and Red felt a twinge of shame for indulging an appetite while time was so important. But so was proper rest. He didn’t have the heart to wake Celena, not after she fell asleep so hard and fast. She had a look that made him think she’d lost weight despite her soft curves. The purple stains under her eyes were a dead giveaway to a sustained lack of sleep, so he eased off her clothes and tucked her into bed.

  Vanner Stang still managed to look like a refugee from a homeless shelter, but at least he was more relaxed and in good spirits. Having his “gift” of communicating with their four-legged brethren finally recognized seemed to ease the older man. Being given the responsibility of caring for the orphaned and displaced wolves gave him a purpose and a place in a world he had never quite fit in. Red understood the feeling of not belonging only too well.

  The good doctor, Tomas SaoBria, sat huddled on the edge of a divan looking as miserable as always. Red bore down on the urge to snarl at the man, he was weak and risked the lives of all the pack, the wolf in him wanted to kill the traitor. It wasn’t often that his nature was conflicted, but Tomas was a sore spot. The only reason Red didn’t kill the wounded wolf was because Tomas had tried, in a very stupid way, to protect Marc’s wife and sons from being discovered by not recording her pregnancy properly.

  He should have come to me or the Wolf Lord with what happened, he stared at the doctor making him flinch. Instead of confiding his problem to the pack alpha or Lupercus, Tomas tried to fix things alone while allowing the pack to be targeted by enemies. No one could prove that Laura Faust was operating alone, her statements were too vague to take at face value and her home and belongings just turned up more questions than answers. The only good thing, Red concluded, was that the bitch was sitting in a prison cell waiting for a murder trial. Thankfully the state police were able to discover the identity of the woman Faust had killed to set the trap for Lupercus.

  Sitting around the table were various uncles and cousins that had farms within the four state areas of east Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, and a small part of western Maryland. Theirs was probably the largest man-wolf pack in the United States. There was one out west, a second group in the south that barely weathered the last hurricane season, and an enclave in the northern Canadian provinces. What made tracking the clans tough in the last generation was the sheer number of single males that left home and dropped out of contact. Lupercus knew how to find them, and left them alone so long as they had no family. Men like Quint Campanella, single, living alone but for his daughter, were starting to become the norm. Red rubbed his neck in frustration, he’d always been a homebody and even when he left home in his pain, felt the place pulling him back, calling to his blood. He couldn’t understand being rootless.

  Marc appeared from the kitchen. “Red, you want to have the meeting now or what?” It was the off season for guests at Daniel’s Choice, making it easier on Flora and Marc to pick up tasks that Lora normally handled, but if the clan was going to be around over the dinner hour, food would need to be served, a daunting task with so many wolf-kin in attendance. He nodded and moved to the head of the table.

  “You all know what happened and why we’re meeting here today. We need to find out if this threat just affects our pack or if it has spread to all of the man-wolf clans.” He paused and looked at the faces staring back at him. “We need help…” no, he shook his head, may as well be honest. “Strike that, I need help, a lot of this stuff is beyond me to make heads or tails of it. I’ve asked someone to help me, someone who has known what I am for a very long time.” The stunned silence erupted into whispers as the men started muttering amongst themselves.

  Speaking over the hushed voices, Red continued, “I know I should have told the clan that this person knew, but I trust her.” At the word ‘her’ the looks morphed from silent panic to something akin to smirking disgust that pissed him off. He felt the wolf in him rise, and welcomed the spirit sharing his anger over his judgment being challenged, even if it was just looks.

  Leaning his palms onto the table, he heard the clicking sound of his partially morphed nails and noticed that a few of the others looked vaguely sick.

  Good, he thought, they need reminding of who is the boss.

  Behind him, he heard soft steps moving down the hallway. With only three women in the house it was either Lora, Flora or Celena. Flora was in the kitchen helping Marc make dinner; he listened as her voice blended with the sounds of a mixer and Marc’s laughter. Lora had a firm fast step, leaving only one other person.

  “Celena.” He turned and moved towards the large opening. She was standing on the other side of the wall, looking hesitant. She’d changed into a more demure skirt and sweater outfit but still had a sleepy, abused look to her eyes.

  “You’re frowning again,” she quietly touched the tense skin between his eyes, “I’d hoped to help bring you some peace, Madden, not make things harder.”

  Tenderly, he pulled her close, not caring if the others saw. She was his and they’d better get accustomed to seeing her around.

  “No worries kid,” he teased, the same way he’d done when they were years younger, and she smiled. “Ready to help me with my homework?” He grinned, holding her close, enjoying the way she fit against him.

  “Always Madden, I’m here for you.”

  The words were accompanied by an odd ringing in his head like the clear tones of a bell, and he blinked in confusion.

  “You heard it too?” She gasped.

  Red ignored the odd occurrence and lightly pulled her into the room.

  “Celena Black, I’d like you to meet the representatives of our clan.” The use of the word ‘our’ wasn’t missed by any of the men at the table. It was a mark of their intelligence that they chose to keep their lips closed on the questions he felt brewing in the room. He made the introductions saving the doctor for last.

  Red sat, and without thinking, pulled Celena to sit on his leg. It was as much habit as desire, and the others managed to find a number of things very interesting while she settled, pulling over a notepad and pencil.

  “Guess we better start at the beginning. Uncle Jay, you know the histories the best, maybe you remember some details we need.” The older man was one of Red’s favorite relatives, always smiling and ready with a story, he managed to be the favorite of every child in the clan. Red never understood why the older man never married; he would have made a great dad.

  “Guess I’ll keep to the short version, I’ve a feeling your lady friend isn’t unfamiliar with the tale.”

  Red caught the slight blush that pinked Celena’s cheeks with not a little confusion.

  “Before Rome was established the land was wooded and generally known as the Seven Hills, because there were seven mountains surrounding the dish that would one day be Rome. Back at the time when the Wolf Lord, that’d be Lupercus, roamed about, there was a small village called Fidenae.”

  “Wait,” Celena stalled the older man. “Fidenae was to the north of where the settlement of Roma was founded. It was always believed that Rome was the first true village near the cave den of Lupercus. Recent archaeological excavations proved this wrong. There was a town of stone foundation before Roma sprang up. Do you happen to know the name of that town?” She was so excited she was literally bouncing. Red didn’t mind her enthusiasm
for knowledge, but his body was seriously misinterpreting her excitement in a most uncomfortable way. He stilled her hips with his hands, and she subsided, giving him an odd look.

  “No young miss, I rightly wouldn’t know that. Don’t think the Wolf Lord would either, that was at a time when he wasn’t much around, but I can see the interest.” The old man clearly saw all the interest the topic raised the way his rheumy denim eyes sparkled.

  “As I was saying,” he continued, “when Fidenae was the only settlement around, there was a sheep herder name of Faustulus who hand-fasted with a young girl by the name Laurentia. In that time the couples would go up in the hills to look for the stag for a fertility blessing.” Celena nodded her understanding as he sipped at a glass of water. “If there was a babe of the union, then the priest would marry them, if not, they could choose to stay together after a year or split up and try again with another. But in this case, the newly joined couple ran across the stag and the wolf.

  “The wolf was what changed everything. He’d been given the secret just that day of how to be like a man, and got the notion of chasing after that pretty little girl not knowing she was another man’s intended.” That caught Celena’s attention, and she made a note on the page in the shape of a triangle.

  “Now, the Wolf Lord wasn’t given the secret of changing shape to get lucky, he was given a job, he just sort of took advantage and, well, I guess you could say, indulged.” Most of the men laughed, but Celena had an odd look on her face.

  “The shepherd wasn’t angry?”

  “Back in them days, missy, men didn’t question the gods,” a garrulous elder in his seventies with a disproving eye, narrowed a look at the head of the table.

  “Ah, just like back in your youth, when women didn’t interfere in men’s business or flout convention by having sex outside of marriage? I am not unaware of the perspicacity of wolves to scent, but it has no place in this matter.”