Her chest heaving with temper, Sabine blinked back tears of frustration. She turned her head away from him to break the mesmeric hold his gaze had on her. She needed a moment to gather her thoughts. He’d never agree to her wishes. She should have known.
Very well, she’d give him what he wanted, then take what she needed to rebuild her pack. She supposed she could find another wolf to father her child, but on a primal level the were in her demanded his bloodlines for her offspring.
The fraught silence lengthened between then, and the awareness that she was open to him hit her. The fine hairs of his body caressed the skin on her torso, pelvis and legs. The cool blades of grass against her back were just as arousing; it provided a contrast to the heat emanating from Drew’s body hovering over hers.
The tempo of his breathing changed and she turned her head to face him. His taut face a mere few inches from hers had her swallowing at what she saw there. Need. Her eyes widened as his expression changed. She watched fretfully as the rage in his eyes ebbed and turned to a carnal fervent desire. What had she roused?
Sabine wiggled to get from under him and felt his body tense more. He let out a strangled growl.
Drew’s gaze dropped to her breasts and his eyes ran over her torso with a greedy appreciation. After taking his fill, he lifted his gaze to meet hers.
Without breaking eye contact with her, he issued an order. “Ishbel, head back to the den, and tell the women to get ready to move one hour after nightfall.”
“But—” Ishbel protested.
“Now!” His voice dropped into a low authoritative rumble, tight and unrecognizable. Sabine sensed Ishbel’s hesitation, but Drew jerked his head in command and her sister took off as ordered. A were’s obedience to the dominant wolf was ingrained. Still, Sabine felt abandoned by her sister.
“The choice is yours, Sabine. I can take you this very minute with no consideration for your innocence and be the kind of man you accused me of being, or…”
“You wouldn’t.” She knew he wouldn’t. Sabine had to believe he was not that type of were. The tenderness when he mentioned his sister wasn’t feigned.
“I will if you leave me no choice.” The lack of inflection in his gave her no idea whether he would carry out his threat.
Sabine jerked when he lowered the entire length of his body fully on top of hers. He lay on her, unmoving, perfectly at ease, while every nerve in her body was doing jumping jacks.
She squirmed under him, conscious of the jut of his hipbones pressed into her pelvis. Tiny pimples of arousal sprang up over her entire body. Sabine stifled a moan; she didn’t want him to get a glimpse of the restless need he stirred up inside her.
The length of his cock lay heavy on the soft pillow of her belly. He eased down to slide his erect penis over her plump mons. Sabine gulped. The weight and bulk of him shocked her anew.
Drew made no move to spread her folds and thrust into her. His reticence took her off guard. God, he was driving her crazy, making her wonder what he was going to do next.
Her harsh, angry pants changed into breathy hitches of arousal.
His breath on her ear was a hot moist caress. “Or we can wait until I have you in my bed. I’ll show you what it’s like to be made love to, as you deserve. I’ll kiss every inch of your skin and suckle on those pale pink nipples to bring you to the edge of orgasm.”
Each word evoked a shiver from her. She should be immune to the seductiveness, yet she lay there in yearning anticipation of his next word.
“I’ll peel back your nether lips to feast on the sweet flesh within the cleft hidden between your thighs. Then I’ll sink my tongue deep inside you. To taste and savor. Prepare you. Then when you’re wet and ready for me, I’ll thrust my shaft into you. And you’ll welcome me and beg for more.” He dropped a kiss on her lips, so quick she didn’t get a taste of him.
“Never.” She spat the lie for pride’s sake.
“Yes, you will. By the time I put my stamp on you, you’ll be pleading for me to take you.” A teasing smile bloomed over his face, breaking through the grimness. His grin was an unspoken taunt and his eyes gleamed as if he knew a delicious secret she wasn’t privy to yet. It irritated her to no end.
“No she-wolf has ever voluntarily left my pack. We take good care of our women.” He breathed in. “You’re ready for me. I can smell it.”
“We’ll see who begs first. I won’t let a were who pines for another woman put his mark on me. I’ll say the words to secure safe passage for my family. In return, I’ll help you find your sister.” The weight of the promise she made hardened her resolve. “After that, we’re quits. I have to find a worthy wolf to rebuild my clan.”
“Already our scents are mingling, and your body is preparing for me. What makes you so sure you’ll just be able to walk away?” He lifted a dark brow expectantly, waiting for her answer.
Much as she wanted to reply with some witty, ego-crushing insult, the words stuck in her throat. It took everything in her not to relax under him, lift her hips to encourage him to take her. It’d be so easy to give in, and take the first bite of the proverbial forbidden apple. However, her pride kept her clinging to the last thread of reason. Each moment she stalled, the danger to her family grew.
“Promise you won’t put your mate’s mark on me. Give me that at least.” It would make it easier to leave him when the time came, when she took his cub from him.
“Fine, but you’re short-changing yourself by rejecting the benefits my mark will give you. I won’t sink my fangs in your neck until you ask me.” His eyes narrowed speculatively. “Once you say the words, your loyalty will transfer to my pack. You’ll obey me as your mate and alpha.”
Sabine clamped her lips together before she told him exactly what he could do with that bit of thinking. She was a Silverwolf, and her allegiance was to her family.
Sabine swallowed hard. Her body reacted to the imperceptible slide of his body every time he took a breath.
“Are you afraid to be my mate?” Drew nipped her bottom lip. “Or do you want to be Balthazar’s little girl all your life? I can promise you being mine will be much more fulfilling.”
“You arrogant—” Sabine spat.
His mouth claimed hers. The pressure of his insistent tongue separated her lips.
Startled by the intimate invasion, her jaw slackened. He deepened the kiss, slanting his head at an angle to tease a response from her.
She’d never been kissed before. The rapacious hunger in this initial act of intimacy woke a new need in her. She wanted more. With a tentativeness born of inexperience, she took a taste of him, touched her tongue to his. When he suckled on it, she pulled back.
Drew laughed, and raked his teeth over her lower lip. In another moment, she’d wrap her legs around him and beg him to take her. The bastard dragged his tongue down the length of neck, and she arched her body up into his, but at least he didn’t mark her.
Drew’s hips jerked between her splayed thighs, and the sensitive tissues there reacted to the hard shaft pressed against her and grew damp.
“Let me up.”
He didn’t budge an inch. “Say the words, Sabine.”
“I need to think this through.” She fought hard not to plead.
“How very un-wolf like of you. Careful, your human side is showing. We don’t have the luxury of time. I know Bardo. You have no idea what he will do to acquire you. They have very few women in their pack. If he’s picked up the scent of your lure on the boy, he won’t rest until he gets his hands on you.” He rolled off her.
She shivered at the sudden loss of heat from his body, and an odd sense of rejection burned inside her.
“They’re without a territory because they’ve been sent into exile. Bardo’s father set up an unsanctioned den to breed cubs to build up his numbers. They fed their cubs steroids to make them stronger, faster, and more brutal fighting machines. That’s the pack hunting you.”
“We can protect ourselves.” Even as she said
the words, she knew they were a lie.
Annoyance flitted across his face. “No, what you can do is conceal yourselves, but once you’re found, it will be all over. He won’t ever give up. The faster we act, the better it will be. It’s now or never.”
She hated to have the decision taken out of her hands in such a precipitous manner, even now, after discovering her responsiveness to Drew. It should have made her decision easier, but for some reason it didn’t. He’d be aware of her reaction to him. Damn.
She didn’t want to tie herself to this man, not under these conditions. Her reaction to him confused and overwhelmed her.
“Don’t think I’m being altruistic. I want your ability to cover my tracks. Your fighting skills make you a viable partner during my continued hunt.”
“I’m so glad you’ll get some benefit from this union.”
His firm lips kicked up at one end. “Oh, I can think of a few other advantages that will fall my way.” The sensual warmth in his expression left no doubt in what he meant.
Sabine dropped her eyes to avoid eye contact. A blush spread in a hot wave over her entire body. Oh, to be in fur. Her pelt would’ve at least concealed her reaction to him. Sabine looked up at Drew. He knew. She saw it in his eyes.
The scent of her arousal enveloped them in a cloud of pheromones. Heck, how was she going to pretend indifference?
She glanced down, and then smirked into his taut face. It was a small consolation that his erection looked more painful than the needy throbs she felt between her thighs.
She’d say the words to save her family. “I claim you as my mate.” But she used a much-abbreviated version of the vows.
During the short time they were tied together, she’d do everything in her power to make him suffer the same pangs of dissatisfaction he’d awakened in her.
Chapter Ten
“You omitted the words one and true.” What a contradictory little snip. Sabine might not be getting what she wanted, but she certainly was getting what she needed. If she wasn’t so busy being angry with him she’d realize it.
“Say the vows properly.” Drew watched her closely. “I’m not leaving you a loophole to wiggle through, especially if you fall pregnant with a cub of mine.”
Sabine seared him with a narrow-eyed glare. He almost grinned, but thought better of it. She might take a chunk out of his hide.
Shit, her pissiness only added to her appeal. The spoor emanating from her filled the air with her succulent scent. Her emerging needs, fueled by her anger, washed over him and hammered at his senses, causing him to ache.
“Saying one and true would be a lie, wouldn’t it? In your mind, you’re still mated to a woman who is no longer with us.” She dared him to deny it, but he couldn’t. Not yet.
“Say your vows, Sabine, and bare your neck to me, to show your total acceptance of our union. We have a lot to accomplish before nightfall.” He wasn’t going to argue with her. His cool demand belied the inexplicable anxiety he felt. She had to agree. The seconds ticked by in his head, and that damned tick-tocking got louder by the minute.
Sabine mumbled the pledge through gritted teeth, but at least she said it. She tilted her head to the side, exposing her pulsing jugular. There was nothing submissive in the gesture. If the stubborn angle of her chin was anything to go by, it was a definite fuck you.
Drew leaned in and trailed his tongue over the faint blue line pulsing in the side of her neck. God, she was delicious. The blood raced hot and strong through her vein under his tongue in a vibrant rush, calling to the base animal in him.
His clamped his mouth around her soft flesh and suckled possessively.
Just a little more pressure and he could mark her as his, but he wouldn’t. He increased the suction until Sabine shuddered against him. Taking advantage of her softening stance, Drew pulled her closer.
Drew knew he’d been cruel earlier. He’d deliberately aroused her and left her hanging to prove she wasn’t indifferent to him. It shouldn’t matter if she responded or not, but the man as much as the were in him wanted her to acknowledge the attraction between them.
As the spark between them lit like gunpowder, Sabine burrowed into him. His head still reeled from the intensity of the kiss they’d shared. The scent of her pheromones almost sent him over the edge.
Crap. She had his brains, balls, and gut all twisted up. His teeth pricked her skin.
Sabine recoiled as if he’d seared her with a brand, and he released her, reluctantly.
“What’s wrong now?” Drew clamped his lips shut as the lustful confusion in her eyes shifted to hot irritation.
“What more do you want? I made my vows, didn’t I?” She gave him a pissy little shrug, turning her body away in rejection. “Let’s have yours, and finish this.”
Sabine folded her arms under her breasts. Her unconscious gesture brought the pretty, pink-tipped mounds into prominence. Drew groaned inaudibly. His already-hard cock hardened even more.
“I claim you as my one true mate, Sabine—” The vow slipped easily from his lips, contrary to what he’d anticipated. “—Lunedare.” He drew out her new surname and watched her lips curl into a sneer. Her bottom lip was a pouty invitation.
Time to switch gears, or he’d have her flat on her back, legs splayed, and up over his hips in another second.
Turning aside to break his fixation on her, Drew shook his head to clear it. He looked down into the valley. “I need to get a look inside that den.”
“Why would you? I told you, your sister isn’t there anymore.” Sabine cast a puzzled glance at him.
“You said they had other women down there. If they’ve been taken forcibly from their packs, we have to restore them to their families if that’s what they want.” Drew fixed his eyes on the narrow ravine leading up to the Redmaven hideout.
Sabine looked at him like he had a screw loose. “I thought the idea was to lay low. Any female they’ve captured might not have survived this long. A Redmaven she-wolf would give away our presence. Are you willing to chance it?” She tilted her head to the side, a frown furrowing her brow.
“It’s a risk, but I know what we’ve gone through not knowing what happened to Aimee. If I can spare their families that pain, I will.” How the heck he was going to get in and out with his hide intact, he hadn’t a clue.
Sabine stared down at the mouth of the canyon with a gleam of speculation in her eyes. “We could get caught and we’ll be in the same position as your sister —prisoners. You know that?”
“Yes.” Drew nodded and watched Sabine look over the valley.
Her lips curled with the beginnings of a smile. “If we’re going to do this, we have to do it now. They might have posted guards.” Sabine’s cheeky grin washed away all signs of temper from her face and was replaced by an eagerness he recognized.
She welcomed the challenge of something dangerous. The risk set her adrenaline pumping, all her senses keenly alert to catch any hint of danger, sensations weres relished.
Sabine let go of her human form and skipped over the rocky terrain to disappear over a pile of boulders.
When was she going to learn to wait for his directions? Drew grumbled as he shifted and took off after her. He followed her by the thin scent trail she left for him. It was barely enough for him to track her.
Drew caught up with Sabine a short time later. Shoulder to shoulder, they wove through the trees, nimbly racing down the rocky terrain.
At the base of the hill, Sabine slowed down and took a sharp left. She paused and checked the air, but it blew past them laden with fresh spoor. Undaunted, she moved to enter the gorge before him.
Drew nipped her on the haunch to pull her to a stop. He stepped in front of her and ignored her grunt of irritation.
He wasn’t about to let her walk into enemy territory ahead of him. He skulked between the boulders, embedded into the gully with Sabine by his side.
The air was heavy with musk exuded by the weres. The strong odor was evidence that a
large group of wolves occupied the cave. Drew hunkered down behind a rock formation and surveyed the area. At the entrance of the cave, two enormous wolves basked in the sun.
Drew studied them closely, taking careful note of their size. He’d watched Justice fight one of their kind, but his chances of snapping the neck of two battle-bred wolves were slim to none.
Shit, he needed to get a look inside that cave.
Sabine nudged him aside, pointed to the mouth of the cave with her muzzle, and then sprang up on top of a boulder. Her pale fur shone silver bright like a beacon in the early morning sunlight. She shot the astonished wolves a shit-eating smirk, before she took off down the dry creek bed in the center of the gorge.
The wolves rose up on all fours, disbelief stamped on their furry lupine faces. Their reaction time was slow. Drew empathized. He stood frozen in place himself, shocked at Sabine’s audacity. The wolves stared at Sabine racing away for what felt like an eternity before they took off after her.
Anger at his mate finally galvanized him into springing after the wolves chasing Sabine at a full run. The sound of an outraged feminine snarl from the cave, mixed in with taunting masculine laughter pulled him to a stop.
Torn, he looked in the direction Sabine had gone and back at the shadowed entrance of the cave.
His head told him Sabine could evade the two dullards in pursuit. Still he hesitated. The instinct to protect his mate warred with the part of him which felt compelled to defend the vulnerable.
A shriek pulled his attention back to the cave. After he took one last look in the direction where Sabine had gone, Drew rushed into the dark hole carved into the side of the hill. On silent paws, he slid into the shadowed cavern.
The strong odor of mineral-rich water seeping through the chalky limestone walls did little to temper the reek of refuse.
He stumbled over his front paws when he saw a tiny woman holding two weres in their man-form at bay with a pole, and a third were writhing on the ground, cupping his groin.
Her Wanted Wolf Page 9